Welcome to the new half-yearly review of Krogerus' highlights! In this newsletter, we will share recent case highlights, firm news and insights. Foreword As 2024 draws to a close, it has been a busy year at Krogerus, despite challenging market conditions and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties. While there is still a degree of darkness and uncertainty in the world, we are seeing positive signs in the transactional market, which often signal the start of economic recovery ...
In this edition, we offer a diverse range of content: First, we present an update on an upcoming case before the Supreme Court concerning section 36 of the Contracts Act. We will also provide some insights from a recent Supreme Court ruling on the insurance condition regarding sudden and unforeseen physical damage. Additionally, we discuss significant takeaways from the appeals judgment in the Dutch Shell case ...
In a decision rendered on September 16, 2024,1 the Administrative Labour Tribunal (the ?ALT?) found that a company (the ?employer?) had violated the Charter of the French language2 (the ?CFL?) by requiring knowledge of languages other than French as part of a hiring process. This is one of the first decisions ruling on the new complaint mechanisms introduced by Bill 96, An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec3 (?Bill 96?), aimed at amending the CFL ...
On December 3, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”).[1] The CTA, and its Reporting Rule, were set to require approximately 32.6 million existing reporting companies to file beneficial ownership information (“BOI”) reports with FinCEN by January 1, 2025 ...
The Employment Rights Bill seeks to bring about seismic change to the employment law landscape, requiring employers to adapt their current practices and policies. Our latest webinar focused on the key provisions of the Bill and how these will impact on current practices and procedures. We also looked at what further changes may be coming down the line and what steps organisations can take to prepare for them ...
HR teams have a lot on their plate, but a key priority for 2024 is undoubtedly protecting the employee brand proposition. Our 2024 online programme is focused on supporting HR teams to do just this, equipping them with the tools they need to protect the employee brand proposition of the organisations they work for. Our latest webinar focused on what organisations need to do to respond to workers who blow the whistle ...
On December 2, 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced it had received enough H-1B petitions to reach the statutory H-1B visa cap of 65,000, plus the 20,000 “master’s cap” for applicants with a U.S. master’s degree. Registrants who have not yet been selected will be sent non-selection notices through the online system ...
Just seven weeks after the 158-page Employment Rights Bill was introduced into Parliament, the House of Commons issued a 53-page paper full of various proposed amendments to the Bill. Almost all of them are government led, made by Justin Madders, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade). We consider below some of the key amendments proposed by Mr Madders and other Labour MPs ...
The Office of the Small Business Commissioner has announced the New Fair Payment Code. This is now open for businesses to apply to the new Code and it replaces the Prompt Payment Code which was introduced in 2015. Following on from our article on Payment Terms in Supply Chains (Payment Terms – what are the current rules and those coming down the track), we now have clarity on what is included in the new Fair Payment Code ...
Implications of the Finance (2025 Budget) (Jersey) Law 202- for property transactions Stamp duty relief for group company transfers Perhaps the most welcome change is the long-overdue introduction of stamp duty relief for group company transfers of immovable property. To date, transactions between companies within the same corporate group have been subject to stamp duty at the full rates, disincentivising corporate property restructures ...
In case number 4109/JHP decided on 25 November 2024, the Industrial Tribunal upheld the dismissal of a former employee by a Company, determining that the termination was lawful and justified. The case centered on the employee, who had served as a Senior Customer Support Agent, and whose ongoing mental health challenges and resulting inability to perform his duties led to his dismissal ...
Acquisition by a Company of its own Shares The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended) (the “Law”) permits a Guernsey Company to acquire its own shares. Listed companies may use this mechanism to return surplus cash to shareholders, to enhance earnings per share or net assets per share, or to adjust gearing ratios. Listed funds may wish to provide greater liquidity in their shares, especially if the market for their shares is relatively narrow ...
Carey Olsen advises MNRPF on £450 million longevity swap transfer The transaction, which will form part of MNPRF's investment portfolio, protects MNRPF against longevity risk and enhances security for MNRPF members. The Carey Olsen Guernsey corporate team advising on the transaction comprised partner Tony Lane and senior associate Arya Hashemi. Linklaters acted as onshore counsel for the trustee and Eversheds Sutherland acted as onshore counsel for MetLife ...
Carey Olsen advises Keyex Limited on successful application for registration as a BVI VASP Keyex provides a platform for cryptocurrency exchange including buying, storing, trading and selling digital assets. Its registration is amongst the first to be approved under the VASP Act, which aims to position the BVI as a leading jurisdiction for digital asset innovation globally ...
Stay up-to-date with the ****latest developments in labour law related to employee remuneration****. These updates are essential for ensuring accurate payroll calculations, particularly in cases of employment termination, and for aligning local regulations with current legal requirements. New Minimum Wage Effective January 1, 2025, a revised minimum wage for a standard monthly work schedule will come into force ...
SyCipLaw has contributed the Philippine chapter in the latest edition of The Legal 500: International Arbitration Comparative Guide. Senior Partner and Head of Litigation Department Ricardo Ma. P.G. Ongkiko co-authored the chapter with Partners Anthony W. Dee, John Christian Joy A. Regalado, and Ma. Patricia B. Paz-Jacoba ...
Family offices which choose to manage their global investments from Malta have been given a new legal exemption through a recent amendment in the applicable investment services rulebook of the Malta Financial Services Authority (“MFSA”). On the 27th of November 2024, the MFSA issued a circular titled “Establishment of Single Family Offices in Malta” ...
On November 26, 2024, the Supreme Court of Ohio issued its long-awaited decision in AutoZone Stores, Inc. v Indus. Comm., reversing the Tenth District’s interpretation of R.C. 4123.56(F) and indirectly restoring the employer-friendly doctrine of voluntary abandonment. See Slip Opinion 2024-Ohio-5519 here. In 2020, the Ohio legislature enacted the divisive R.C. 4123.56(F), which superseded any previous precedent on the issue of “voluntary abandonment ...
Carey Olsen advises Guernsey 'first of its kind' captive assisted buy-in The transaction involved the issue of a c£500 million BPA contract by M&G's wholly owned subsidiary, The Prudential Assurance Company Limited ("PAC"), to a UK pension trustee. As with a traditional buy-in transaction, under the BPA, PAC insures the trustee's liability to its pension scheme members ...
The presidential and congressional campaigns brought considerable disagreement on a number of platform issues that were constantly in the daily news cycle. Each brings their potential political polarization, yet we heard less about economic development incentives that often bring bipartisan support. Many of these vehicles lead to accomplishing the common goals of stimulating economic development and community revitalization ...
An exploration of key aspects of the Employment Rights Bill which will impact living sector employers; day 1 right to claim unfair dismissal, changes to the use of zero hour contracts and the extension of the duty to protect employees from harassment. Employment Rights Bill – A Shake Up for the Living Sector The Employment Rights Bill (“ERB”) is poised to introduce significant change to the UK’s workforce ...
On Oct. 10, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that TD Bank pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and agreed to pay over $1.8 billion in penalties to resolve the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation into money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act violations. When combined with agreements with the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the U.S ...
SyCipLaw Senior Partner and Head of Banking, Finance & Securities Department Philbert E. Varona, Partners Mark Xavier D. Oyales, Ricardo Jesus E. Gutierrez, and Associate Marcella Maria L. Karaan contributed the Philippine chapter of the new Chambers Project Finance 2024 Global Practice Guide ...
A federal judge in Texas has struck down the recently implemented United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) federal overtime salary threshold rule. This 2024 rule raised the minimum salary level for certain employees to be exempt from overtime pay requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). Generally, the FLSA requires employers to pay non-exempt employees 1.5x their regular rate for hours worked in excess of 40 in a work week ...