Following the latest government announcements, where do landlords and tenants stand in relation to the recovery of rent unpaid during the Coronavirus pandemic? The simple answer is there is a significant degree of uncertainty, and an awful lot of detail around the government’s proposals and that has yet to be resolved ...
In our previous article we set out what kind of information needs to be disclosed for it to qualify as a protected disclosure. Here we look at another key requirement, that the person making the disclosure reasonably believes it is in the public interest. What is (or is not) in the ‘public interest’ is not defined in legislation, and subsequently it can be difficult to determine ...
Business succession planning for founders of privately held business enterprises can take many paths. One of the most common exit plans is ownership transfers to management or key employees and it is easy to see why: transferring ownership to key employees creates shared values-based goals and can give owners ample time to make their exit ...
On June 17, the Supreme Court rejected another court challenge to the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), holding that the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge its minimum essential coverage provisions. For the third time, the Supreme Court upheld the ACA. More than a decade after the ACA was enacted, the long and winding road of ACA challenges may be over and healthcare industry participants may finally be able to rely on the ACA as settled law moving forward ...
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has revised its Rules of Practice and Procedure (Revised RPP) which govern the proceedings before the ERC through the issuance of ERC Resolution No. 01, Series of 2021.1 The Revised RPP took effect on April 13, 2021 (or 15 days after its publication in Business Mirror, a newspaper of general circulation). It allows the ERC to adapt to changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and modernizes the ERC rules of procedure ...
Dinsmore partner Kelvin Lawrence was published in Bloomberg Tax with co-author Bruce P. Ely from Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP. Their article, "The MTC Undertakes an Ambitious Study of Partnership Taxation," discusses the Multistate Tax Commission (MTC) Uniformity Committee's work group they created to study issues related to multistate taxation of pass-through entities ...
This newsletter features a look into notable recent Finnish competition and regulatory case law. New rules on fines and the FCCA's powers introduced to the Finnish Competition Act Concurrently with the implementation of the ECN+ Directive (Directive 2019/1 of the European Parliament and of the Council), the Finnish Parliament approved a set of other notable amendments to the Finnish Competition Act at the end of May 2021 ...
According to an anonymous source, a ‘Centre for Economic Situation Administration’ (“CESA”) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha was held on Friday 4 June that approved (in-principle) a set of proposed stimulus measures aimed at encouraging wealthy expatriates to Thailand ...
Before adjourning its 2021 session, the Oregon legislature passed an act that will make it more difficult for health care systems, insurers, and other health care entities to merge with, acquire, or otherwise join forces with their industry counterparts. Proponents of the Equal Access to Care Act, which is also known as House Bill 2362, contend that the new legislation is necessary to combat access limitations and price increases caused by consolidation in the health care arena ...
Litigation between the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) may be nearing an end (The Associated General Contractors of America, Inc. vs. United States Small Business Administration, et al.,United States District Court for the District of Columbia). AGC initially filed a lawsuit against SBA in December 2020, challenging the introductions of Form 3509 and Form 3510 (Loan Necessity Questionnaires) in October 2020 ...
Contractual bids for public companies made on or after 5 July 2021 will be subject to new Takeover Code (the "Code") rules. Changes made to: standardise rules for all regulatory authorisations and clearances; simplify the contractual bid timetable; clarify circumstances in which conditions may be invoked to lapse a bid, represent the most significant changes to the Code since 2011 ...
There are plenty of articles which set out the "hard facts" of Freeports - the locations, tax benefits etc. - but are we all missing the real point? One of the key objectives of the UK government was to "create hotbeds for innovation" ...
With the third wave of COVID-19 in full swing in South Africa, it has never been more important for South African employers to anticipate and prepare for the various COVID-19 related disputes that may lie ahead. It is vital to learn from the challenges already confronted by employers worldwide concerning issues such as vaccination, occupational health and safety, and flexible working arrangements and their approaches to such matters ...
MP Dr Liam Fox provided his support to a draft bill recently placed before parliament focusing on individuals with Down’s Syndrome. He has been working on the bill with a Down’s Syndrome Association in Portsmouth. If the draft bill passes through parliament and receives royal assent, the Down’s Syndrome Act will come into force. Its focus is on improving provision for those with Down’s Syndrome which includes education, health, social care and employment ...
On June 23, 2021, the Department of Telecom (“DoT”) released revised regulations relating to Other Service Providers (“OSP”) replacing the previous OSP regulations that were issued last year. This client update provides a summary of key issues that have been addressed by the new regulations. SUMMARY OF NEW OSP REGULATIONS Effective Date. The regulations are stated to come into force immediately ...
Dinsmore health care partner Joseph Zielinski was published in the most recent edition of New Perspectives on Health Care Risk Management, Control and Governance, the publication of the Association of Health Care Internal Auditors. His article, "The Effectiveness of Your Compliance Program," covers how to effectively audit your organization's compliance program while gaining valuable insights. An excerpt is below ...
Starting around October 26, 2020, the Small Business Administrations (the “SBA”) asked Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) lenders to provide certain questionnaires to PPP borrowers with loans of $2 million or greater. There are two questionnaire forms on the Treasury: Form 3509 for for-profit borrowers and Form 3510 for non-profit borrowers ...
In a case concerning the validity and effect of certain deeds relating to pension increases, the High Court has handed down its judgement. The case also considers the application of scheme forfeiture clauses to arrears of underpayments. The case, concerning the Axminster pension scheme (‘Scheme’), was brought by the Scheme’s independent trustee. Many of the original issues were compromised by the parties, meaning that the court was asked to approve the compromise ...
On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress adopted the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law (the “Anti-Sanctions Law”) ...
On Wednesday, June 23, 2021, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., a much-anticipated decision regarding schools’ regulation of off-campus speech. The Court held that while schools may discipline students for some off-campus speech, their ability to do so is much more limited than for on-campus speech. B.L. was a student at Mahanoy Area High School and cheered on the junior varsity team during her freshman year ...
A just-passed piece of legislation crafted to bolster countercrime defenses and crack open beneficial ownership bastions, a historical haven for criminals of all stripes, has lesser-known tethers for certain segments of the investment sector – a critical pitfall that should not be lost on compliance teams. In May 2020, a leaked investigation bulletin prepared by the U.S ...
On June 21, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed a new rule to restrict the amount of non-tip-producing work a tipped employee can perform when an employer is taking a tip credit. The proposed rule clarifies that if an employee performs work that directly supports tip-producing work for a substantial amount of time — at least 20 percent of the hours worked in a workweek or at least 30 continuous minutes — the worker must be paid the standard minimum wage ...
The draft Occupational Pension Schemes (Climate Change Governance and Reporting) Regulations 2021 (‘Regulations’) have been laid before parliament and are due to come into effect on 1 October this year. The Pensions Minister announced on June 8 the final version of the Regulations which are designed to regulate how trustees of certain trust-based occupational schemes must engage with, and report on, climate change risk as part of their duties ...
Deadlines loom, as changes to rules on the rights of EEA and Swiss citizens to live and work in the UK are fast approaching. With many developments to keep apace of, we have highlighted the key dates and points which employers need to mark in the diary. 1 ...
