Earlier in the year, we reported on the government’s announcement of increases to visa and nationality fees. These increases to application fees came into force on 4 October 2023, other than the substantial increase to the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) which was expected to come ‘later in the autumn’ ...
October 23, 2023 By: Leah Lively and Alexandra Shulman This month, dozens of class action lawsuits have been filed in Washington, based on alleged violations of Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunity Act ...
In recent times, the financial market has been abuss with discussions about the potential benefits of real estate tokenisation. Several initiatives worldwide, such as Propchain in Dubai, Vave and Equisafe in France, Propellr, Inveniam Capital Partners, and Fluidity in the United States, as well as Elevated Returns in the United States and Thailand, have taken the bold step of launching tokenised real estate projects ...
A survey* published by the Dubai Statistics Center has called for input from the public in what appears to be research relating to the application of 'Common Law' in all free zones in Dubai. The survey is not about the use of 'Common Law' in a general sense. Instead, the Dubai government is focused on integrating DIFC laws and giving jurisdiction to the DIFC Courts for overseeing civil and commercial disputes within the free zones ...
For those considering such a move, there are various options open to them to make their relocation a reality: Residency Certificate for Persons of Independent Means Certificate of Permanent Residence for Persons of Independent Means Certificate of Direct Investment Residency Certificate (Substantial Business Presence) Residency Certificate for Persons of Independent Means A person can apply for a Residency Certificate for Persons of Independent Means ...
The unconstitutional nature of property devolving on the Government of Malta following the procedure to render a company defunct Introduction On 12 October 2023, the First Hall of the Civil Court in its Constitutional Jurisdiction delivered a landmark ruling in the case Carmel Cortis et vs. Office of the Prime Minister et ...
One of the most common questions I receive from clients is around the termination of leases, with confusion reigning around the terminology and procedures used in Scotland. It is not surprising that when given a remit to consider the law of commercial leases, the Scottish Law Commission (SLC) first turned its attention to the law relating to the termination of leases at expiry. In October 2022, following consultations, the SLC published its Report on Aspects of Leases: Termination ...
In a recent update to the suite of Homes England standard shared ownership leases, England’s Regulator of Social Housing sought to align rent reviews with social and affordable rent tenures. In the process, it may have created more work for sector participants ...
The Government of Jersey has published an update on the implementation of mandatory Energy Performance Certificates for Jersey in relation to commercial and residential property. The update confirms that the planned new legislation will establish a framework for Jersey Energy Performance Assessments (JEPA), which will be the Jersey equivalent to Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). This name change is to ensure that it is clear the Jersey assessments differ from those in the UK ...
The DIFC Courts have recently confirmed that Decision Notices issued by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) are not binding on the Court as findings of fact ...
The UAE recently enacted Federal Decree Law 15 of 2023 (theAmendment) making certain changes to the provisions of the law governing arbitration, Federal Law 6 of 2018 (theArbitration Law). These changes are consistent with the UAE’s forward-looking approach to arbitration. Some of the key amendments are highlighted below ...
In case 161/2022/LM, delivered on 11th October 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Industrial Tribunal, which found justifiable reasons for dismissal. Following the Tribunal’s conclusion that the grounds for dismissal presented by the defendant company were justified, and consequently, the dismissal was fair, the former employee contested this decision in front of the Court of Appeal ...
Last week, 49 state attorneys general announced a $49.5 million settlement with Blackbaud, Inc. (Blackbaud) over the software company’s data-security practices and its response to a breach in 2020 that exposed the personal information of millions of individuals. Blackbaud provides software solutions to nonprofit organizations, including charities, schools and healthcare agencies, to help them connect with donors and manage data about their constituencies ...
The Finnish government proposes significant changes to transfer taxation. Transfer tax is levied on the acquisition of shares and other securities and real property. The proposed changes may have significant effects to the taxation of M&A and real estate transactions. Some of the proposed changes will decrease the tax burden while some will result in increased tax liability. The most significant changes include: The general rate for securities (1 ...
Executive summary The Board overturned the Court of Appeal's decision, holding that an aggrieved shareholder who has agreed to have disputes amongst the shareholders resolved by way of arbitration, must first have such disputes that fall within the ambit of the arbitration agreement determined accordingly before the threshold question of whether the company should be wound up on just and equitable grounds to obtain alternative relief may be addressed ...
Following from the recent geopolitical developments in Ukraine, there has been a heightened interest in sanctions, specifically, those sanctions being imposed against Russia ...
Jersey contracts are not subject to a general duty of good faith and mere silence, without more, cannot amount to a misrepresentation. These were some of the key outcomes of the Royal Court's decision in Hard Rock Limited and Anor v HRCKY Limited [2023] JRC 169. What happened? In 1999, Hard Rock sold to HRCKY the franchise rights to run a Hard Rock Café in the Cayman Islands. The franchise was initially a lucrative operation ...
On 30 August 2023, the Beneficial Ownership Transparency Bill, 2023 (the Bill) was published, proposing several important changes to the beneficial ownership regime in the Cayman Islands. The Bill is intended to enhance the jurisdiction’s current beneficial ownership regime to ensure compliance with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force ...
Tucked away in the recent Ohio Budget Bill, House Bill 33, were statutory changes that expand and modernize the statutes related to physicians and other health care professionals licensed by the State Medical Board of Ohio (Board) ...
Residency status in a foreign country is a matter of vital importance for those seeking to settle and build a life in a new place. In El Salvador, understanding the grounds for cancellation of residency is essential for foreign residents, as any non-compliance can have significant legal repercussions. The legal framework that regulates residency status in El Salvador is mainly established in theSpecial Law on Migration and Foreigners and its respective Regulations ...
