On 4 September 2024, the Cabinet Office published further guidance on the Procurement Act 2023 (the ‘Act’) which is now due to “go live” on 24 February 2025. The new guidance covers contract modifications under the Manage phase of the commercial pathway. Contract modifications may need to be made to reflect commercial reality, as demands and circumstances change throughout the lifetime of the contract ...
HR teams have a lot on their plate, but a key priority for 2024 is undoubtedly protecting the employee brand proposition. Our 2024 online programme is focused on supporting HR teams to do just this, equipping them with the tools they need to protect the employee brand proposition of the organisations they work for. Our latest webinar focused on what organisations need to do to manage conflicting protected beliefs ...
ALRUD has received information from various sources indicating that this increase is under consideration. Reports suggest that the exit tax could rise to as much as ****40% of the valuation**** of the relevant asset. Despite conflicting information circulating in public sources, our contacts within the authorities have stated that ****no official decisions have been made**** regarding this matter ...
On September 15, 2023, the DOLE issued Labor Advisory No. 20, Series of 2023, providing new guidelines on the implementation of a Cancer Control and Prevention Policy and Program in the Workplace. Under the Labor Advisory, employers and their employees are required to adopt such program, which shall include the following areas: 1. promotion of a safe and healthy lifestyle, including the mental and social well-being of employees; 2 ...
By: Michael V. Capellupo, Esq. and Mark S. Fawer, Esq. The Federal Reserve last Wednesday voted to lower its target range for the federal funds rate by 50 basis points (from a range of 5.25%-5.50%, down to 4.75%-5.00%), marking the first decrease in this benchmark interest rate since rate hikes began in March 2022 ...
The recent Upper Tribunal case of Kevin Prosser KC v Andrew Ricketts [2024] provides useful insight into how Judges will approach the rateability of barristers’ chambers and other similarly structured businesses or organisations ...
So far this year, three False Claims Act defendants have challenged judgments against them based on the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment. Remarkably, two were successful, as the District of Minnesota more than halved a large award, and the Eighth Circuit vacated and remanded a much smaller award in which the penalties substantially outpaced the actual damages ...
On 9 September 2024, Mario Draghi, former Italian Prime Minister and European Central Bank President, presented his highly anticipated report on «The Future of European Competitiveness» to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen [1][2]. This comprehensive report analyzes the challenges faced by European industries and companies in the Single Market and proposes strategies to enhance the EU’s competitiveness [2] ...
The EU's comprehensive data and AI regulatory package is about to become operational. This year, the Krogerus Data Symposium will highlight some of the most impactful changes of the Data Act and the AI Act, which will profoundly influence the application of AI, how companies and communities can utilise IoT data, and how data usage agreements are formed ...
New legal regime Articles 95, § 3-5 (works), 127 (supplies) and 160 (services) of the Royal Decree of 14 January 2013 regarding the general rules for execution of public tenders: 30 calendar days verification term + 30 calendar days payment term. Exception for contracting authorities in the healthcare sector for public tenders for works, supplies and services pertaining to their healthcare activities. 30 calendar days verification term + 60 calendar days payment term ...
Chambers and Partners recently published its Corporate Immigration Global Practice Guide 2024. SyCipLaw senior partner and Employment and Immigration department head Leslie C. Dy and partner Rodelle B. Bolante authored this year’s Philippine chapter ...
The Ministry for Home Affairs, Security and Employment (MHSE) published the proposed Maltese draft order for the transposition of the EU Network and Information Systems Directive II (‘NIS 2’) on 6 September 2024 ...
Force majeure remains a hot topic when it comes to contracts. Following the pandemic, Suez Canal blockage and international sanctions, parties to contracts have been looking at how to possibly recover their losses or minimise the effects of delays. One question that had arisen was whether contracting parties could be forced to find a way around the issues by being commercially minded, particularly where they had an obligation to use reasonable endeavours to overcome the force majeure event ...
In August 2024 the European Commission published draft guidelines on the application of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (“TFEU”) to abusive exclusionary conduct by dominant undertakings. Rather than the current guidance on enforcement priorities, this document has taken the shape of guidelines proper, similar to those found in respect of Article 101 TFEU ...
The UK Cabinet Office has just announced, in a brief statement that the date for the Procurement Act 2023 to enter into force has been postponed. At less than 2 months from the planned “go live” date which was slated for 28 October 2024, in a surprise announcement, the new Government has decided to push this back. The reasoning for the decision stems directly from the change in administration following this year’s General Election ...
A federal court has issued a nationwide injunction blocking enforcement of the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) new rule that would ban nearly all non-competition (“non-compete”) deals. The rule, issued on April 23, 2024 (the “Non-Compete Rule”), would broadly ban employer/employee non-compete agreements nationwide and was set to go into effect on September 4, 2024 (“Effective Date”) ...
September 11, 2024 By: Amber Healy, Craig Nickerson, and Spencer Adler On September 3rd, 2024, Los Angeles County’s Fair Chance Ordinance (“FCO”) went into effect, establishing new criminal background check requirements for employers in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. The FCO expands the limitations placed on employers by California’s Fair Chance Act (“FCA”) ...
The trend for financial services businesses and others to procure services from FinTech providers – and for providers to offer their services direct to consumers – has increased over the last 15 years. In this article, we outline some of the key areas of law that relate to FinTech. Similar to technology law more broadly, FinTech law is very much a “discipline of disciplines” ...
SyCipLaw's Employment & Immigration Update (Volume XIX, Issue 1) features the latest issuances from the Department of Labor & Employment (DOLE), summaries of Supreme Court decisions, and labor and immigration updates. Please read the full bulletinhereor via thislink. Labor Advisories DOLE Labor Advisory No. 23-23: Guidelines on Minimum Public Health Standards in Workplaces Relative to the Lifting of the State of Public Health Emergency due to COVID-19 DOLE Labor Advisory No ...
Dr. Christine Calleja from Mamo TCV Advocates and Dr. Matthew Brincat from Ganado Advocates will be participating in an upcoming webinar organised by Novargo on the 12th of September. This webinar will focus on tackling key employment law issues encountered by HR professionals. Participants will have the chance to ask questions and gain invaluable insights on effectively navigating complex legal matters and workplace challenges ...
The Court of Justice of the European Union (the “CJEU”) has issued a decision (C-109/23) on a reference for a preliminary ruling requested by a German court in relation to a potential breach of restrictive measures issued against Russia ...
This newsletter features a look into notable recent case law and other developments in Finnish competition law and other regulatory issues. The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority proposes a first ever fine for an alleged obstruction of a dawn raid In May 2024, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) proposed that the Market Court imposes an infringement fine of approximately EUR 4.4 million for an alleged obstruction of the FCCA's unannounced inspection ...
In recent years, the emphasis on sustainable and responsible investment has grown significantly. This shift is driven by increasing awareness of environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) issues among investors, regulators, and the public ...
Recently, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a decision on the Department of Labor's (DOL) rule concerning tipped employees. This final rule, introduced in 2021, addresses the amount of time a tipped employee can spend on "tip-producing work" versus "non-tip-producing work ...
The National Interest Waiver (“NIW”) is a special provision within the EB-2 employment-based immigration category that allows individuals to bypass the usual labor certification process (“PERM”) required for most employment-based green cards. The NIW is granted to foreign nationals who can demonstrate that their work is in the national interest of the United States, making it a valuable option for highly skilled professionals ...
