When Italian lawyer Mario Franzosi coined the term “Italian torpedo” in 1997, he described a tactic of preemptively filing lawsuits in slow Italian courts to impede opponents’ legal actions. This practice has resurfaced in post-Brexit Britain, as EU regulations no longer apply, allowing litigators to exploit it again, particularly in financial derivative disputes between Italian municipalities and banks. As the UK prepares to sign the 2019 Hague Convention in 2025, the strategic filing of claims in favorable jurisdictions may further entrench the use of the Italian torpedo, allowing parties to delay enforcement of judgments.
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Why nature loss matters to companies — and what they can do
Over the past two decades, corporate sustainability has progressed, but the emphasis on climate action has been overly narrow, neglecting significant nature loss risks. Business leaders are increasingly incorporating biodiversity into their sustainability strategies, with initiatives such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures gaining traction. Three developments driving this shift include heightened awareness of nature's economic foundations, public institutions enhancing visibility of nature's contributions, and the emergence of market-based investment mechanisms that incentivize biodiversity...
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