The fallout from the credit crunch and the ensuing new world economic order has accelerated the political will for greater international consistency, accountability and solidarity between states. Governments’ increasing emphasis on national and cross-border regulation – particularly in the financial sector – has contributed to the proliferation of legislation, and this in turn has sparked growth in the number of disputes as regulators and the regulated take their first steps in the this new environment.
The challenging economic climate of the last few years has also led clients to look increasingly outside the traditional methods of settling disputes and consider whether the alternative methods outlined in each chapter in this book may offer a more economical solution.
It is clear that the current economic climate has the potential to change the political and legal landscape across the EU for the foreseeable future and that businesses will be more reliant on their legal advisors than ever before to provide timely, effective and high-quality legal advice to help steer them through the uncertain times ahead.
Following the success of the first three editions of this work, this fourth edition now extends to some 56 jurisdictions. Each chapter has been extensively updated to reflect recent events and provide a snapshot of key developments expected in 2012.
