Over the past month, the SEC has signaled the primacy of ESG in its mission for 2021 and beyond. Seemingly daily, there have been updates regarding ESG initiatives, whether from the Division of Enforcement or the Division of Corporation Finance. This week, it was the Division of Investment Management’s turn ...
On 14 March 2021, the law of 5 March 2021 on certain rules for the implementation of Regulation (EU) No 2019/1150 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on promoting fairness and transparency for business users of online intermediation services (the “P2B Regulation”) (hereinafter the “Law”) entered into force ...
U.S. capital markets are beginning to experience the effects of the passage of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCAA). Amid continuing tensions between the United States and China, then-President Trump signed the HFCAA into law on December 18, 2020. The HFCAA was introduced in the United States Senate on March 28, 2019 by Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). The HFCAA passed the Senate by unanimous consent on May 20, 2020 ...
Hanson Bridgett has long been a visionary in promoting social and environmental change. That innovative spirit is what led them to become the first law firm certified as a B Corporation and a leading advocate for what has now become a global social movement. The California law firm is one of the founding members of B Corporation, a business model created in 2006 that enables companies to include a social as well as financial agenda in their legal structure ...
The legal and practical issues that arise when executing documents electronically with a focus on practical points to consider and pitfalls to avoid. This is quite a hot topic at the moment with businesses having to continue to operate during lockdown ...
In one of the latest and most high-profile decisions from across the country relating to commercial tenants’ rent obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York rejected an attempt by The Gap, Inc. (“Gap”) to excuse payment of such obligations due to the pandemic and related government restrictions ...
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has extended the timeline for filing the 2021 data audit report from 15 March 2021 till 30 June 2021. In 2019, the National Information Technology and Development Agency (‘NITDA’) issued the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (‘NDPR’) ...
In recent months, the need to conclude the procedures to adapt/amend/revise the municipal and inter‑municipal plans for spatial planning has been widely discussed by the municipalities, the Government, economic agents and civil society. This discussion has focused on: i) The integration into in those plans of the rules contained in special plans concerning the arrangements to safeguard territorial resources and natural values that directly bind private individuals ...
Introduction: On February 7, 2021, the State Council Anti-monopoly Commission (the “Commission”) promulgated the Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for the Platform Economy (the “Guidelines”), following only three months after the State Administration for Market Regulation (“SAMR”) issued an exposure draft of the same on November 10, 2020 (the “Exposure Draft”), which unveiled a more rigorous approach to anti-monopoly regulation ...
Corporate & Commercial Recognition of UK Insolvency Proceedings in Malta Post-BrexitSimon Pullicino comments on the impact of Brexit with respect to cross-border insolvency and the implications for the recognition and enforcement of UK proceedings in Malta and vice-versa ...
For those of us in the HUD-insured multifamily finance space who make our living trying to shrink the time period between firm commitment and closing, Chapter 19 of the new Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) Guide was a must-read when it was published at the end of 2020 ...
The Insurance Authority has now gazetted the Insurance (Special Purpose Business) Rules. They will come into effect on 29th March, 2021, the same day as the Insurance (Amendment) Ordinance which makes provision for special purpose insurers (see our Client Alert dated 27 May 2020 regarding special purpose insurers). The Rules restrict the sale of insurance linked securities. Insurance linked securities are securities issued through insurance securitisation i.e ...
On March 4, 2021, Exempt Resolution No. 625 of the Ministry of Mining (“Res. No. 625”) was published in the Official Gazette. Res. No. 265 sets forth a citizen consultation process on the proposal to amend Supreme Decree No. 248 of 2007, which approved the Regulations on the Approval of Projects of Design, Construction, Operation and Closure of Tailings Dams (the “Regulations”) ...
On March 2, 2021, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed the Consumer Data Protection Act (CDPA or law) into law. This makes Virginia the second state, behind California, to adopt a comprehensive consumer data privacy law. Like the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the CDPA creates a number of privacy obligations for businesses and gives Virginia consumers more control over their personal data. The CDPA takes effect on Jan ...
Title reviews are the heartbeat of the due diligence process. When a buyer is considering acquiring a commercial property, it is the title review process that confirms the seller actually owns the property and provides an overview of all rights affecting such property ...
Preparing and maintaining statutory company registers can use up valuable resources of the finance department or directors of the company, however if a company is sold it is one of the first documents that the buyers’ solicitors will request. It can be costly, and time consuming to re-create registers and it can hold up any sale ...
From 1 April 2021, a 2% Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) surcharge will apply to non-UK residents purchasing residential property in England & Northern Ireland. However, what is meant by a non-UK resident in these circumstances can result in some surprising outcomes ...
On Thursday, February 25, 2021, a Federal Court Judge in the Eastern District of Texas sided with a group of landlords by holding that the eviction moratorium instituted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is unconstitutional by extending “far beyond the legitimate scope of federal power ...
A NEW PATHWAY From Uber to Jumia and even older technology (tech) companies like Etranzact and Chams Plc, it is arguable that Initial Public Offerings (“IPOs”) have not offered great returns for tech companies in Nigeria and across the globe[1]. Investors are speculating on whether the great tech bubble is about to burst because, considering the cost of IPOs, tech companies have to scrutinise the expected returns when contemplating an IPO ...
Tech Companies and Fund Raising: The New Way of Going Public (Part 2) In the second part of our article, we focus on Spotify, a digital music service that utilised a direct listing to become a public company, the key steps they took that differed from a traditional IPO, and how the NSE can modify its current regulatory framework to include direct listings. Case Study: Spotify Technology S ...
This publication is part of a DFDL series focusing on Corporate Insolvency Regime in consideration of the COVID-19 outbreak in Asia. DFDL published the previous editions in a series of tailor-made FAQs on restructuring and insolvency matters that businesses and stakeholders need to keep track of in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam ...
The period for filing complaints to challenge 2020 property tax values in Ohio ends on March 31, 2021. For properties assessed in a 2020 county reappraisal or update, a reduction in the 2020 value may offer greater tax savings now than at any point for the next three tax years. However, the potential impact of COVID-19 on tax year 2021 values must be carefully considered ...
By Michael Flynn, Doug Prince and Khaled Tarazi Buchalter’s February 16 COVID Alert (https://www.buchalter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/FHA-VA-USDA-Foreclosure-and-Eviction-Moratoria-and-Forbearance-Application-Deadline-Extended-to-June-30.pdf) reported that the federal government had extended the FHA, VA and USDA timelines for single-family foreclosure and eviction moratoria and forbearance periods to June 30, 2021 ...
By Michael Flynn, Doug Prince and Khaled Tarazi On Thursday, February 25, a Federal judge in the Eastern District of Texas ruled that the CDC tenant eviction order is unconstitutional, but did not enjoin the order. The case was brought by seven Texas landlords against the CDC, challenging the CDC moratorium order. The CDC moratorium applies to tenants who, among other things, declare economic hardship and earned $99,000 or less in 2020 ($198,000 for couples) ...
