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 ...
It’s been more than a year since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and many companies are attempting to market products intended to help consumers deal with the risks associated with COVID-19. Some of the most common examples of such products include face masks, testing devices, hand sanitizers, and hard-surface disinfectants ...
Cal-OSHA’s COVID-19 regulation remains in effect after the trial court rejected a motion for a preliminary injunction filed by a coalition of employers. This included challenges to: (1) compensation for employees excluded from work; (2) mandated testing; and (3) health and safety requirements for employer-provided housing and transportation. Therefore, employers must continue to abide by the requirements of the emergency regulation ...
For the first time, a restructuring plan has been confirmed under the new Court Approved Restructuring Plan Act (Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord, or WHOA). This court confirmation illustrates how a "Dutch Scheme" comes about in practice. In this article our restructuring specialists Jelmer Baukema and Willemijn Bouman briefly discuss the court confirmation ...
Good news in times of crisis: The eagerly awaited draft of the Restructuring and Insolvency Directive Implementation Act (RIRL-UG) was published yesterday. The law with which Directive (EU) 2019/1023 (Restructuring Directive) is implemented in Austria is to come into force on July 17, 2021 (at the end of the implementation period). The review phase will run until April 6, 2021 ...
In 2020, telehealth went from promising ancillary issue to center stage in the healthcare industry. Regulators and law enforcement took notice. With enforcers’ attention now squarely on telehealth fraud and abuse, telehealth providers and companies are poised to be among the main targets for civil and criminal enforcement in the coming years. Webinar Recording Key Takeaways Telehealth is a key enforcement priority for federal and state enforcement agencies, including the U ...
This article has been updated based on the available information until 20th February 2021. As Government notifications are constantly revised, it is advisable to consult your attorney or visit the website of the relevant Government agency prior to travelling. Further, in additional to the guidelines published by the Central Government, passengers are also requested to refer to State specific official websites to be well informed about any additional requirements ...
The recent CIS v IBM decision touches on two topical issues in IT disputes: maintenance and replacement of legacy systems, and use of agile implementation methodologies. It is also a useful reminder of some important basics regarding the management of troubled IT projects. The case and the issues The claimant (Co-op) was the insurance business of the Co-op group ...
Earlier this month, Elon Musk revealed that Tesla, the electric car company run by the world's richest person, had bought $1.5bn (£1.1bn) in bitcoin and might soon also accept payment in the popular but controversial cryptocurrency. News of Tesla’s investment boosted bitcoin, and while lately it dropped from its record high, it appears to be rebounding. Cryptocurrency investment continues to move into the mainstream as global interest rates remain at record lows ...
This week, Westlaw Today published an article by Dinsmore partner J.T. Wilson III about the generational shift in attitudes toward racial equity in light of George Floyd's death and about how business owners and employers must react accordingly ...
As you already know, COVID-19 changed almost everything, and some of those things are likely here to stay (or at least linger for a while longer). One widespread change is the increased use of videoconferencing. In early 2020, a videoconference was a rarity, but now we Zoom in and out of classrooms, work meetings, and court appearances. Not surprisingly, the virtual world has reached the doctor’s office ...
This bulletin is on recent Philippine legal developments in data privacy, fintech and digital banks. PRIVACY UPDATE Caring about Sharing: New Rules on Data Sharing Agreements On December 23, 2020, the Philippine data privacy regulator, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) issued NPC Circular No. 2020-03 on data sharing agreements (2020 DSA Circular).1 The circular supersedes NPC Circular No ...
The FSI has published the BIS’s research paper titled “Fintech regulation: how to achieve a level playing field” in February 2021 (the “Paper”). The Paper explores how regulation should evolve to encourage fair competition between traditional banks and new fintech and big tech players ...
In the Official Gazette No. 27, volume No. 426, dated February 10th, 2020, was published Decree No. 463, which contains the Law of Electronic Commerce – hereinafter “LCE” -, which has the purpose of establishing a legal framework for electronic relations of a commercial, contractual nature, carried out by digital, electronic, or technologically equivalent means. As stipulated in Decree No ...
The objective of open banking is to have a payments and markets infrastructure which provides customers with the ability to review all their banking and financial information seamlessly. Open banking will lead to a situation where regardless of how many accounts and financial products a customer has with multiple institutions, he can manage them from a centralised location without having to check out from one system to another ...
In its conference on Feb. 19, the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to consider two pending petitions for certiorari that could resolve a critical but deeply disputed issue that impacts both the False Claims Act and health care law. The cert petitions in those cases — U.S. v. Care Alternatives,[1] and Winter v ...
On 12 January 2021, the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (“MOA”) issued Regulation No.1 of 2021 on Electronic Certificates (“MOA Reg. 1/2021”). This new regulation is intended to optimize the use of information and communication technology by implementing electronic-based land services and thus improve public services and the ease of doing business. Under MOA Reg ...
With businesses now building back up following the pandemic, focus has moved onto ensuring organisations are as efficient, effective and resilient as possible. Key to this is ensuring that managers are fully equipped to handle workplace issues. The session focuses on dealing with DSARS and other practical data protection issues for employers. The key takeaway points are set out below: Brexit and Data Protection The Data Protection Act 2018 continues to apply in the UK ...
The reasons for the changes to the Golden visa rules: A legislative authorisation in the 2020 State Budget 2020 authorised the Government to review the rules on residence permits for investment provided for in Law 23/2007 of 4 July by the end of 2020. The aim is to encourage investment in inland areas, urban regeneration, cultural heritage, activities of high environmental or social value, and productive investment and job creation ...
New measures to curb the “second wave” of COVID-19 cases have been introduced by the Dubai Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management (the Dubai Committee) and the Abu Dhabi Emergency Crisis and Disasters Committee for COVID-19 Pandemic (the Abu Dhabi Committee) ...
On February 9, the Commission for the Financial Market ("CMF") published a proposal for the bill known as “Fintech Law”, the new regulation that intends to establish a legal framework applicable to Fintech companies in Chile, which until now have been characterized by operating without a specific regulation. The CMF’s proposal establishes a regulatory perimeter for certain types of Fintech companies and, also, in turn places them under the CMF's oversight ...
Introduction On 27 August 2020 the European Commission, on behalf of EU member states, entered into an advance purchase agreement (APA) with AstraZeneca for the production, purchase and supply of the Anglo-Swedish company's COVID-19 vaccine in the European Union.(1) The APA provides for: AstraZeneca's supply of 300 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine (the initial Europe doses); and an option for the European Union to order an additional 100 million doses (the optional doses) ...
Introduction On 21 January 2021 a new royal decree was published in the Official Gazette which has temporarily extended occupational doctors' role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic in the workplace ...
Over the last few years, companies listed on both the primary and secondary market of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (“JSE”), have been obliged to comply with increasingly onerous and often unclear reporting obligations in respect of the status of their transformation. On 3 February 2021, the B-BBEE Commission offered some clarity, however, there are still uncertainties that need to be addressed for many JSE-listed companies to overcome reporting challenges ...
