While most Americans are likely aware that President Donald Trump signed a pandemic relief and government spending bill into law on Dec. 27, 2020 (the “Omnibus Bill”),[i] it is important for those who have intellectual property assets to understand that tucked away into this nearly 5,600-page legislation are laws impacting copyrights, trademarks, and patents ...
PORTUGAL I. Courts The Competition Court reduces fine of EUR 38.3 million imposed on EDP and Sonae by 10%On 30 September 2020, the Competition, Regulation and Supervision Court (Competition Court) reduced by 10% the fine of EUR 38.3 million imposed by the Portuguese Competition Authority (PCA) on EDP and SONAE in May 2017 ...
On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act (the Act) into law. The Act provides $900 billion of relief, including expanding certain relief previously provided under the CARES Act (e.g., $600 additional stimulus checks for certain individuals and $275 billion in additional Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans) ...
On Dec. 23, 2020, The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued its long-anticipated Final Rule addressing which employees may legally participate in “tip pooling” under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the conditions under which employers may claim “tip credit.” The Final Rule is effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register and constitutes a major departure from past guidance ...
The Agreement on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) provides for a transition period ending on 31 December 2020. Thereafter, EU trade marks (EUTM) will cease to extend protection to the UK. To safeguard these rights, the UK government has implemented measures to ensure that EUTM owners will continue to enjoy trade mark rights in the UK. Trade mark rights registered as of 31 December 2020 will be automatically cloned into national UK registrations ...
On 6 February 2020, the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2020 (“IRA 2020”) received the Royal Assent and was gazetted on 20 February 2020.Earlier this month, the Minister of Human Resources in exercising his powers conferred under the IRA 2020, appointed that majority of the provisions in IRA 2020 will come into force on 1 January 2021, save for certain amendments relating to sole bargaining rights and essential services ...
Charities need many things to make a difference, including good people and sufficient funding, but effective leadership underpins everything and the recently refreshed Charity Governance Code is a valuable tool in striving to practise good governance ...
On Dec. 21, 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Act), which provides additional COVID-19 relief to individuals and businesses. The long-anticipated COVID-19 relief bill will now head to President Trump for approval or veto. The Act does not extend requirements for employers to provide emergency paid sick leave or emergency paid family and medical leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) past the original Dec ...
On Nov. 20, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued two final rules, which implement changes to the Physician-Self Referral Law (Stark Law) and the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) regulations (respectively the OIG Final Rule and the CMS Rule, collectively the Final Rules). This alert is a part of the Dinsmore Health Care practice group’s ongoing summary of the Final Rules ...
Summary Proposed FASTER Act defines sesame as a major allergen under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act; FDA Draft Guidance recommends the declaration of sesame as an ingredient in flavors and spices. Although non-binding, these actions foreshadow the regulation of sesame as a major food allergen in the future. Two recent legislative actions and an FDA publication address emerging concerns about sesame as an allergen. The U.S ...
“On the other side of a storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it. Raise your sail and begin.” Gregory S. Williams Your business and employees have just experienced an extraordinary year. We have learned new ways of working, embraced new technology, and incorporated many new legal requirements, but most importantly, we have persevered ...
On 16 December we held a webinar as part of the IHL series looking at the preparatory steps you need to have in place within your organisation as well as outline the new Immigration routes from January 2021 and onwards. We have briefly summarised the key points discussed and further sources of guidance below. The information contained in it is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice ...
The Families First Coronavirus Relief Act ("FFCRA") was passed by Congress this spring to mandate two weeks of paid sick leave for COVID-19 reasons and to extend the FMLA by creating a new reason for FMLA leave relating to the need for child care because of COVID-19. The details of the FFCRA were covered by the Spilman COVID-19 Task Force at the time of passage here ...
Introduction On 5 October 2020, the House of Representatives and the Indonesian Government passed the Omnibus Law Bill which has been enacted as Law No. 11 of 2020 on Job Creation (“Job Creation Law”). Almost 30 days after being passed, on 2 November 2020, the Indonesian President signed the draft bill ...
Law No. 11 of 2020 on Job Creation (the “Job Creation Law” or known as the Omnibus Law) was issued and came into effect on 2 November 2020. It is mainly based on the principles of the equalization of rights, legal certainty, greater ease of doing business, togetherness, and independence ...
KPPU has recently issued its long-anticipated guidelines on the Indonesian merger control rules (“KPPU Guidelines”) under KPPU Regulation No. 3 of 2019 on The Assessment of Mergers or Consolidations of Business Entities or Acquisitions of Shares in Companies (“KPPU Regulation 3/2019”) issued at the end of last year. The guidelines are relatively long and detailed (almost 100 pages), and some of their content is still subject to the KPPU’s interpretation ...
On 29 September 2020, the Minister of Law and Human Rights (“MOLHR”) issued Minister of Law and Human Rights’ Regulation Number 26 of 2020 on Visas and Stay Permits During the Adaptation to the New Normal Period (“MOLHR Reg. No ...
On December 10, 2020, the Minister of Finance, Éric Girard, introduced and tabled Bill 82 entitled An Act respecting mainly the implementation of certain provisions of the Budget Speech of 10 March 2020 (hereinafter the " Bill" ) before the National Assembly. The Bill opens the door to possible limitations on the duty to defend with respect to certain categories of liability insurance contracts to be determined by regulation ...
Is coronavirus vaccination a cure that will solve many challenges faced by employers or does it just inject further issues for employers to deal with? We answer the key questions. To be vaccinated or not to be vaccinated? That is the question... being discussed in homes and in workplaces up and down the country ...
With employees potentially returning to the workplace, we take a look at what will need to be done to tackle a number of mental health challenges – both for people and the companies they work for. Part three of our mental health series. With the second lockdown now over and the tier system fully in play, some employers are finding themselves able to open and trade again ...
The emergence of COVID-19 has changed the workplace as we once knew it. California employers need to be prepared for unprecedented compliance challenges in recent legislation related to the ongoing pandemic, expanding leave protections, wage and hour compliance risks, and much more. Employers will need to review and adapt their policies and procedures in order to keep up in the coming year with California’s ever-changing employment laws ...
On 10 December 2020, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) issued Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) providing guidance to licensed corporations(LCs) on how to meet the obligations in its 31 October 2019 circular on use of external electronic data storage providers (EDSP). The SFC also made consequential amendments to its Frequently Asked Questions on the premises for business and record keeping ...
Key Points Employers may mandate employee COVID-19 vaccination programs, subject to certain exemptions. When requiring employee vaccinations, employers should consider the fact that these COVID-19 vaccines are currently approved under the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Mandatory employer COVID-19 vaccination programs must include religious and disability-related employee exemptions. INTRODUCTION On Dec ...
