The Supreme Court (“Hof van Cassatie/Court of Cassation”) overruled on 26 May 2023 a decision that determined that Article 1722 (old) Civil Code (a partial or total “destruction” of the leased premises) does not apply for the tenant that can not operate its premises due to the measures taken by the Belgian Government in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, because there was only a temporary impossibility and thus only a temporary loss of enjoyment ...
Krysta Gumbiner is a litigation partner at Dinsmore. She co-wrote this article for DRI's June issue of For The Defense. A surety may allow its bond principal to negotiate settlements with claimants after the surety has received a payment or performance bond claim ...
In Dubin v. United States, the Supreme Court gave a narrowing construction to a federal statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. This statute provides that whomever, “during and in relation to any [predicate offense], knowingly transfers, possesses, or uses, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person” is a guilty of a crime ...
On the 21st of April, Bill number 53 entitled the Arbiter for Financial Services (Amendment) Act (Chapter 555 of the Laws of Malta) was published among the Government Notices in the Supplement to the Government Gazette ...
In October 2022, the Virginia Supreme Court decided the case of Hawkins v. Town of South Hill (view the opinion here), which fundamentally alters 40 years of precedent in the Commonwealth concerning what is considered confidential and not subject to production in response to a Virginia Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) request. Earlier this month, the Circuit Court issued its decision on remand in light of the Virginia Supreme Court’s decision in Hawkins ...
Employers must be cautious in disciplining employees for offensive or abusive conduct directed at management in the workplace in light of standards recently reestablished by the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”). On May 1, 2023, via its supplemental decision in Lion Elastomers LLC, 372 NLRB No ...
As we have often discussed, the National Labor Relations Board under the Biden administration has prioritized expanding employees’ rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (the “Act”). Most recently, in GC Memo 23-08, the General Counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, argued that the “proffer, maintenance, and enforcement” of non-compete agreements violate the Act because they interfere with employees’ rights under Section 7 ...
While employers cannot police all employee conduct outside the workplace, employee interactions outside of work can – and do – impact the work environment. Indeed, under certain circumstances, inappropriate conduct by an employee outside the workplace may still subject an employer to liability. What constitutes actionable discrimination or harassment, triggering potential employer liability, is often a murky question ...
On July 1, 2023, laws that were passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Glenn Younkin become effective in Virginia. In the most recent legislative session, a number of new employment laws were passed applicable to Virginia employers. 1. HB1895 – Expansion of Prohibited Contractual Provisions in Cases of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Current Virginia law (Va. Code § 40.1-28 ...
On 14 June 2023, the European Parliament adopted its positionon the draft AI Act, which brings one step closer an EU regulation for generative AI and other AI systems. This blog gives the highlights of the current draft text, taking into account the newest amendments that have been proposed ...
As a part of Federal agencies’ issuance of their semi-annual Spring 2023 Regulatory Agenda, the CFPB has published its Spring 2023 Agency Rule List (“2023 List”). In that List, the CFPB has set forth the status of its present rulemaking activities and its plans for such activities in the next 6 months ...
Over the past few years, the United Arab Emirates has witnessed an increase in awareness and significance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. While businesses in the UAE have begun to acknowledge that conscious efforts towards ESG compliance is imperative for growth and longevity of their business, the question remains whether ESG compliance can truly be said to now form a part of the UAE compliance ecosystem ...
The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections (SO) to Google over abusive practices in online advertising technology. Uniquely it seems, the Commission has identified in the press release that to remedy the situation the Commission is of the preliminary view that divestment by Google is required. This would be the first example of a proposed break-up of a tech business by the EU under market dominance rules ...
The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) reinstated the test established in FedEx Home Delivery (FedEx II), lessening the requirements for a worker to be considered an employee and not an independent contractor. The decision in The Atlanta Opera, Inc., issued on June 13, 2023, overruled the 2019 SuperShuttle decision, opting to return to “common-law principles ...
On June 1, 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau along with Federal Reserve, OCC, FDIC, NCUA and FHFA (collectively, the “Agencies”) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on rules to implement quality control standards for automated valuation models (AVMs) used by residential mortgage originators and secondary market issuers in determining the collateral worth of a mortgage loan that is secured by a consumer’s principal dwelling ...
Net migration figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the year ending December 2022 show an increase on figures from the previous year. Taking a closer look into the categories of migration behind the net figures gives further insight as to why the target to reduce net migration figures are not being met. These figures show that total immigration into the United Kingdom for 2022 was in the region of 1.2 million with emigration counted at approximately 557,000 ...
June marks ‘Pride Month’ which celebrates how far LGBTQ+ rights have come whilst also highlighting the work that still needs to be done. We consider how allies and effective employee networks can assist in this supporting ongoing progress. Employee networks are voluntary, employee-led groups aimed at providing support, resources and a sense of community for employees who may share a common identity or experience ...
Fertility is not only a ‘women’s issue’ - the impact of infertility on men can be enormous, yet regularly goes unnoticed. In light of Men’s Health Week and Father’s Day, we look at improving support for men who are experiencing fertility issues. When it comes to infertility, research and support predominantly centres around the perspectives of women ...
The Procurement Bill has now had its third and final reading and has passed the Report Stage in the House of Commons. The House of Commons’ latest amendments that have been added to the Bill include the following: If a supplier or a connected person poses a threat to the national security of the UK, this would be a mandatory exclusion ground. This is a change from previous versions of the Bill which classed this exclusion ground as discretionary ...
