By Mark Voumard, Gordian Capital – Readers will be familiar with onshore domiciles such as Dublin or Luxembourg. How does Singapore differ? 

“The introduction of the Variable Capital Company (VCC) structure earlier this year has been the latest in a number of initiatives undertaken by the Singapore government to grow the city state’s fund management industry and achieve its ambition of being the gateway to asset management opportunities in Asia”, says Allard de Jong, Head of the Fund Administration, Corporate Trust and Custody team of the Portcullis Group.

The outlook for the penetration of the Variable Capital Company legislation as a fund structure is upbeat as it soldiers on against the unfortunate timing of its launch, amid a global pandemic. More importantly, in practice the legislation works well and the fund launches have been successful.

The ASEAN region has demonstrated itself as a major area for investment and potential growth. However, much of this growth is still on the horizon and yet to be materialised. For the prospects of the ASEAN region to reach their true potential, the current environment requires cost efficiency, scalability and talent. These are critical factors to creating a supportive ecosystem.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has been proactive and transparent with licensing requirements, compared to other jurisdictions. The Digital Acceleration Grant (DAG) programme incentivises firms to modernise operations, equipping smaller managers with the necessary technology and helping new funds get off the ground. This programme, coupled with geopolitical influences, contributes to Singapore accelerating as a safe-haven for money and financial institutions. 

With the profound impacts of Covid-19 continuing to reverberate around the world, it is notable how robust the funds industry has been during the last six months. In Ireland, like elsewhere, significant redemptions were registered in March as investors sought to reduce risk and increase liquidity.

The Irish funds industry may have some catching up to do in the private funds space, but as the government gears up to introduce a refreshed Investment Limited Partnerships Act, the jurisdiction is expected to see an influx of managers from the UK, the US and further afield choosing to set up their private funds in Ireland.

US private equity groups spent an average USD353,000 on external legal counsel per acquisition when prosecuting deals in 2019, according to research released by Apperio, a London-based specialist legal spend management platform. In the UK, the figure was slightly lower at USD253,000. 

Private equity (PE) firms raise and invest billions of dollars. These organisations also spend millions with law firms to protect their business and investments. 

By Susana Garcia-Robles, Venture Partner, Capria Ventures – Face masks and frequent hand-washing are the new routine. But how can a company be safer in the new normal? “Good contractual hygiene,” says Joe Wallin, principal at Seattle-based Carney Badley Spellman. In particular, companies should be sure to understand – and where possible, standardise – force majeure language across all their legal contracts.