Basel Report Shows Global Banks Are Far Short of Meeting Capital Rules
December 17, 2010, The New York Times

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision issued the Basel III rules, which provides the details of global regulatory standards on capital adequacy and liquidity. The framework sets out requirements for things such as higher, and better-quality, capital, better risk coverage and measures to promote the build up of capital that can be drawn down in periods of stress.

''It's a competitive issue,'' said Ernest T. Patrikis, a partner at the law firm White & Case in New York and former chief operating officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Clients may say, '''I want to do business with a bank that has the most capital, the safest, most prudent banks,''' Mr. Patrikis said.