In recent months we have seen a significant rise in industrial action across multiple sectors, including public transport; postal workers; nursing and ambulance staff; university employees; Border Force staff and civil servants. Strikes look set to continue into 2023; the British Medical Association is currently balloting junior doctors on potential strike action for March 2023 and disruption is also likely to hit schools in Scotland as teacher strikes are planned for January 2023 ...
In 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order 14026 to increase the minimum wage for federal government contractors to $15 per hour. On November 23, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued its final rule implementing Executive Order 14026. The rule requires any federal contractor to pay employees a minimum hourly wage of $15 and overtime wages for work beyond 40 hours per week. This wage is subject to yearly increases determined by DOL ...
Dionex Softron GmbH v. Agilent Techs., Inc., Appeal No. 21-2372 (Fed. Cir. Jan. 6, 2023) This week’s Case of the Week, the only precedential patent opinion issued by the Federal Circuit this week, focused primarily on the corroboration requirement for relevant dates of invention. The Court held there was sufficient evidence of a reduction to practice as of a given date, based primarily on corroboration of multiple witnesses, notwithstanding limited documentary evidence ...
On July 9, 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order requesting that agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), issue rules banning employers from entering non-compete agreements with employees. Following that request, on January 5, 2023, the FTC announced it is proposing sweeping new regulations that would bar employers from entering into or enforcing non-compete agreements with employees that prevent an employee from working with a competitor ...
Hemp seeds have been eaten in the EU for a long time. The seeds may contain trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) because this cannabinoid is a natural constituent of the cannabis plant from which the seeds originate. The EU regulator has decided to harmonize the maximum levels for THC in hemp seeds throughout the Union within the food contaminants framework. Commission Regulation 2022/1393 of 11 August 2022 amends the annex to Regulation No1881/2006 on food contaminants to this effect ...
The Finnish Government has published a proposal for the temporary Windfall Tax Act in Finland, the draft of which was briefly discussed in our previous article on the subject. The proposed temporary windfall tax would be applicable to so-called windfall profits gained during tax year 2023 by companies operating in the electricity or the fossil fuel sector. The aim of the proposal is to tax said sectors' increased profits resulting from the current energy crisis ...
In the words of its own Attorney-General, Australia's privacy laws were “out of date and not fit-for-purpose”. After recent amendments, they now stand to contain one of the world’s toughest data breach penalty regimes. So, what has changed? Fines The Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Bill 2022 (the “Bill”) received Royal Assent on 12 December 2022 ...
Levelling up the regional economies has many labels: the Northern Powerhouse, the Midlands Engine, the Golden Triangle and the Ox-Cam Arc. But have they delivered improved economic growth? Since Channel 4 announced its move to Leeds, media companies have flocked to the area. The government has also promised to deliver high-speed rail to northern cities, which would position the region as a global leader in transport innovation ...
We can only assume that the pensions industry at large put “a busy and unpredictable 12 months” at the top of its wish list at the start of the year, and 2022 certainly delivered. From the sombre to the unprecedented, 2022 had it all. The year was bookended by investment issues. In February, View More
The Insolvency Practitioners Act, the Pre-Insolvency Act and the Commercial Code (Amendment) Act were passed by the House of Representatives on the 14th of December 2022 and were assented to by the President on the 23rd of December 2022. For more information, please see our articles on the Proposed Pre-Insolvency Bill, on the Proposed Insolvency Practitioners Bill and on the three proposed Insolvency Bills, collectively ...
On 23 September the Government announced its ‘Growth Plan 2022’ (Growth Plan). It was intended, the Government said, to tackle rising energy costs, bring down inflation and help businesses and households alike. Instead, it caused a sudden and significant rise in interest rates which caused havoc for defined benefit (DB) pension schemes with liability driven investment (LDI) strategies ...
Earthrise Serves EPA with Notice of Intent to Sue, Challenging Washington’s Forest Practices Rules Nearly 20 years ago, the Washington Forest Practices Board adopted forest practices rules intended to address water quality impacts from nonpoint sources of pollution affecting Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed species of salmon ...
The SEC, in a unanimous vote, adopted final rules on December 14, 2022 amending Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Additionally, it includes related amendments concerning disclosures about insider trading policies, disclosures about equity awards made close in time to the disclosure of material nonpublic information and the reporting of gifts by insiders ...
A picture is worth a thousand words, but what about a drone video? To construction firms and the lawyers who represent them, drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAVs”), enable firms to capture large amounts of high-quality information in a quick and efficient manner ...
On October 15, 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a final rule making changes to the SBA’s 8(a) program regulations “to more clearly articulate SBA’s intent with regard to certain aspects of the 8(a) program to eliminate confusion and decrease burdens on procuring activities and 8(a) participants ...
On October 15, 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a final rule making changes to the SBA’s 8(a) program regulations “to more clearly articulate SBA’s intent with regard to certain aspects of the 8(a) program to eliminate confusion and decrease burdens on procuring activities and 8(a) participants ...
The season of goodwill is upon us, with retailers and the press announcing Christmas charity partnerships to raise funds for good causes, but the cost-of-living crisis will still be with us in 2023. Charities are increasingly feeling a greater level of pressure to be the first line of defence as gaps in public services open up and they face a “triple threat” of increasing running costs (in particular, energy bills), rising service demand, and falling incomes ...
Anyone familiar with the construction industry knows that retainage – or money held back from payment until a later time – is a tool that project owners and general contractors have long used to protect against contractor nonperformance or other project risks ...
AML/ATF and Sanctions The Proceeds of Crime (Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing) Regulations 2008 provide that the Bermuda regulated sectors and relevant persons must apply enhanced customer due diligence to customers in high-risk jurisdictions ...
The SEC Division of Examinations issued a Risk Alert on December 5, 2022 detailing observations from examinations of investment advisers and broker-dealers related to compliance with Regulation S-ID ...
On December 13th, 2022, Decree No. 84 was published in the Official Gazette approving the Regulations governing mediation, conciliation, and arbitration in consumer matters, which will enter into force six months after publication, that is, on June 23rd, 2023. The issuance of this regulation is framed in the recent entry into force of the Pro-Consumer Law that seeks to encourage consumer protection ...
