Course Objectives

Banks and Financial Services have recently been the focus of the media and the Law courts. This is a one-day course aimed at litigators who are pursuing claims for the mis-selling of complex financial products/manipulation of LIBOR. We focus on the factual basis – what the products are, how/why they might be mis-sold/manipulated and what the effect is.

Course Content

Overview of the Banking Industry

•   Global Financial Markets
•   The major products and how they interact
•   Exchange traded vs OTC markets
•   Financial Services regulation

Interest Rates- where do they come from?
  Base rates – governments
  Short term rates - Money Markets
  Long term rates – Government Bond markets

LIBOR

•   What is it, and who uses it?
•   How is it calculated?
•   LIBOR manipulation
•   Who is likely to be affected?
•   Examples – trading profits, loan mis-pricing,
•   The new LIBOR schedule - does this solve the issues?

Market Instruments

•   Yield curves/bonds/swaps, explained
•   Derivatives – futures, options and swaps
•   Risk Management products or dangerous speculative instruments?
•   Structured Products – structured for banks or for clients?
•   Interest rate swaps for SME’s
•   How have these been potentially mis-sold?

  Examples and applications

  Conclusion – tips for instructing experts