Africa: For much of the last decade, Africa's fintech story has been one of disruption. New entrants challenged traditional banking models. Mobile money transformed access to financial services. Technology enabled millions of people and businesses to participate more fully in the formal economy. That period of rapid innovation created some of the continent's most exciting growth stories. But fintech is entering a new phase. Today, the question is no longer whether fintech will disrupt financial services. It already has. The more interesting question is what comes next. The future of the sector will be shaped less by disruption alone and more by an organisation's ability to build trusted partnerships, navigate growing regulatory expectations and remain resilient in an increasingly complex environment.

United States: Cross-border private M&A in the mid-market between the UK and the US is common, but UK buyers, particularly those acquiring a US target for the first time, should be aware of meaningful differences in deal practice, regulatory requirements, and legal frameworks.

United Kingdom: The Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Act 2026 (the Act) forms part of the Scottish Government's response to building safety concerns following the Grenfell Tower fire. The Act introduces a new devolved tax on residential developments in Scotland with revenues supporting the assessment and remediation of buildings with external wall cladding.

Singapore: The recently decided England and Wales High Court case Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 1045 (Ch) (Cator) considered two novel issues in trust law: first, whether a surrogate child is a “child” and/or “issue” in trust documentation; and second, whether a non-financial benefit can be a “benefit” in the context of the exercise of a power of advancement. In this article, we briefly explore the relevance of Cator and how these issues ought to be decided if, and when, they do eventually come before the Courts here.

Australia: On 20 July 2026, the NSW Court of Appeal delivered judgment in Etherington v North Sydney Council [2026] NSWCA 137, addressing the scope of the power to modify a development consent under s 4.55(2) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW). The case is the latest in a series of decisions arising from the Etheringtons' attempts to modify a development consent for their waterfront dwelling at Cammeray. The Court of Appeal found that a consent authority and the Court on appeal is not obliged to approve a modification application in part even where some of the modifications sought are found to be acceptable. Planners should take this decision into account when advising on modification applications seeking multiple amendments.

Singapore: The Privy Council's decision in A v C [2026] UKPC 11 provides important guidance on the powers and responsibilities of fiduciary protectors. This article analyses the decision and considers its practical implications for trustees, settlors and advisers, particularly in relation to trust governance, tax residence and CRS reporting.

Oman: In April 2026, the Oman Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (the Ministry) issued Ministerial Decision 1152/2/1/141/2026 Issuing the Executive Regulation of the Tourism Law (the New Tourism Regulations) under the Tourism Law issued by Royal Decree 69/2023 (the Tourism Law).

New Zealand: On 14 July 2026 the Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment (MBIE) launched Phase Two of its 2024 Capital Markets Reforms offensive, in the form of its Capital Markets Reforms Phase Two Discussion Document (Discussion Document). There are eight areas of New Zealand’s capital markets ecosystem that the Discussion Document singles out for potential regulatory change. This Financial Law Insight unpacks the options being considered for the sixth area: wholesale investor issues. The aspect of the wholesale investor regime under the blowtorch? Are New Zealand’s unique eligible investor status criteria fundamentally broken, or do they just need some regulatory tweaks?

Europe: The European Union has set an ambition to develop 50 million tonnes per year of geological CO2 storage capacity by 2030 and to build the industrial carbon management infrastructure necessary to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Yet despite a maturing policy framework, the pipeline of commercially bankable CCS and CCU projects in the EU remains thin. This article examines the principal legal uncertainties in current EU and national frameworks and argues that a specific subset of those uncertainties constitute a structural “bankability gap”.

Mergers and acquisitions transactions today require a perspective that goes beyond identifying risks. Strategic due diligence helps validate the investment thesis, assess growth potential, and estimate the expected return on a transaction.

Welcome to the July edition of the Political Law Playbook. This month, we highlight two US Supreme Court decisions that will impact future federal campaign finance oversight and spending by political party committees, the SEC’s potential foray into pay-to-play reform, and a federal court’s decision on public loan forgiveness rules.

United Kingdom: In July 2026, the government published its National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSIA) Annual Report for 2025-26 (Report). This Report provides valuable insight into the functioning of the national security and investment screening regime in the UK and indicates possible trends, particularly against the background of a scarcity of published information about how the NSIA operates in practice.

Singapore: As geopolitical uncertainty continues to shape global markets, some high-net-worth families are reviewing their wealth structures and asset allocation strategies. Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao, Loh Kia Meng, COO and Co-Head of Dentons Rodyk's High Net Worth and Family Office practice, discusses why Singapore remains an attractive jurisdiction for long-term wealth planning and family office structures

New Zealand: The Employment Leave Bill passed its third reading yesterday, and is set to come into force on the second anniversary of Royal Assent. Employers must ensure that employment agreements which do not already comply with the new statutory minimums are updated within one year of commencement. Some provisions relating to parental leave will take effect earlier, on 1 July 2027.

New Zealand: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released its working paper (The Impact of Population Ageing on Tax Revenues in OECD Countries) which simulates the impact of population ageing on tax revenues across the OECD using tax-to-GDP ratios from 1950 to 2060. Demographic shifts such as longer life expectancy, falling birth rates, and migration patterns are expected to lower the levels of the working-age population. The working paper considers how these demographic changes could affect tax systems and tax policies. 

Canada: In March 2026, the Ontario Divisional Court decided a pair of motions in the matter of West Carleton Community Alliance v. The City of Ottawa et al, arising from a charged dispute over a proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Ottawa.

In June 2026, the Government of Canada introduced two bills – Bill C-34, the Digital Safety Act and Bill C-36, the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act (PPCDA) – with significant potential impacts for online service providers. The bills are two intersecting parts of a broader proposed framework of standards and rules, with a common thread of business accountability for service design and use.

Singapore: The PRC Ministry of Finance and State Taxation Administration have introduced a comprehensive new tax reporting and compliance regime for offshore trusts through Announcements No. 21 and No. 15 of 2026. This alert analyses the new regime and provides practical guidance to help PRC families, trustees, private banks, insurers and wealth managers navigate the new compliance requirements.

Singapore: China’s new announcements regarding offshore trust tax rules mark a significant development for China-linked wealth structures. In this article, Dentons Rodyk offers a practical perspective on what these changes may mean for families, trustees, private banks and wealth advisers as they navigate tax reporting, liquidity, succession and governance issues.

Oman: The Oman Financial Services Authority (FSA) has issued its long-awaited Decision No. E/11/2026 promulgating the Executive Regulations of the Securities Law (the New Executive Regulations), replacing the Executive Regulations of the Capital Market Law that had been in force since 2009. The New Executive Regulations were published in the Official Gazette on 26 July 2026 and came into force on 27 July 2026.