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 ...
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 ...
The SEC issued enforcement orders against three companies for including terms in their employment and separation agreements that violated Rule 21F-17(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1942, commonly known as the whistleblower protection rule. The rule prohibits any action that impedes an individual from communicating directly with SEC staff about a possible securities law violation ...
October 26, 2023 By: Jarrett Osborne-Revis In Breanne Martin v. Leslie Gladstone, the Second District Court of Appeal recently decided a case that could reverberate throughout the receivership and bankruptcy industries. This case comes at a propitious moment as bankruptcy proceedings and receiverships – particularly for distressed commercial real estate entities – trend upward in California ...
Only five months after its first reading on 17 May 2023, the future is already in doubt for key aspects of the Renters (Reform) Bill. The changes proposed by the Bill include the abolition of ‘no fault’ evictions under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, meaning that landlords would be required to rely on the more combative section 8 process ...
Beginning January 1, 2024, companies created or registered in the United States will have one year to report personal information about their owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) will now require many companies in the United States to file personal information with the government on their ownership and business applicants ...
Article 54 of the Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law 20 of 2023 on the regulations of labour relations, as amended) dealing with employment disputes has been amended to give greater powers to the Ministry of Human Resource and Emiratisation (the Ministry). The amended provision shall come into effect from 1 January 2024 ...
The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 (PSTIA) received Royal Assent on December 6, 2022. The PSTIA makes various changes to the Electronic Communications Code (the Code) – however, its intended effects are only being felt piecemeal, as its provisions are being slowly brought into force through secondary legislation. Ss ...
The flight to quality in the UK’s commercial real estate market has been covered extensively over recent months. Nowhere is this shift being felt more acutely than in the office sector. According to Cushman & Wakefield, take-up of Grade A office space in Central London reached 2.44m sq ft during the first half of 2023 - increasing by 7 per cent on the five-year H1 average. There are many factors driving this shift ...
Earlier in the year, we reported on the government’s announcement of increases to visa and nationality fees. These increases to application fees came into force on 4 October 2023, other than the substantial increase to the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) which was expected to come ‘later in the autumn’ ...
Corporate status A foundation company is a body corporate with a legal personality distinct from its members, directors and other connected persons. As foundation companies are governed by the Companies Act (Revised), except where it is inconsistent with the Foundation Company Act (2017), they benefit from an extensive body of case law and are well recognised in other jurisdictions ...
Examples of ESG investments include investments in businesses such as wind farms and solar power initiatives, or in companies that meet the investor’s ESG value criteria (for example, because they have in place policies to address climate change or to ensure ethical supply chain sourcing) ...
Authority Magazine October 23, 2023 By: Eric L. Pines The legal field is known to be extremely competitive. Lawyers are often smart, ambitious, and highly educated ...
On October 16, 2023, the Council of the Central Bank of Chile ("CBCh") published in consultation a proposal to systematize and update the exchange information requested to entities that are part of the Formal Exchange Market (the "Project"), in compliance with the regulation of the Foreign Exchange Regulations Compendium ("FERC"), together with a reformulation and restructuring of this regulatory body ...
A survey* published by the Dubai Statistics Center has called for input from the public in what appears to be research relating to the application of 'Common Law' in all free zones in Dubai. The survey is not about the use of 'Common Law' in a general sense. Instead, the Dubai government is focused on integrating DIFC laws and giving jurisdiction to the DIFC Courts for overseeing civil and commercial disputes within the free zones ...
It’s the final countdown, with only one year to go before EU member states must transpose the EU’s new Network and Information Security 2 Directive (“NIS 2”) into national law. Key Dates EU Member States have until 17 October 2024 to transpose NIS 2 into national law and those national laws will apply to organisations as early as 18 October 2024. Enforcement is likely to start from 17 January 2025, in line with parallel legislation affecting financial services ...
On September 29, 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) published new proposed enforcement guidance ("the Proposed Guidance”) on harassment in the workplace. This is the first proposed EEOC guidance on workplace harassment since the turn of the century ...
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has implemented rule revisions governing beneficial ownership reporting under Section 13(d) and 13 (g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The SEC also elaborated on its stance concerning the conditions under which it is determined that two or more individuals have established a collective entity for the regulatory scope of Sections 13(d) and (g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ...
The unconstitutional nature of property devolving on the Government of Malta following the procedure to render a company defunct Introduction On 12 October 2023, the First Hall of the Civil Court in its Constitutional Jurisdiction delivered a landmark ruling in the case Carmel Cortis et vs. Office of the Prime Minister et ...
October 18, 2023 By: Leah Lively California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed SB 525 into law, which amends the California Labor Code to set industry minimum wage requirements for nearly all healthcare workers, whether they are hourly or salaried employees, or independent contractors. The law also provides these workers with an independent private right of action to enforce these minimum wage requirements ...
The idea of achieving purpose alongside profit has been part of the business world for centuries, but the importance placed on it has reached new heights in recent years with an increased focus on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues, informed by a longer-term view that we cannot afford to pursue profit without consideration for people and our planet ...
The DIFC Courts have recently confirmed that Decision Notices issued by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) are not binding on the Court as findings of fact ...
The European Commission published a draft proposal for a revised Product Liability Directive (the “PLD Proposal”) on 28 September 2022, which aims to bring the European Union’s product liability regime ‘up to speed’ with the digital age, circular economy business models and global value chains. This blog focuses on the main changes the PLD Proposal brings and its impact on life science companies ...
In case 161/2022/LM, delivered on 11th October 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Industrial Tribunal, which found justifiable reasons for dismissal. Following the Tribunal’s conclusion that the grounds for dismissal presented by the defendant company were justified, and consequently, the dismissal was fair, the former employee contested this decision in front of the Court of Appeal ...