The issue of offshore derivative instruments (ODIs) such as participatory notes (PNs) have been the subject matter of regulatory controversy for some time now. These are instruments issued by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) (now foreign portfolio investors (FPIs)) to investors overseas that mimic the risks and rewards on underlying securities held by the FIIs/FPIs in Indian companies...
SEBI Reforms – Part 2: Delisting
Delisting of securities tends to be somewhat controversial given that it represents the tension between the interests of the controlling shareholder who want to delist the company and the interests of minority shareholders who are caught between the options of exiting the company at the offered value or remaining in the company without the liquidity and protections that a stock exchange listing...
SEBI Reforms – Part 1: Insider Trading
Yesterday, SEBI’s board unleashed a series of capital market reforms. These relate to insider trading, delisting, enforceability of the listing agreement and several other matters. In this post, I briefly examine the implications of the reforms on regulations pertaining to insider trading. The SEBI board has approved a new set of regulations dealing with insider trading. While the text of the...
SEBI Informal Guidance: Scope of Prohibition
[The following post is contributed by Supreme Waskar, partner at Sterling Associates, Mumbai] Almondz Global Securities Limited (“AGSL”) is a stock broker and merchant banker registered with SEBI. On March 21, 2014 SEBI had prohibited AGSL from taking up any new assignment or involvement in any new issue of capital including an IPO, follow on issue etc, from the securities market in any manner...
OECD on Public Enforcement of Corporate Governance in Asia
The principles and norms of corporate governance tend to operate through layers. On the one hand, there is the basic legislation, i.e. the Companies Act, SEBI Act and the like. Then there are specific norms in the form of clause 49 of the listing agreement that are mandatory for listed companies. Finally, there could be voluntary guidelines that exhort companies towards higher standards. That...
SEBI’s Final Order in GDR Manipulation Case
In a September 2011 post, we had discussed an ad-interim ex parte passed by SEBI in relation to a specific transaction structure that involved the use of global depository receipts (GDRs) to allegedly manipulate the stock price of several companies: The modus operandi was as follows. The companies issued GDRs, which were acquired by various foreign institutional investors (FIIs) or their sub...
Typographical Errors Ailing Securities Laws?
[The following post is contributed by Vaneesa Abhishek, who is a securities lawyer and a former Legal Officer of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)] Background The Securities Laws Amendment Act, 2014 (“2014 Act“) was notified recently. Section 1(4) of the 2014 Act provides that certain provisions that relate to minimum penalty under adjudication chapters of the...
SAT Order on “Flash Crash”
A few days ago, the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) passed its order on an appeal by Emkay Global Financial Services Limited against the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and several investors in a case involving a “flash crash”. This case raises interesting legal and contractual issues, although they were substantially resolved through an interpretation of the bye laws and various circulars...
The Securities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2014 – A Critical Analysis
[The following guest post is contributed by Mubashshir Sarshar, who is a lawyer and an alumnus of National Law University Delhi. The author can be reached at [email protected].] Two standalone incidents within a span of one year have managed to change the entire paradigm of the securities market transactions in India. The Sahara and Saradha episodes symbolised the stark loopholes that...
Resources on the Securities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2014
[One of our readers has helpfully shared various resources in connection with the latest legislative amendments relating to the powers and functions of SEBI, which might be of wider interest] The Securities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2014 received the assent of the President on the 22 August, 2014 and was published in the Gazette of India on 25 August, 2014. The debates from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
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