How Regulatory Change Is Reshaping Global Lending

How are shifting capital and regulatory rules actually changing the way banks lend, borrowers negotiate, and lawyers structure deals?

That question opened the recent WLG Banking & Finance Group meeting, which brought together members from Europe, the Americas, and Asia to compare how Basel III "endgame" and related reforms are shaping real transactions across jurisdictions.

Matthieu Taillandier of Arendt & Medernach (Luxembourg) set the stage with an overview of the uneven and still-moving Basel III implementation timeline. In the EU, the Capital Requirements Regulation 3 is already in force, and the Capital Requirements Directive 6 is being transposed, with a target date in early 2027. The trajectory is clear: more regulation, deeper consumer-protection requirements, and higher capital and operational burdens on banks. Participants contrasted this with the United States, where active lobbying—particularly by regional and mid-sized banks—reflects concern that the