Shoosmiths’ head of technology sector Joe Stephenson attended the Tech and Innovation Summit, focused on how public and private sector organisations are supercharging innovation into action. In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for businesses and governments alike. Below, we reveal our key takeaways from the event: Data Centres: Meeting the Demand for Growth The digital age has ushered in a surge in data generation and consumption ...
Given the pace of change over recent months it seems a cliché to say we’ve had an eventful couple of weeks for AI, but just a week on from the UK's AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, which followed hot on the heels of a sweeping executive order on AI from the Biden administration, it is worth reflecting on where the events of the last 10 days or so leave us in terms of prospective regulation of AI ...
Since April 2018, the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) has prohibited landlords from renting commercial properties that do not meet certain environmental standards ...
The King's Speech 2023 unveiled an ambitious vision for the future of transportation - heralding a new era of self-driving vehicles in the UK. The speech introduced a comprehensive plan to integrate autonomous vehicles into daily lives, as part of the government's commitment to advancing transportation technology. The proposed Automated Vehicles Bill will provide the Department for Transport with the necessary authority to certify the safety of driverless vehicles ...
Contents Legal framework Security Restructuring Insolvency Cross-border/Groups Liability risk The COVID-19 pandemic Other Trends and predictions Tips and traps Legal Framework What domestic legislation governs restructuring and insolvency matters in your jurisdiction? Parts XXI to XXIV of the Companies (Guernsey) Law 2008, as amended, contain the main statutory provisions relating to corporate insolvencies and reorganisations of Guernsey companies ...
The Department of Justice (DOJ) hopes to incentivize timely disclosure of misconduct uncovered during the mergers and acquisitions process with the October 2023 announcement of a department-wide safe harbor policy. The policy, which applies across the entire department, shields companies from criminal prosecution for misconduct they discover in companies they are acquiring or have recently acquired ...
The U.S. Government Accountability Office's recently issued annual bid protest report is noteworthy because it shows that 31% of bid protests were sustained — more than double the rate for prior years— and that protesters received some form of relief from the procuring agency in more than half of the protests filed with the GAO in fiscal year 2023 ...
India Business Law Journal Article Published on November 6, 2023 Our annual ‘State of the Legal Market’ survey finds that AI, specialist firms, discerning clients and the paired trends of fragmentation and consolidation are preoccupying the legal community. Katherine Abraham reports Big changes are afoot in the Indian legal landscape with the arrival of foreign firms and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology ...
We are pleased to issue our sixth edition of the Regulatory Compliance Quarterly Updates. These updates are intended to keep Maltese regulated entities informed of regulatory changes and developments taking place in the local financial services space. In this issue, we focus on the sector specific and cross-sectoral regulatory updates relating to investment services, asset management, insurance undertakings, and insurance intermediaries ...
Contents Government attitude and definition Cryptocurrency regulation Sales regulation Taxation Money transmission laws and anti-money laundering requirements Promotion and testing Ownership and licensing requirements Mining Border restrictions and declaration Reporting requirements Estate planning and testamentary succession Government attitude and definition The BVI has established itself as a leading offshore finance centre that is resilient, agile and innovative in the
Contents Government attitude and definition Cryptocurrency regulation Sales regulation Taxation Money transmission laws and anti-money laundering requirements Promotion and testing Ownership and licensing requirements Mining Border restrictions and declaration Reporting requirements Estate planning and testamentary succession Government attitude and definition The Cayman Islands is a leading global financial centre and has developed a reputation as one of the world’s most
Contents Please click on the links below to jump to the relevant section: Government attitude and definition Cryptocurrency regulation Digital Asset Business Act Scope of the DABA Licensing requirement Application process Criteria to be met by licensees Continuing obligations of licence holders BMA’s supervision and enforcement powers Digital Asset Issuance Act Scope of DAIA Authorisation requirements Authorisation criteria Ongoing obligations BMA’s supervis
A recent data protection fine highlights the risks of getting a few key things wrong. Fines for large data security breaches always grab press attention, however a recent €600,000 fine from the French data protection regulator (the CNIL) brings into sharp focus the risks for businesses when they get a few key things wrong without any catastrophic failures amongst them ...
Our present time is in constant evolution and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has demonstrated its ability to revolutionize entire industries and improve our quality of life in many aspects. In our global interconnectedness, it is a reality that organizations are already working on implementing AI for various purposes, including improving processes and the way they do business ...
By: Daniel Silva, Sanjay Bhandari, and Marshall Olney After dozens of high-profile criminal prosecutions and a growing wave of civil investigations, the Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) Covid-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is poised to continue its pursuit of fraud, abuse, and waste related to various Covid-19 relief programs ...
A share buyback essentially occurs when a company acquires some of its own shares through means other than by subscription. Such acquired shares are colloquially referred to as treasury shares and allow for flexibility with regards to the company’s capital structure since the sale thereof does not constitute an allotment or issue of shares and thus the restrictions imposed thereon do not apply ...
Following the route set out in the ongoing constitutional process and taking into consideration the draft prepared by the Expert Commission and the amendments presented during the respective discussion in the Joint Commission, the Constitutional Council approved yesterday, the Preliminary Draft of the New Constitution ...
At Halloween, we look at whether data protection laws protect doorstep trick-or-treaters and how technologies such as CCTV and smart doorbells can be used lawfully under data protection law. Along with the ghosts and goblins, bands of happy revellers may be preparing to roam the streets this Halloween to get their seasonal sweet fix armed with nothing more than a pumpkin lantern and hopeful smile ...
At the end of last week, the FT published a guest article on quantum computing. For those unfamiliar with quantum computing, it is the technology that will be capable of harnessing the powers of quantum mechanics to solve problems which are too complex for ‘classical’ computers (the computers of today). Classical computing employs streams of electrical impulses to encode information: an electrical impulse may be only 1 or 0 (i.e. on or off) – a classical 'bit’ ...
In commercial real estate transactions, time is money, execution is everything and projects generally do not move forward without a mortgage loan. Lenders and their counsel should view a project as if the lender is the eventual buyer, owner and seller. For developers, considering the transaction from a lender’s point of view can save them considerable time and money and expedite loan closing ...
Although this is a developing area, many billions of assets under management have already been tokenised. High profile managers such as Franklin Templeton, Abrdn, KKR, Mitsui and Hamilton Lane have already launched tokenised products. Tokenised assets nonetheless still represent a tiny percentage of the funds industry. We expect this area to grow exponentially in the coming years. What is tokenisation? Tokenisation is the digital representation of 'traditional' financial assets (e.g ...
In the second instalment of The Fintech Times' ‘Where to Relocate’ series, we turn the spotlight to the Cayman Islands as a VASP-friendly jurisdiction. Situated in the Caribbean, the Cayman Islands offer a unique blend of regulatory excellence, technological innovation, and a commitment to fostering the growth of digital assets ...
On October 24, the Head of Enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gurbir Grewal, addressed the New York City Bar Association. Grewal's speech covered a range of topics, highlighting the landscape of regulatory enforcement and compliance by the SEC with three themes: education; engagement; and execution ...