Will the release of its digital currency be China’s next salvo in its bid for world domination?One of the biggest developments in global finance has recently occurred, but not enough people are talking about it. It features technology, money and a battle between global superpowers ...
As part of President Jokowi Widodo’s plan to issue “investment friendly” regulations, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (“MPW”) revoked MPW Regulation No. 09/PRT/M/2019 on Guidelines on Licensing Services for Foreign Construction Business Entities (“MPW Reg 9/2019”) on 18 November 2019 under MPW Regulation 17/PRT/M/2019 (“MPW Reg 17/2019”) ...
The fintech boom is changing rapidly both the way we work and how we conduct business. From managing our budgets and payments, to investments, insurance and obtaining loans and finance, fintech is steadily influencing everyday life. In a sector estimated to have attracted in excess of £2 billion in UK investment last year alone, Scotland hosts a thriving fintech community ...
In United States v. United States ex rel. Thrower, No. 18-16408, on November 14, a panel of the Ninth Circuit gave a skeptical reception to the Department of Justice (DOJ) argument that the district court’s denial of the government’s motion to dismiss a False Claims Act (FCA) qui tam complaint against Academy Mortgage Corporation (Academy) invaded the government’s “prosecutorial discretion ...
On November 1, 2019, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Liu v. Securities Exchange Commission, No. 18-1501. The Court will decide whether the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) may seek and obtain disgorgement from a defendant as equitable relief for a securities law violation. The outcome will have widespread implications for corporate and securities lawyers ...
To improve the effectiveness of integrated licensing in the financial services sector, the Financial Services Authority (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan–“OJK”) introduced an electronic licensing system to integrate all licensing in the financial services sector. OJK Regulation No. 26 / POJK.01 /2019 on Electronic Licensing within the Financial Services Sector (“POJK No. 26/2019”) came into effect on 28 October 2019 ...
Under a new proposed rule, certain required disclosures could be provided electronically to all retirement plan participants, including former employees and beneficiaries. On October 23, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a proposed rule intended to expand the use of internet technology to furnish ERISA-required disclosures to plan participants, and to reduce printing and mail expenses ...
Under a new proposed rule, certain required disclosures could be provided electronically to all retirement plan participants, including former employees and beneficiaries. On October 23, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a proposed rule intended to expand the use of internet technology to furnish ERISA-required disclosures to plan participants, and to reduce printing and mail expenses ...
phttps://www.huntonak.com/en/insights/looking-beyond-the-fines-accountability-in-light-of-ftc-consent-orders-iapp-perspectives ...
The dangers of workers developing silicosis amid the fabrication of engineered stone has become a topic heavily discussed in the news and elsewhere recently. Silicosis is a lung disease that develops from the exposure and inhalation of silica particles. On October 2, National Public Radio (“NPR”) aired a story entitled “Workers Are Falling Ill, Even Dying, After Making Kitchen Countertops ...
The era of cryptocurrencies has come: whilst they were initially used as a specific means of payment and as a source of investments other functions are now being explored, such as the possibility of cryptocurrencies being directly contributed to a company in the context of its incorporation ...
Over the past years, the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/ Head of the National Land Agency (“Minister”) has issued several regulations on location permits due to the progressive system established by the government for the efficiency of investments and licensing. After the Online Single Submission (“OSS”) system became applicable, the Minister issued Regulation No ...
The False Claims Act (“FCA”) is one of the most powerful anti-fraud weapons available to the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”). It permits treble damages and makes penalties available for each false claim the defendant submitted to a federal payor. The DOJ effectively deployed the FCA against mortgage lenders in the aftermath of the sub-prime lending crisis to obtain, in some cases, billion-dollar settlements ...
On November 6, 2019, the IRS announced in Notice 2019-59 cost of living adjustments to the qualified plan dollar limits for 2020. Below is a summary of the limits that are generally relevant for most retirement plans. Effective January 1, 2020: The elective deferral limit for 401(k), 403(b), and eligible 457(b) plans is increased from $19,000 to $19,500. The catch-up contribution limit for those age 50 or older is increased from $6,000 to $6,500 ...
Our partner, Felipe Moro, and our associate, Diego Lasagna, authored this year’s Thomson Reuter’s Practical Law guide about Banking Regulation in Chile, which provides, “a high level overview of the governance and supervision of banks, including legislation, regulatory bodies and the role of international standards, licensing, the rules on liquidity, foreign investment requirements, liquidation regimes and recent trends in the regulation of banks ...
After sending cryptocurrency enforcement letters in the summer of 2019, the IRS recently issued Revenue Ruling 2019-24 and an accompanying frequently asked questions (FAQs) with additional guidance on the taxation of cryptocurrency. The Revenue Ruling addresses the tax treatment of cryptocurrency "hard forks", where one version of the currency is split from its original ledger and a new version of the currency is created with a new ledger ...
Starting Nov. 1, 2019, employers in Illinois with at least 25 employees must comply with the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program Act (Secure Choice Program) or offer employees an employer-sponsored retirement plan ...
In 2013, Virginia Ginni Rometty - CEO of IBM, said “I would like you to think of big data as the next natural resource that can be to our era what steam, electricity and oil were for the Industrial Age." Probably, you have read or heard: Data is the new oil! Data is the new bacon! Data is the new currency! These analogies have become very popular because data is now considered one of the most important commodities ...
On May 19, 2016, the concept of a “Bankruptcy,” as the legal term was defined, ceased to exist under Panamanian law. Law 12 of 2016 (the “Insolvency Law”) entered into force on that date and introduced new proceedings into our legal system. These proceedings are referred to as Reorganization and Liquidation ...
On 6 August 2019, the Supreme Court (“SC”) issued Regulation No. 4 of 2019 (“SC Reg 4/2019”), amending the previous regulation, SC Regulation No. 2 of 2015 on the Procedure for the Resolution of Small Claims Lawsuit (“Previous Regulation”). SC Reg 4/2019 came into force on 20 August 2019. In general, SC Reg 4/2019 provides more optimal and effective regulation than the Previous Regulation ...
In LG-2018-161055 the Court of appeal, in a case regarding preliminary action, gave an elaborated assessment regarding under what conditions an employer can deprive an employee of his or her duties in the notice period. Introduction An employer only exceptionally has the right to deprive a dismissed employee of his or her duties within the period of notice. For this to be possible, there must be "particularly compelling reasons" ...
Introduction Pursuant to UAE Federal Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2019, Emirates Development Bank has been appointed to maintain the register of finance lease contracts created pursuant to UAE Federal Law No. 8 of 2018 on Finance Lease (the Finance Lease Law or the Law). Background The Finance Lease Law was promulgated in December 2018. This Law creates a register (the Register) pursuant to which “Finance Lease Contracts” shall be registered ...
In order to improve mortgage services to achieve among other targets, disclosure, punctuality, simplicity and affordability as well as to adapt them to the development of laws, technology and public needs, the government has issued Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/ Head of the National Land Agency (“MOA”) Regulation No ...
On September 23, 2019, the IRS published final regulations that amend the rules for hardship distributions from 401(k) and 403(b) plans. The regulations finalize the proposed regulations issued in November 2018 to implement statutory changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 intended to make it easier for plan participants to take hardship distributions ...