The PLA and regionalism in Hong Kong

This article examines the linkages between changes in international capital movements and currency values on the one hand and Asian regionalism on the other. It argues that economic ties within Asia in the late 1980s and early 1990s can be traced primarily to the increasing values of currencies in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong. Foreign-direct investments from companies in these countries increased throughout the Asian region. Intra-regional trade grew rapidly as well. Still, by the turn of the century, in contrast to regionalism in Europe, that in Asia remained deeply institutionalized and far less responsive to any central direction from potential leaders such as Japan.     

Protecting nursing home companies: limiting liability through corporate restructuring

Nursing homes face two potential risks: exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs; and financial liability through Medicare and Medicaid overpayments, false claims, and negligence actions. Given the current budget crisis and the scrutiny of nursing homes, the magnitude of these risks is only expected to increase. The authors address the increasing risks that nursing homes face and propose the creation of single-purpose ownership entities and single-purpose operating entities to minimize risk. In addition, they examine recent cases to show what factors the courts use to allow the United States and private plaintiffs to pierce the corporate veil. The authors conclude by showing how restructuring can reduce the unnecessary risks of exclusion and financial liability.     

Islamic capital markets: developments and issues

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. Key points

• As modern Islamic finance continues to develop, thedevelopment and growth of capital markets, including secondarymarkets, for securities and investments that are compliant withthe principles and precepts of Islamic Shari'ah, is being witnessed.
• Thisarticle first considers the nature of Islamic finance, thenlooks at the primary factors influencing the development andgrowth of Islamic capital markets, before looking at the factorsaffecting risk assessment by transactional participants, particularlythose pertaining to certainty, predictability and transparencyof risk factors.
• Capital markets transactions involve bothShari'ah and secular jurisdictions, and legal opinions and choiceof governing law for transactional documentation in each typeof jurisdiction are critical factors in effecting these transactionsand the growth of these markets.
• The article concludes withan overview of the state of the capital markets products.