Section 8 of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 (the "Act") provided for the establishment of an Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (the "Regulatory Authority") tasked with monitoring and overseeing the corporate governance and financial management of all voluntary and co-operative housing bodies when performing their functions, under the Act. This Regulatory Authority was formally established on 1 February 2021 by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD. The establishment of a regulatory framework in this sector represents a significant change in terms of the oversight that will now come into play for the 500 or so registered approved housing bodies ("AHB") in Ireland.

To read our advisory, which gives background information on AHBs, an overview of functions performed by the Regulatory Authority, changing rules and next steps for AHBs, click here: 

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英属处女群岛("BVI")法院在有关一家中国大型制药公司股份所有权的长期争议的一项判决中，显示BVI法院对于涉及中国资产和涉及广泛性的BVI及中国法律问题之复杂跨境商业纠纷案件具备作出有效裁决的能力，而其中汇嘉律师事务所为其客户赵龙女士赢得了全面胜利。

于2021年7月20日，BVI商业法院就BVI一家公司的股份所有权之复杂诉讼作出有利于汇嘉客户赵龙和凯伦新时代投资有限公司（即“申索人”）的判决。该公司（“安德森”）持有一家其名为鲁南制药集团有限公司（简称“鲁南”）的中国大型制药公司的四分之一的已发行股本（简称“鲁南股份”）以及其他集团公司中的股份（与鲁南股份合称“中国股份”）。

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Further to our advisory dated May 2021, any Cayman Islands entity that is registered with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (“CIMA”) as a private fund is required to file a Fund Annual Return (“FAR”) form each year with CIMA. The FAR form will usually be filed within six months of a private fund’s financial year end. However for private funds with a 31 December 2020 financial year end, there has been an extension to the filing deadline until 30 September 2021.

The filing deadline is now fast approaching, and it is imperative that all private funds are taking steps to prepare and submit the FAR form.

How can Walkers Professional Services (“WPS”) assist?

Preparing the FAR forms can be time consuming and administratively burdensome. WPS has a dedicated team who can assist with the preparation and submission of the FAR form, together with payment of the FAR filing fee.

If you are interested in our FAR form service for your private fund, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or speak with any of the below contacts.

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Walkers has secured a comprehensive victory for its client, Ms Zhao Long, in a long running dispute regarding the ownership of shares in a significant PRC pharmaceutical company in a judgment of the BVI Court demonstrating the BVI Court's ability to effectively adjudicate complex cross-border commercial disputes involving PRC assets and wide ranging questions of both BVI and PRC law.

On 20 July 2021, the British Virgin Islands (“BVI”) Commercial Court handed down judgment in favour of Walkers' clients, Zhao Long and Kunlun Newcentury Investment Holdings Co Ltd (the "Claimants") in a complex litigation concerning the ownership of shares in a BVI company (“Endushantum”) which in turn holds a quarter of the issued share capital of a significant PRC pharmaceutical company called Lunan Pharmaceutical Group Limited (“Lunan” and the “Lunan Shares”) as well as shares in other group companies (together with the Lunan Shares, the “PRC Shares”).

From 2011, the shares in Endushantum were held by a BVI trust for the benefit of the founder of Lunan, Mr Zhao Snr (the “Zhao Trust”). Shortly before his death in 2014, Zhao Snr executed instructions to transfer title to the shares in Endushantum to his daughter, Ms Zhao Long. Those instructions were not followed. Justice Jack held that a transfer of shares in Endushantum, the issuance of new shares in that company to third parties and the establishment of a new BVI trust following the death of Zhao Snr was a breach of the Zhao Trust. The Judge has found that the third parties receiving shares in Endushantum were knowing recipients and the Claimants, Ms Zhao Long and another BVI company, are entitled to the return of the shares in Endushantum.

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