When we first engaged to work on this guide we knew it was going to be one of a series. We also knew that the topic was so interesting that it would be a success, but we honestly had not sensed it would be such a best seller.

We have actually found ourselves looking in the chapters of many other jurisdictions than Italy and Spain on a large number of occasions, and on any such occasions Fernando and I took notes and exchanged ideas about what was great to learn and conversely, what else should have been dealt with or, to the extent possible, covered in deeper detail. The many comments that we have received from colleagues in other countries over time have been proof that business has become so truly global that learning about the essentials of corporate laws in this or that country is very useful to form an idea of what one can expect when dealing with company business abroad, and what issues need to be addressed with the utmost care. These comments were more than just an encouragement for us to work on the new edition of the guide, they have given us the best reason that we needed to commit to continue to pursue this project again and for many years to come.

Once again and deliberately, this guide does not purport to be exhaustive as to the many issues with which lawyers or business people in general may be confronted, but it does constitute a solid basis to become acquainted with the notions that will put each of them in a better position to understand the mechanics of corporate law in the many jurisdictions that are covered. When we tackled the work for the new edition of the guide, we general editors discussed the profile that the new edition should have, and we all came to the conclusion that we should continue to keep it this way and adhere to the original format. Our colleague editors also felt the same way: in our view a guide of this type must serve the primary function to put anyone who wants to learn about the basics of corporate law in other jurisdictions in a position to spot the issues that can then be addressed in deeper detail by the local experts. Hopefully, this is the right approach and we are proud to witness that, so far, our readers seem to have shared our same view.

It gives us great pleasure to introduce the new edition of the Shareholders' Rights in Private and Public Companies Global Guide, in the hope that it meets the expectations of those of who have given us their confidence and of many others who will find it as interesting as we editors trust it is. The new edition provides a high-level overview of the types of limited companies and shares, general shareholders' rights, general meeting of shareholders (calling a general meeting; voting; shareholders' rights relating to general meetings), shareholders' rights against directors, shareholders' rights against the company's auditors, disclosure of information to shareholders, shareholders' agreements, dividends, financing and share interests, share transfers and exit, material transactions, insolvency and corporate groups.

Finally, I owe personal and heartfelt thanks to my friend Fernando de las Cuevas for being such a special partner to work with. Both Fernando and I are grateful to our publisher for having given us once again the privilege to work on the new edition, and we look forward to continuing our co-operation in the future editions.