12 May 2021
Will the FCA's proposed new SPAC rules result in more SPACS being attracted to the UK?
Following the release of the Hill Report, the FCA has moved quickly to consult on proposals intended to provide an alternative route to market for larger Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”). The broad proposal is that if a SPAC can meet additional investor protection requirements the FCA will not generally require that the listing of its shares be suspended once an acquisition is announced.
26 April 2021
The discontinuation of LIBOR and phasing in of SONIA in the Sterling Markets, what do we know so far?
Global financial markets are preparing to transition away from the use of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and adopt an appropriate alternative risk free rate (“RFR”) by the end of 2021. What are the reasons for the move away from LIBOR, the progress to date in terms of identifying the Sterling Overnight Index Average (“SONIA”) as the most appropriate alternative rate in the Sterling markets, and the steps still required to be taken to ensure such markets are ready for the phasing out of LIBOR by the end of the year
1 April 2021
FCA Moves to Deregulate SPACs
Following the release of the Hill Report at the start of last month, the FCA has announced that it is going to open a consultation into changing the Listing Rules and connected guidance with a view to encouraging the listing of Special Purpose Acquisition Vehicles (SPACs).
12 March 2021
The Hill Report – Impact on Smaller Issuers
Lord Hill’s keenly awaited report on the UK’s listing regime was released on 3 March 2021. Many of his recommendations focus on the premium listed segment, and much of the commentary to date has focussed on recommendations such as permitting dual class share structures. However, the report includes a number of proposals which if implemented may make the Official List more appealing to smaller companies, which we have highlighted in this blog.
23 February 2021
ICSA’s Report on Board Evaluations – A Brief Summary
Following a request by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (“BEIS”) ICSA has prepared a report assessing the effectiveness of the independent board evaluation process introduced in the 2018 update of the UK Corporate Governance Code (the “UK Code”).