The top 3 stories from today's briefing, narrated as a short audio episode.
Sign up free to listen. The briefing notes below are free to read.
Briefing Notes
International
Hong Kong Plans to Launch International Commercial Court to Strengthen Its Position as a Cross-Border Dispute Resolution Hub
Every new specialist commercial court competes directly with London's jurisdiction — City lawyers need to understand the HKICC to advise clients on forum selection.
AI & Law
Research Warns AI Giants Are Deploying Tobacco and Pharma-Style 'Corporate Capture' Tactics to Resist Regulation
If AI firms are shaping their own regulation, lawyers advising on AI compliance need to build uncertainty tolerance into every governance framework they draft.
M&A
SoFi Acquires UK Retail Investment Platform PrimaryBid in Cross-Border Fintech Deal
US firms buying UK fintech infrastructure signals confidence in London's retail capital markets recovery.
Capital Markets
Global Equity Funds Return to Net Inflows as AI-Driven Rally Pushes MSCI World to Record 1,129.06
Eight straight weeks of bond fund inflows alongside returning equity appetite means issuance windows on both sides are now open simultaneously.
Banking & Finance
Buy-Now-Pay-Later Fintech Riverty Secures EU CRR Banking Licence from ECB and Luxembourg Regulator After 10-Month Process
BNPL firms seeking full bank licences generate some of the most complex regulatory advisory mandates in EU financial services.
Disputes
UK Court Rules JCT Standard-Form Contract Did Not Extinguish Builder's Pre-Existing Contractual Liabilities
Assuming a JCT contract wipes prior obligations is a drafting trap — this ruling confirms the risk of that assumption.
Energy & Tech
EU's Industrial Accelerator Act Faces Criticism for Failing to Fully Address Battery Supply Chain Onshoring, as Northvolt Bankruptcy Underlines Sector Vulnerability
A 60%-versus-private-market asymmetry in the Act's local content rules is exactly the kind of drafting gap that generates years of regulatory arbitrage litigation.
Regulation
EU Insurers Propose Solvency II Rule Changes to Unlock Venture Capital Investment
Solvency II's equity stress charge is the hidden tax on European venture capital.