Featured Insight
Transforming energy across APAC: Corporate PPAs
In pockets of Asia, corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are emerging as a transformative tool opening access to renewable energy and driving decarbonisation.
07 July 2025
Featured Insight
Blue Finance – Unlocking the Power of the Blue Economy
As the world prepares for the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29), a relatively overlooked area is set to increase in prominence and importance: the health and sustainable use of our oceans. Safeguarding the eco-systems of our seas will demand significant investments. It’s critical for businesses to understand the associated climate risks.
31 October 2024
Featured Insight
Sleeping Carbon Giant Awakes: China’s Renewed Voluntary Carbon Market is Here – What You Need to Know
The long-awaited renewal of the China Certified Emission Reductions (CCER) market is expected to drive trading activity, develop the market and spur innovation. This is a critical step towards China reaching its ‘30.60’ decarbonisation target: peak emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.
26 January 2024
Insight
Public-Private Partnerships in Japan
In Japan, in order to maintain appropriate public services given its aging public facilities, severe financial conditions of national and local governments, and population decline, administrators of public facilities there is need to improve efficiency of costs related to reconstruction, renovation, repair, and operation of public facilities, for instance in relation to management and consolidation of public facilities etc..
23 November 2023
Insight
Tokenised securities: Hong Kong SFC issues important guidance for intermediaries
During Fintech Week, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (“SFC”) issued two highly anticipated circulars to its regulated intermediaries on the tokenisation of securities and other investment products. This article, which includes a two-minute quick read section and diagrams, takes a deep dive into the first SFC circular, which provides important regulatory guidance to intermediaries that engage in activities relating to tokenised securities (“Intermediaries Circular”). This article is the second in a new KWM series on tokenisation across Asia.
13 November 2023
Insight
Tokenisation of securities and other investment products – what, why and key considerations in Hong Kong and China Mainland
Tokenisation is one of the hottest topics in finance circles these days. This article introduces you to what tokenisation is, why it is important and explores some key legal and regulatory considerations, with a focus on Hong Kong and China Mainland. Last week, the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong (“SFC”) published two highly anticipated circulars on tokenisation of SFC-authorised investment products and intermediaries engaging in tokenised securities-related activities. We will analyse these SFC circulars in future articles.
06 November 2023
Insight
Funding winter – fixing the damaging valuation gap in APAC’s ailing Fintech companies
Amid a climate of high interest rates and other macroeconomic challenges, are APAC’s Fintech companies really unable to attract new investors and capital?
12 October 2023
Insight
Breaking down the barriers - operational enhancements set to better facilitate participation in the CDR
New changes to the CDR Rules will have a significant impact on the CDR regime, particularly to reduce barriers to participation in the CDR regime, better facilitate participation by CDR business consumers and introduce other operational enhancements.
14 August 2023
Insight
UK Supreme Court weighs in on APP scams
The UK Supreme Court in a landmark judgment (Philipp v Barclays Bank UK Plc [2023] UKSC 25) has unanimously held that a bank does not have a common law duty to customers to refrain from acting on their instructions where the bank believes the customer is the victim of an authorised push payment scam.
14 July 2023
Publication
A Guide to Taking Security in Asia
Asia’s focus on post-pandemic recovery and economic growth is fuelling a rise in cross-border financing. To help clients navigate the nuances of working across many Asian jurisdictions, we have developed a series of Guides to Taking Security in Asia.
05 July 2023
Insight
Cryptocurrency is “property” under Hong Kong law: Part 1 – what are the key implications and what is the judicial position in Mainland China?
On 31 March 2023, in the landmark decision of Re Gatecoin Limited (In Liquidation) [2023] HKCFI 914 (“Gatecoin Case”), the Court of First Instance of Hong Kong has, for the first time, ruled that cryptocurrency is “property” under Hong Kong law. The Gatecoin Case is one step ahead of the Hong Kong Government’s policy statement that, in order to enhance investor protection, there is a possibility of introducing a statutory definition of cryptocurrency as property, while recognising that the unique characteristics of cryptocurrency may differ from traditional assets. In ruling that cryptocurrency is “property”, the Gatecoin Case brings Hong Kong’s jurisprudence in line with other major common law jurisdictions. Interestingly, despite Mainland Chinese regulators’ imposition of a general ban on cryptocurrency trading, the judicial position in Mainland China on the legal status of Bitcoin also broadly aligns with that in major common law jurisdictions.
08 May 2023
Publication
Public-Private Partnerships in Asia
The use of public-private-partnerships or PPP’s as a model for the delivery of infrastructure has been constantly evolving, but no more so than in the past few years across all asset classes and sectors.
13 February 2023
Insight
Public-Private Partnerships in Phillipines
The Philippines government has long recognised the indispensable role played by the private sector in national growth and the value of public-private partnerships (PPPs) as an important model for engaging the private sector in public projects.
01 February 2023
Insight
Public-Private Partnerships in Malaysia
The concept of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) was first introduced to Malaysia in the 1980s with the implementation of the Malaysia Incorporated Policy to encourage cooperation between the public and private sectors.
01 February 2023
Insight
Public-Private Partnerships in Lao PDR
The Government of the Lao PDR (“GOL”) has engaged in reforms since the mid-1980s to develop a market-oriented economy, including streamlining regulatory requirements and promoting foreign investment.
01 February 2023
