Drawing a cheque which is dishonoured due to insufficient funds will not be a criminal offence after 2 January 2022, when Federal Decree No. 14/2020 (the Decree) comes into effect. Here is a quick primer on the changes that the Decree will introduce. The highlight of the Decree is the decriminalisation of the act of drawing a cheque which is dishonoured due to insufficient funds ...
Key Points New tax reporting provisions on cryptocurrency, as well as criminal consequences for noncompliance, survived in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) set to become law. The legislation imposes potential felony charges for failures to report certain "receipt" of digital assets, as well as expands the definition of "broker" to target crypto exchanges ...
On Nov. 4, 2021, the IRS announced in Notice 2021-61 cost-of-living adjustments ("COLAS") to the tax-qualified retirement plan dollar limits for 2022. Most of the applicable dollar limits currently effective for 2021 will increase significantly compared with prior years. Below is a summary of the limits that are generally relevant for most retirement plans. Effective Jan ...
Two new categories of tax-exempt bonds were created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) (the Act) adopted by the House on Nov. 6, 2021: “Qualified Broadband Projects” and “Carbon Dioxide Capture Facilities ...
The HSE has prosecuted a contractor after it identified multiple health and safety issues during a COVID-19 ‘spot check’ at a site in Manchester. This is the first prosecution to arise from the HSE’s Spot Check programme. Background Throughout the pandemic, HSE inspectors performed a number of proactive COVID-19 spot checks (reportedly over 316,000) at construction sites across the UK ...
The financial sector has seen its fair share of discrimination cases and the trend continues. In Lacatus v Barclays Executive Services Limited the Employment Tribunal turned its mind to sexism. A female Analyst in the Rates Options Structured Trading Middle Office department brought a number of claims against the bank, including a sex discrimination and harassment claim centred around her line manager’s repeated use of the word “bird” to describe a woman ...
In this update, we’re looking at the hot topic of returning to the office post-pandemic. Q: What’s the direction of travel on working from home in financial services? While many industries have embraced hybrid working, financial services has generally been less enthusiastic about the idea of staff continuing to spend a significant proportion of their working time at home ...
We are seeing renewed interest in these types of structures – particularly from fund managers who have not previously targeted Shariah investors - as (i) sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and HNW individuals from the Middle East and South East Asia diversify into alternative assets like private equity (PE), and (ii) traditional or "western" managers look to expand into the Shariah market by establishing bespoke feeder or parallel funds in Guernsey which offer a Shariah complian
OSHA has released its long-awaited emergency rule requiring the COVID-19 vaccine or weekly testing for many employers. With compliance deadlines coming up, Bradley is here to help employers navigate this new rule to stay in compliance. While we monitor the outcome of judicial review of OSHA’s ETS, we suggest taking the following steps to prepare your workplace for compliance with the new vaccine or test mandate: Develop a policy. Educate employees ...
University of Strathclyde v. Clear-Vu Lighting LLC, Appeal No. 2021-2243 (Fed. Cir. Nov. 4, 2021) In this week’s Case of the Week, the Federal Circuit reversed an inter partes review decision finding claims directed to light-based disinfecting methods to be obvious over the prior art. This case provides a helpful example of how negative claim limitations can affect an obviousness determination ...
Increased public awareness of data protection regulations has sparked a rise in claims for damages associated with distress caused by data breaches. Many claims are made in response to serious breaches that have caused financial loss or significant distress, however organisations are increasingly receiving significant financial claims for relatively minor breaches ...
The FCA has updated its guidance on remote and hybrid working – firms (and applicants) need to ensure they are up to speed with the revisions. On 11 October 2021, the FCA published an update on its guidance to firms (and applicants) on remote and hybrid working models ...
The States of Guernsey has voted on what types of individual beliefs may benefit from legal protection from discrimination. The vote (by a majority of 20 to 16) concluded that the incoming anti-discrimination ordinance (the Ordinance) will provide protection from discrimination on the grounds of religious belief only. States' members rejected the proposition that the Ordinance should offer protection from discrimination on the grounds of non-religious philosophical beliefs ...
The Carey Olsen chapters provide analysis and commentary on blockchain and cryptocurrency regulation in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and Jersey ...
On Nov. 4, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) released a new Interim Final Rule (IFR) regarding staff vaccination at facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The IFR requires covered employers to ensure that staff receive their first dose no later than Dec. 5, 2021 and achieve full vaccination no later than Jan. 4, 2022. The vaccine rule that was also released on Nov ...
November 5, 2021 By: John Epperson The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published its much-anticipated Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) regarding COVID-19 vaccination and testing on November 5, 2021. The ETS went into effect immediately upon publication in the Federal Register with requirements phased in over 30 to 60 days ...
In association with Macmillan Davies and led by Employment Partner, Emma Morgan and Associate, Lauren Bholé, this webinar focused on the menopause in the workplace. With World Menopause Day having just passed (18 October 2021) and a parliamentary debate on the menopause having entered the House of Commons in September 2021, the menopause has been a focal point for media coverage ...
To mark Charity Fraud Awareness Week on 21 October Shoosmiths hosted a webinar with Jonathan Taylor, head of charities and care at Innovation Broking, entitled ‘Charity fraud and cybercrime: prevention and cure’. New figures show charities reported £8.6 million of lost funds in the last financial year and more than 1,000 incidents of fraud to Action Fraud, but the true scale of fraud against charities is believed to be much higher ...
Technological advancements coupled with a desire to reduce inefficiencies in the workplace, has led to an increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by employers, typically in recruitment and performance management. Data protection considerations However, employers need to be aware of their data protection obligations and great care is needed when contemplating the use of AI processes to make decisions without human involvement ...
In February 2012, the FATF published the revised FATF Recommendations (also known as the Standards). The Standards continue to develop to detect and prevent new money laundering and terrorist-financing techniques impacting the international financial system, such as misuse of virtual assets and COVID-19 related threats ...
A recent Fifth Circuit ruling suggests a softening of the SEC’s obligation to return disgorgement awards directly to victims, says Elisha Kobre, a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP. The issue is relevant because the Dodd-Frank Act created a specific fund to hold monetary sanctions collected by the SEC, including disgorgement amounts not directly distributed to victims or used in other specified ways, he explains. The U.S ...
On Nov. 4, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its highly anticipated emergency temporary standard (ETS) mandating employers of 100 or more employees to implement a COVID-19 vaccination or testing requirement. This standard implements the policy goals announced by the Biden administration in September ...
