As Seen In Bank Director Cybersecurity incidents and data compromises continue to plague financial institutions on a seemingly daily basis. Without a proper response plan in place, financial institutions risk significant damage to their reputation and operations, as well as serious potential liability from regulators and class-action litigation. This guide outlines the procedures financial institutions should implement to prepare for and respond to a cybersecurity incident ...
After not disturbing the Third-Party Doctrine for more than 40 years, the Supreme Court created a significant exception to it inCarpenter v. United States. Slip Op., 16-402 (Jun. 22, 2018). Under the Third-Party Doctrine, individuals who voluntarily provide personal information to third parties are deemed to relinquish their legitimate reasonable expectation of privacy in that information ...
Earlier this year, Marcelin Fortier (hereinafter the “applicant”) sued his insurer in a case. The Superior Court rendered a decision1 whereby it reiterates the principles applicable to the notion of increased risk in insurance. The case also insisted on the importance of the questions asked by insurers at the time an insurance contract is purchased. On 8 January 2015, the applicant’s home was seriously damaged by fire ...
For years, corporate policyholders lacked a clear path to recovery against their insurance companies under the Texas bad faith statute. The reason for this uncertainty was that some courts required a showing of an injury independent from the loss of policy benefits as a means of recovery under the bad faith statute ...
Should The Bahamas be at the forefront of cryptocurrency regulatory policy by implementing smart, flexible regulation that encourages the legitimate operators in the sub-sector to bloom or should we leave well enough alone?The Bahamas’ position in the landscape of the cryptocurrencies is a familiar one to many in the traditional financial services economy - they’ll know this story all too well with the growth, development, and decline of private banking: a new and exciting innovation
In 1527, two inhabitants of the Royal Burgh of Haddington lent 1800 merks to the Abbey of Melrose, to be repaid by the Abbey to their bankers, in what is understood to be the first recorded reference to bankers in Scotland. Fast-forward almost 500 years to the present day and modern banking would be unrecognisable to the burgesses of Haddington ...
Introduction I have been asked to speak on the Base Erosion Profit Sharing of the OECD, or better know as BEPS. This is a new acronym that, similar to CRS and the harmful tax initiative program, is geared at a multilateral approach to the application of uniform tax rules and standards. Unlike the CRS and the harmful tax practices initiatives of the past, BEPS has a focus not necessarily on the private client, but on the multinational commercial organization ...
The California Legislature is considering legislation that would, if enacted, prohibit public agencies that form a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) from contracting out of liability for the JPA's pension obligations. Backed by CalPERS, AB 1912 was introduced early this year partly in response to drastic CalPERS pension cuts for former employees of LA Works, a dissolved job-training JPA ...
Recent changes to Rule G-34 (the Rule) of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) will include an exception to the CUSIP requirements for certain direct purchase transactions with a bank or related entity (Direct Purchase Exception) ...
Barry Buchman, Adrian Azer and Greg Van Houten have joined Haynes and Boone, LLP’s Washington, D.C. office in the Insurance Recovery Practice, expanding the group’s presence coast-to-coast. Partner Barry Buchman brings more than 20 years of experience and looks forward to helping the practice flourish in Washington, D.C., and the East Coast ...
“We simply cannot go on with this utterly outmoded way of working…Endlessly re-keying in the same information; repeatedly printing and photocopying the same documents; moving files about, losing all or parts of them in the process… It is a heavy handed, duplicative, inefficient and costly way of doing our work and it is all about to go. Considerably past time, we will finally catch up with the world.” Sir Brian Leveson ...
On 20 April 2018, the amendments to the Law on Foreign Exchange (the “Law”) were adopted and will enter into force on 28 April 2018. Exceptionally, the application of certain provisions related to the assuming of competencies over foreign exchange control by the National Bank of Serbia is delayed until 1 January 2019 ...
“Belarus will become the first government in the world that opens wide opportunities for the use of blockchain technology”, said in a statement on the official website of the President of Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko, who signed the new law of the land, believes that his county “has every chance of becoming a regional center in this area.” The Presidential Decree of the Republic of Belarus No ...
UAE Federal Law 20 of 2016 (Regarding the Pledge of Movables as Security for a Debt) (the Pledge Law) introduced a new regime for registering a pledge over moveable assets which are pledged as security for the repayment of a debt. We reported on this law in our inBrief of January 2017, New UAE Pledge Law Over Moveable Assets, and our Legal Alert of 19 February 2018, The New UAE Pledge Law – Security Registration ...
The Report of the Financial Services Ombudsman (FSO) was issued earlier this year. As always, it contains interesting insights on trends and outcomes in FSO complaints. Complaints Received The FSO received 4,538 eligible complaints in 2017, broadly similar to the number in 2016. The FSO closed 3867 complaints during 2017 compared to 4,323 in 2016 ...
BackgroundThe Bank of Uganda recently released the Financial Institutions (Islamic Banking) Regulations (the “Regulations”), which were gazetted on 2 February 2018. The Regulations seek to operationalise Islamic banking in the country, which was introduced by The Financial Institutions (Amendment) Act, 2016 as part of its wider efforts to boost financial inclusion ...
H.B. 4270 Passed - March 10, 2018 Signed by Governor - March 27, 2018 Effective - June 8, 2018 The Information Reporting and Payments to Owners bill (H.B. 4270) is a companion bill to the Cotenancy Modernization bill ...
The 2018 West Virginia legislative session was a busy one regarding consumer finance law. Legislators focused on the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act and the West Virginia Safe Mortgage Licensing Act. The West Virginia Legislature passed at least three bills this past session that affect consumers or financial transactions ...
By one account, “the cost of global ransomware attacks will exceed $11.5 billion annually by 2019, up from $5 billion last year and $325 million in 2015” – a 35X increase in just four years.1Relative to other cyber crime, ransomware is an equal opportunity enterprise—striking individuals as well as businesses of all kinds ...
By one account, “the cost of global ransomware attacks will exceed $11.5 billion annually by 2019, up from $5 billion last year and $325 million in 2015” – a 35X increase in just four years.1Relative to other cyber crime, ransomware is an equal opportunity enterprise—striking individuals as well as businesses of all kinds ...
Following an extensive consultation process over a two-year period with relevant stakeholders in the project finance market, the South African Registrar of Securities Services (the “Registrar”) has announced that the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (“JSE”) Debt Listings Requirements (“DLRs”) have been amended with effect from 1 March 2018 to include a new section 10, which will now specifically cater for so-called “project bonds” ...
New rules will apply to disability benefit claims and appeals under certain plans that are subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), effective for claims made after April 1, 2018. According to the Department of Labor (DOL), the new rules are intended to provide greater protection to claimants, and are modeled on the enhanced claims and appeals procedures that apply to health benefit claims under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ...