Washington communities have a new tool to drive economic development: tax increment financing. Sometimes called “TIF,” this funding method allows local governments to self-finance public improvements that encourage development without imposing new taxes. The 2021 Washington legislature passed a TIF program and Governor Inslee signed it into law on Monday, May 10, 2021 ...
By: Artin Betpera The Telephone Consumer Protection Act has for over a decade been a source of significant legal risk for any business that communicates with consumers by phone or text. The TCPA prohibits making calls without consent to cell phones using an “Automatic Telephone Dialing System” (“ATDS”), and contains a private right of action that provides for statutory damages of $500 up to $1,500 per offending call or text ...
By: Carol K. Lucas At a time when many are questioning the continued utility and viability of the corporate practice of medicine ban, California may be doubling down. On May 3, 2021, the California Senate Health Committee approved SB-642, the stated purpose of which is to protect medical decision-making from lay control. The bill is currently pending in the California Senate. Assembly Bill AB-705 is a substantially identical bill in the California Assembly ...
On the morning of April 10, 2021, the State Administration for Market Regulation (“SAMR”) issued on its website an administrative penalty decision and an administrative guidance document against a major digital undertaking for abuse of its dominant position in the domestic digital retail platform services market due to its exclusive dealing behaviors, so-called “choosing one of two”. The administrative penalty imposed amounted to RMB 18 ...
South Africans’ recent celebration of Freedom Day signalled 27 years of democracy. Through democracy, our Constitution further brought us rights and obligations to guide our rainbow nation, including freedom of expression and environmental rights to protect our environment, health and well-being while focusing on the sustainability of our environment. Although clothing serves a function and a need, for many, luxury clothing is the gold standard of self-expression and success ...
The purpose of the amalgamation is to enhance quality and efficiency and is not intended to represent a change in the Norwegian export finance policy. The financing schemes and services currently available will therefore continue also after the amalgamation. Export Finance Norway will be a part of the Norwegian State ...
Amendments to National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations (“NI 31-103”) and the new requirements under Client Focused Reforms (“CFRs”) The Canadian Securities Administrators (“CSA”) have amended NI 31-103 to introduce new registrant conduct requirements, with the stated objective of better aligning the interests of registrants with the interests of their clients, improving outcomes for
Cap Export, LLC v. Zinus, Inc., Appeal No. 2020-2087 (Fed. Cir. May 5, 2021) The Federal Circuit issued a single precedential patent case this week. The district court set aside a judgement and injunction originally in favor of Zinus and against Cap Export, pursuant to Rule 60(b)(3), in light of apparently fraudulent testimony offered by a critical witness. In a rare decision addressing Rule 60, the Federal Circuit affirmed ...
On May 5, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) officially withdrew from the Trump-era rule for classifying workers as independent contractors. This withdrawal has been anticipated since President Joe Biden assumed his role, and was official on May 6. The DOL is expected to publish a Final Rule in the Federal Register within the coming days. Trump-Era Independent Contractor Test Contrary to FLSA Purpose and Intent On Jan ...
In a move aimed at speeding the processing of certain non-immigrant petitions, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced it will suspend the biometrics requirements for certain I-539 applicants for a two-year period beginning on May 17, 2021. Form I-539 is used to change to or extend the authorized stay of non-immigrants holding (or seeking) A, B, F, G, I, J, M, T, U and V and dependents of those holding E, H, L, O, P, R and TN status ...
Following announcements during the 2021-22 Budget by the Finance Secretary Paul Chan, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) issued on 10 May 2021 details of the grant scheme available for Hong Kong open-ended fund companies (OFCs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs) ...
On April 30, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it was revoking a policy related to new drug applications (NDAs) and abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs). The FDA stated that the previous policy announced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Jan. 15, 2021, was being rescinded because the new policy would have required the FDA to publish redundant information about new applications of NDAs and ANDAs ...
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy recently announced it will award up to an additional 73 dispensary licenses across Ohio. Dispensary licenses will be awarded through an application and lottery process that is expected to be finalized during the spring or summer of 2021. This expansion will bring the total number of dispensary licenses in Ohio to 130 and is expected to ameliorate patient dissatisfaction with regards to the price of medical marijuana products and lack of equal access ...
On January 6, 2021, the Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) and the Department of Treasury released an Interim Final Rule called “Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck Protection Second Draw Loans” (“Second Draw Rules”). These rules announced the implementation of section 311 of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act (the “Economic Aid Act”) ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many novel challenges and questions for employers, from administration of Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) leave to managing performance of remote workers. For healthcare providers, these challenges and questions have been only one of many burdens of operating during a pandemic. As vaccines become more widely available, the pandemic raises new challenges, some unique to employers in the healthcare industry ...
Unpacking the Economic Aid Act and American Rescue Plan Act: Consolidated First Draw PPP Interim Final Rule, New First Draw PPP Loans, and Increases to First Draw PPP Loans On January 6, 2021, the Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) and the Department of Treasury released an Interim Final Rule called “Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck Protection Program as Amended by Economic Aid Act” (sometimes referred to as the “Consolidated First D
On January 6, 2021, the Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) and the Department of Treasury released an Interim Final Rule called “Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck Protection Second Draw Loans” (“Second Draw Rules”). These rules announced the implementation of section 311 of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act (the “Economic Aid Act”) ...
Background Disqus is an American company offering online public comment sharing services. These services were previously used by various Norwegian online newspapers. The Data Protection Authority has investigated whether Disqus has been sharing information about the users of the comment sections with marketing companies, without the knowledge of neither the users nor the owners of the online newspapers, and in breach of the GDPR ...
With the purpose of improving the Industrial Property system in Chile, in July 2018, the Government entered a bill that sought to partially modify Law No. 19,039 on Industrial Property and Law No. 20,524, which creates the National Institute of Industrial Property (the “ Project ”). After overcoming several stages, Congress communicated its definitive approval of the Project on April 20 th , 2021 ...
On 29 April 2021, following the release of the widely commented European Commission Guidance on Art. 22 of the EU Merger Regulation (EUMR), the Luxembourg Competition Council published a statement on the recent policy change ...
As the UK makes progress towards a ‘Green Industrial Revolution’, Shepherd and Wedderburn is committed, through our Green Recovery Strategy and enhanced Sustainability Policy, to working with clients operating in a wide variety of sectors to contribute to a green recovery from the recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic ...
On June 26, 2021, the Ministry of Economy and Finance – MEF published in the Official Gazette “El Peruano” the Supreme Decree Nº 162-2021-EF (hereinafter, the “Supreme Decree”), whereby it amends the rules contained in the Regulations of the State Procurement Law, adopted by Supreme Decree Nº 344-2018-EF (hereinafter, the “Regulations”) ...
President Biden has signed into law the FASTER Act, which adds sesame as a "major food allergen" under the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). Under the FD&C Act, food labels of products containing sesame, whether in whole seed form or as an ingredient in a spice or flavor, must disclose its presence using its plain English name. The law will become effective on January 1, 2023 ...
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. v. International Trade Commission, Appeal No. 2020-1785 (Fed. Cir. Apr. 29, 2021) The Federal Circuit’s only precedential patent decision this week comes on appeal from the International Trade Commission, where an Administrative Law Judge found infringement of multiple patents and the Commission issued a limited exclusion order related to sample preparation ...
