What Sort of Corporate Governance Improvements Should Amendment of the Company Law Focus On?

BDTI's seminar on amendment of the Company Law last Friday was a big success, with a full turnout and many incisive comments and explanations from our panelists. We would like to thank everyone who attended.

There were differences of opinion betweenthe panelistswith regard to the question of: what should be the main focus of the amendment process,in order to improve corporate governance in Japan? (I.e., what are we trying to fix? )

Morrison Foerster – SEC Will Not Appeal Proxy Access Decision; Shareholder Proposal Amendments Will Take Effect

On September 6, 2011, Mary L. Schapiro, Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), issued a statement indicating that the SEC would not seek rehearing of the recent decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (the Court) that vacated the SEC's proxy access rule, nor would the SEC seek Supreme Court review.

Another Look at Force Majeure and MAC Clauses After the Great East Japan Earthquake

Since the earthquake, a lot of Japanese companies – and foreign companies – realized all the more howimportant force majeure and MAC clauses can be. Thismemo by White & Case presents the basics ofthese vitally important drafting issues, which board membersneed to be aware of when assessing the risks in a transaction.

http://bdti.mastertree.jp/f/ymlbknfz

The New Anti-Corruption Rules: What Do They Mean for Multinationals With Operations in Asia?

White and Case has produced these very helpful short memos on anti-corruption laws, their implications, and what the future may hold:

The New Anti-Corruption Rules: What Do They Mean for Multinationals With Operations in Asia? http://bdti.mastertree.jp/f/fxdigvha

Compliance with [the UK]Bribery Act 2010http://bdti.mastertree.jp/f/emn3bvh0

Looking Through the Wrong End of the Telescope: The Japanese Judicial Response to Steel Partners, Murakami, and Horie

OVERVIEW: POISON PILL DOCTRINE IN SEARCH OF A PHILOSOPHY

When the Bulldog Sauce case landedat the doorstep of the Japanese
Supreme Court in July 2007, one suspects that the Court greeted it with all the enthusiasm of a homeowner who opens the front door to collect the morning paper, only to findwaiting a basket full oforphaned kittens.

Are G20 Commitments and Dodd-Frank in Sync?

A senior financial economist at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has published a paper entitled U.S. Domestic and International Financial Reform Policy: Are G20 Commitments and the Dodd-Frank Act in Sync?. The paper provides a useful overview of the relationship of these two important financial regulatory reform initiatives, focusing in particular on policies to address risks to the financial system posed by systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs).