The HKIAC’s statistics for 2020 reveal that in 2020 the HKIAC received a record number of arbitration filings (the highest number received in over a decade) and the total amount in dispute in the arbitrations was another record high. Most hearings were fully or partially virtual, which is unsurprising given the pandemic outbreak last year. The following are some of the more notable statistics: 483 new cases were submitted to the HKIAC in 2020 ...
In our previous article, we reported on the Supplemental Arrangement Concerning Mutual Enforcement of Arbitral Awards between Mainland China and the HKSAR (Supplemental Arrangement) made on 27 November 2020, which made certain revisions to the Arrangement Concerning Mutual Enforcement of Arbitral Awards between Mainland China and the HKSAR, as follows: Recognition of arbitral awards -The Supplemental Arrangement clarified that the procedures set out in the Arrangement shall be in
In DR Jones Yeovil Ltd v The Stepping Stone Group Ltd [2020] EWHC 2308 (TCC), England’s Technology and Construction Court ruled in favour of a contractor in its claim for unpaid retention under a JCT contract and dismissed the employer’s counterclaim for alleged defects. Certificates of Making Good were never issued and one of the questions before the court was whether that meant there could be no recovery of the balance of retention ...
The appeal in ABC Electrification Ltd v Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd [2020] EWCA Civ 1645, concerned the proper construction of a Target Cost Contract based upon the standard Institute of Civil Engineers Conditions of Contract, Target Cost Version, First Edition (ICE Conditions) and subject to standard amendments commonly used in the rail industry, known as Network Rail 12 (N12 Amendments) ...
In the recent case of Cheng Pan & Anor v Yau Lai Wah, HCA 376/2015, the Court held the Defendant liable for loss and damage caused by water leakage from his property into a neighbouring property, which resulted from the Defendant’s contractors carrying out works to pipes located in the Defendant’s property ...
The advent of blank cheque company IPOs. Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) have taken the corporate world by storm. These “blank cheque” shell companies, which raise funds in their initial public offerings (IPO) to invest in potential but as yet unidentified target businesses, have fuelled a listing frenzy in the US. SPAC IPOs have garnered US$87.9 billion in fundraising in the first three months of 2021, already exceeding last year’s total ...
The National Security and Investment Bill will allow government intervention in transactions raising national security concerns. It will require investors in UK real estate to consider whether the regime applies and factor in any timetabling implications. The Bill is currently being examined in the House of Lords. It will introduce an independent screening regime in the UK where a transaction gives rise to national security concerns ...
Led by Legal Director of Immigration, Rachel Harvey, and Employment Partner Emma Morgan, this webinar focussed on the considerations many Employers are faced with concerning immigration. This complex and ever-changing area means Employers need to keep a keen eye on any changes or alterations that are made to the current guidelines and rules. The key themes from the webinar and what they mean for employers are detailed below ...
Two of the most prominent arbitral institutions globally, the London Court of International Arbitration and the International Chamber of Commerce, have recently updated their rules to modernise and streamline the way in which arbitrations are administered. The changes are designed to increase efficiency, flexibility and transparency and to embrace the growing use of technology in business today ...
Food producers can breathe a sigh of relief, at least temporarily, thanks to efforts by the California Chamber of Commerce resulting in a preliminary injunction barring the State of California and all private plaintiffs from filing any new Proposition 65 lawsuits targeting acrylamide in food and beverage products. On March 31, 2021, Chief United States District Judge for the Eastern District of California, Kimberly J ...
In Facebook v. Duguid, (Case No. 19-511) on April 1, 2021, the United States Supreme Court unanimously confirmed that equipment without the capacity to randomly or sequentially store or produce numbers is not an autodialer for TCPA purposes. The Facebook ruling focuses on text messages, which many institutions are using as a primary method of customer contact, but it is also a victory for those using predictive dialers and preview dialers without random and sequential source codes ...
Pursuant to the Prakas on Launching the Use Rules and Procedures of Bakong System dated 26 June 2020 and the Prakas on Management of Payment Service Providers dated 14 June 2017, the National Bank of Cambodia (“NBC”) has determined transaction amounts and KYC procedures for financial institutions and payment service providers (“PSP”) in Cambodia ...
Pursuant to the Prakas on Launching the Use Rules and Procedures of Bakong System dated 26 June 2020 and the Prakas on Management of Payment Service Providers dated 14 June 2017, the National Bank of Cambodia (“NBC”) has determined transaction amounts and KYC procedures for financial institutions and payment service providers (“PSP”) in Cambodia ...
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) announced on March 29, 2021 that qualifying employers should file 2019 and 2020 workplace diversity data, known as the EEO-1 Component 1 data, by July 19, 2021. The data collection will open on April 26, 2021. Employers with 100 or more employees and federal contractors with 50 or more employees should begin preparing to submit the data in anticipation of this opening ...
What is the CTA? The CTA was enacted on January 1st, 2021 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act to prevent the use of companies to evade anti-money laundering rules or to hide other illegal activities. Under the CTA companies will be required to report information regarding its beneficial owners with a beneficial ownership registry maintained by the United States Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) ...
FINANCIAL SERVICESRelaxation of FEP requirements on interest rate swapBank Negara Malaysia has announced that nonresident banks may trade ringgit denominated interest rate swap without any underlying commitment with any participating onshore licensed banks and their appointed overseas offices (“AOOs”) with effect from 15th March 2021 ...
FINANCIAL SERVICESFurther extension on short selling banThe Securities Commission Malaysia and Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad announced a further extension, until 29 August 2021, of the existing suspension of Intraday Short Selling (IDSS) and Short Selling by Proprietary Day Traders on the stock exchange of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad. The scope of the ban remains the same.Pepared by:Christina S. C ...
The grounds for appealing an arbitration award are limited. Even when the tribunal admits that it has made a mistake that is not always enough. So, when is an admitted error serious enough to permit an appeal? This was the question before the court in Doglemor Trade Ltd and others v Caledor Consulting Ltd and another [2020] EWHC 3342 (Comm). The Facts Mr Khabarov (majority owner of Caledor) was granted an option to purchase 30% of the share capital of Doglemor ...
In our last issue of the newsletter, we told you of a decision of the United States Circuit Court for the Sixth Circuit, in which the Sixth Circuit considered the issue of whether a party waived its arbitration right through its pre-litigation conduct. In Borror Property Management, LLC v ...
Phasing is one of the key factors to consider and get right in planning for large scale, strategic development. A well-phased scheme divides the site into distinct parcels of land allowing reserved matters to be submitted and conditions discharged in relation to each parcel, individually, as it comes to be developed. It also allows planning obligations in section 106 Agreements to be apportioned between parcels and (in some cases) to be attached and limited to particular parcels ...
The opening webinar of The Lawyer’s Smarter Working Week saw leaders from a broad range of different sized teams discuss their experiences over the past 12 months and how they will use these learnings to build back better and enhance the experience for their business ...
Novel coronavirus is understandably causing a lot of panic and uncertainty around the globe. While legislators scramble to contain the virus’ spread, investors are also being forced to make weighty decisions with very little information as they attempt to navigate market uncertainty and supply chain disruption. This is particularly true in Thailand, which now has the highest number of confirmed cases outside of China ...