The Scottish Government is proposing to overhaul Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) - giving building owners and occupiers more information than ever before. The potential reforms aim to be targeted and useful – helping pave a clear and achievable path towards achieving net zero. On 25 July 2023, the Scottish Government published its consultation on reforming domestic and non-domestic EPCs to ensure they support future regulations on heat in buildings ...
On August 3rd, 2023, the regulation establishing the form and conditions through which the supplier must comply with the obligation to analyze the economic solvency of the consumer (the "Regulation") was published in the Official Gazette. This obligation was recently introduced in Article 17 N of the Consumer Protection Law by virtue of Law No. 21,398 of 2021 ...
In recent months, the National Consumer Service has published multiple opinions interpreting various rules of Law No. 19,496 on the protection of consumer rights ("CPA") that were amended in recent times, responding to practical requirements of the public, in matters of interest to suppliers and consumers. When reviewing these rulings, it is important to remember the scope and application of the interpretations made by this service ...
Many businesses rely upon restrictive covenants with their employees. These include noncompete agreements, nonsolicitation agreements and confidentiality agreements. These agreements are intended to ensure that the investment a business makes in its employees, its customer relationships and confidential information are adequately protected. Recently, multiple new rules have been proposed that could see many of these agreements ruled unlawful and unenforceable in the United States ...
A battle is heating up in the Jan. 6 criminal case against former President Donald Trump that, while seemingly technical, will likely have a significant impact on the defendant’s ability to mount a defense. It may well serve as a bellwether for how the court will resolve future similar procedural disputes. On Aug ...
On August 8, 2023 the President of the Russian Federation signed and published new Decree 'On suspension by the Russian Federation of certain provisions of the Double Tax Treaties' No. 585 (the “Decree No. 585”) ...
The Central Bank of Chile ("CBC"), on August 3, 2023, agreed to publish for public consultation the proposed amendment to Chapter III.B.4 of the Compendium of Financial Regulations ("CFR") regarding the securitization of assets, contemplating the possibility of acquiring "self-securitized" or "retained securitization" instruments by banks ...
On August 7th, 2023, President Gabriel Boric enacted the Law that systematizes Economic Crimes and Attempts against the Environment, and, among other modifications, expands the criminal liability of legal entities (“Law”). Consequently, the Law will come into force and will apply to all acts committed from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette ...
On June 9, 2023, the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas issued Circular No. 1174, amending the implementing regulations of the mandatory agricultural, fisheries and rural development financing contemplated by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Financing Enhancement Act (Republic Act No. 11901 or the “Agri-Agra Reform Credit Actâ€). The implementing regulations were previously set out in BSP Circular No. 1159 dated November 4, 2022 ...
SyCipLaw's Tax Department has prepared an international edition of its Tax Issues and Practical Solutions (T.I.P.S.) for the second quarter of 2023. Please read the full texthereor via thislink. The SyCipLaw T.I.P.S - International Edition covers the following tax issues: 1. May a public utility treat corporate income taxes as operating expenses for purposes of computing rates chargeable to consumers? 2. For input value-added tax ("VAT") refund claims filed prior to RMC No ...
As published in Corporate Compliance Insights 08/07/2023 European Whistleblower Report Provides Critical Country-by-Country Updates What’s in this report from World Service Group: The World Services Group (WSG) Employment and Labor Group collaborated with WSG network law firms in more than 20 European jurisdictions to create the European Whistleblower Report, which provides knowledge on the implementations of the EU Whistleblowing Directive in the differen
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has announced its proposed rules for the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment (“OPPS”) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (“ASC”) Payment Systems, as well as its calendar year (CY) 2024 proposed Physician Fee Schedule (“PFS”), (collectively the “Proposed Rules”) ...
The SEC has adopted final rules requiring public companies subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, to disclose material cybersecurity incidents and material information regarding their cybersecurity risk management, strategy and governance. In adopting the rules, the SEC intends to benefit investors, companies and the markets by requiring more consistent and comparable disclosures across registrants on cybersecurity incidents and risk management ...
The Policy will apply to a broader range of regulated entities and includes updates to take account of Jersey’s evolving regulatory framework. The key amendments to the Policy are as follows: private funds or other funds with a consent issued pursuant to the Control of Borrowing (Jersey) Order 1958 (“COBO”), (which could include funds not domiciled in Jersey and unregulated funds) are not caught under the Policy ...
The UK government has announced plans to extend recognition of the CE marking ‘indefinitely’ beyond the upcoming deadline of 31 December 2024 for certain products placed on the Great Britain (GB) market, leading to uncertainty over the future of the UKCA marking ...
Property owners in the UK are already feeling the pinch, with a slowdown in activity coupled with economic factors, including high inflation and interest rates - causing a further tightening in the lending market. The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulatory regime is another cause for searching behind the sofa cushions for coppers in order to upgrade, update and 'green' existing assets ...
Introduction On June 1, 2023, the Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, tabled and presented Bill 29 entitled An Act to protect consumers from planned obsolescence and to promote the durability, repairability and maintenance of goods 1 (hereinafter the ?Bill?) before the National Assembly ...
On June 27, 2023, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”) went into effect. This new law requires covered employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” for the known limitations of a worker relating to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation would cause the employer “undue hardship ...
Last Wednesday (July 26), the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) handed down its highly awaited decision on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions (software patents). In Canada (Attorney General) v. Benjamin Moore & Co. (2023 CAF 168), the FCA rejected the test proposed by the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) in the first instance decision, Benjamin Moore & Co. c. Canada ...
As part of the preventive constitutionality control, the Constitutional Court ("TC") resolved that the provisions of the Bill that systematizes Economic Crimes and Attempts against the Environment (the "Bill"), that have the character of constitutional organic law, conform to the Constitution. Thus, for the Bill to become law, it only remains for the President of the Republic to promulgate it, and then proceed with its publication in the Official Gazette ...
Through an announcement issued by the President of the Republic, Gabriel Boric, the government announced the general guidelines of the new fiscal agreement, confirming that the executive will not insist in the Senate on continuing the legislative process of the tax reform bill rejected in March of this year. The fiscal agreement is based on a series of principles aimed at promoting a modern tax system, fostering economic growth, and prioritizing public expenditure ...
On July 10th, 2023, the Chamber of Deputies approved in its Second Constitutional Procedure the bill of law that, among other matters, aims to recognize Internet access as a Public Telecommunications Service (bulletin No. 11,632-15) (the "Bill"), through various amendments to Law No. 18,168, the General Telecommunications Law ("GTL"). As a result of the abovementioned approval, the Bill has been returned to its chamber of origin (i.e ...
The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal ("CICA") has delivered a valuable judgment on the application of section 238 of the Companies Act (as revised) in Re Trina Solar Limited.[1] This case update can be read in conjunction with our previous briefing setting out certain practical points to note in 'fair value' appraisal proceedings ...
Public comment closed August 1 on the rulemaking process for a final ban on TikTok and other social media applications (“apps”) from federal contractors’ devices. The new regulation will expand upon the interim Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and NASA (“the agencies”) ban, which went into effect on June 2, 2023. Over half of all states have banned TikTok on state government devices, with more likely to follow ...
The Responsible Actors Scheme (RAS) was launched on 21 July 2023. Eligible developers that fail to join or comply with the conditions of the RAS will be subject to building control and planning prohibitions. The Building Safety (Responsible Actors Scheme and Prohibitions) Regulations 2023 contain the detail of the RAS and are unchanged from the draft Regulations ...
