IKEA’s Billy bookcase—so popular that one is reportedly sold every 10 seconds—recently got even cheaper, at least for Russians. IKEA is holding a fire sale as the company closes its stores and exits the Russian market. The...more
On April 22, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his International Climate Finance Plan as a follow up to his January Executive Order 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. 2021-02177.pdf (govinfo.gov). This...more
The DFC represents an important new financing source for companies investing in emerging markets overseas, as well as in projects in the U.S. that enhance the domestic response to COVID-19. The recently launched DFC has up...more
If you’re a US investor interested in emerging markets, you will soon have access to much more capital thanks to the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development (BUILD) Act....more
Companies receiving agency-supported financing should implement anti-human trafficking compliance to avoid potential liability. U.S. law creates corporate liability for foreign and domestic entities operating in the United...more
The Situation: The U.S. government historically has lagged behind other countries in providing support to investors in developing and emerging markets. The Development: The Better Utilization of Investments Leading to...more
The Situation: African leaders gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, in March 2018 to sign the draft Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area ("CFTA") and other related protocols. Forty-four of the 55 Member...more
On February 28, 2018, a bipartisan bill was introduced in the U.S. Congress that would create a new, expanded U.S. development finance agency. The bill, titled the Better Utilization of Investment Leading to Development, or...more
The President’s FY 2018 Budget Proposal: The President’s FY 2018 Budget Proposal: The President released the full version of his first budget, laying out his proposals for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 and the following decade. The...more
Going international is a complicated undertaking. Your specific situation and concerns will determine the steps required. The following outlines, very generally, some issues you must consider as you contemplate international...more
The Obama Administration recently announced new financing for renewable energy projects through several initiatives domestically and around the globe. From committing $125 million in Overseas Private Investment Corporation...more
With capital costs falling and the technology ever improving, concentrating solar power (CSP) and solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies present increasingly enticing investment opportunities for a number of emerging economies;...more
Leading the News - Cote d’Ivoire - On March 13th, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) gunmen armed with assault rifles stormed the beach hotels in Grand-Bassam, a region population with Ivoirian and Western...more
Leading the News - Burundi - On February 12th, the United Nations (U.N.) Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) (MINUSCA) announced its decision to repatriate three...more
Leading the News - Burundi - On February 5th, newly elected African Union (AU) Assembly Chairman and President of Chad Idriss Deby appointed a high-level delegation of five African heads of state to negotiate with...more
Leading the News - Burundi - On January 29th, Burundian authorities released a British and a French journalist who were arrested during a sweep for rebels in flashpoint districts in Bujumbura. The U.S. and European...more
Leading the News - Burkina Faso - On January 15th, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for a string of attacks in Burkina Faso that took the lives of 29 civilians from at least seven...more
As outlined in our April 2015 Blakes Bulletin: Privilege Rules: Solicitor-Client Privilege Held Sacrosanct by Alberta Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has granted leave to appeal (on October 29, 2015) the...more
Leading the News - Tanzania: On October 25th, voters in Tanzania went to the polls to vote for a candidate to replace outgoing President Jakaya Kikwete, who was unable to run for a third term under the country’s...more
On October 17th, members of the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council urged all Libyan parties to endorse and sign the recently finalized political agreement for the creation of a Government of National Accord. The Security...more
Leading the News - Burkina Faso: On October 1st, authorities in Burkina Faso said General Gilbert Diendere, the leader behind a recent coup attempt in the country, was in the custody of security forces. According to...more
Leading the News - Burkina Faso: On September 25th, the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council issued a statement welcoming the reinstatement of President Michel Kafando and the transitional authorities of Burkina...more
Leading the News - Burkina Faso: On September 17th, U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice condemned the unconstitutional seizure of power by elements of the Presidential Security Regiment in Burkina Faso and...more
Leading the News - Burkina Faso: On September 16th, elements of Burkina Faso’s military declared they were in control of the nation after presidential guards stormed a cabinet and seized President Michel Kafando,...more
Leading the News: South Sudan - On August 27th, emergency relief teams from the United Nations (U.N.) Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) reached more than 27,000 people in the town of Wau...more