The Venezuelan Supreme Court recently upheld the constitutionality of blocking 272 mostly opposition candidates from running for office on the basis of suspicion of corruption.  The court rejected arguments that the blacklist was unconstitutional because many of the listed candidates had merely been accused, but not convicted, of corruption. 


Read More Venezuelan Supreme Court Upholds Constitutionality of Candidate Blacklist

Nancy Praeger, President of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”), sent a letter last month to the U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises (the “Subcommittee”) and the co-sponsors of H.R. 5792, Increasing Insurance Coverage Option for Consumers Act of 2008 (the “Bill”).


Read More NAIC Comments On Proposed Reforms Of Liability Risk Retention Act

The two consultation papers published by the European Commission (Commission) on 31 July 2008 result from the perception that CRAs contributed to current market turmoil by underestimating the credit risk of structured instruments in which sub prime mortgages were embedded. Many investors relied too heavily on the generally favourable ratings given by CRAs to these products instead of assessing the risk characteristics themselves and assessing performance of the underlying assets. 
Read More EU: European Commission Publishes Two Consultation Papers on Regulation of Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs)

On July 29, XL Capital (“XL”) announced plans to raise $2.5 billion through an offering of ordinary shares and equity security units, the proceeds of which were to be used to recapitalize Syncora Holdings, Ltd. (formerly known as Security Capital Assurance) (“Syncora”), a bond insurance company that XL spun off in 2006. 
Read More NY Insurance Department Announces Successful Closing of Agreement to Recapitalize Syncora Holdings, Ltd.

The English High Court provided directions to the liquidators of Whiteley Insurance Consultants (WIC), an insurance intermediary, on how to deal with claims in the liquidation made by creditors to whom insurance policies had been sold by WIC in circumstances where either WIC had no authority from the insurers to place the policies or the insurers did not exist. 
Read More UK: Guidance on the remedies under FSMA – In the matter of Whiteley Insurance Consultants (2008)