In its discretionary funding request for fiscal year (FY) 2022, the Biden administration is seeking an additional $1.2 billion for the IRS – a 10.4% increase over FY 2021. $900 million of the increase will be earmarked for compliance. The additional funding in the White House proposal would enable the IRS to “increase oversight of high-income and corporate tax returns,” according to a statement issued by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ...
It is only seven months until the eyes of the world fall on Glasgow as it hosts COP 26. The conference comes with some terminology which might be unfamiliar. This article is designed to bring you quickly up to speed with the words and phrases you’ll be hearing a lot about in the coming months. The very basics... COP – ‘Conference of the Parties’, the parties being the 197 signatories to the UNFCCC treaty ...
It is only seven months until the eyes of the world fall on Glasgow as it hosts COP26. The conference comes with some terminology which might be unfamiliar. This article is designed to bring you quickly up to speed with the words and phrases you’ll be hearing a lot about in the coming months. The very basics... COP – ‘Conference of the Parties’, the parties being the 197 signatories to the UNFCCC treaty ...
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 ...
In its highly anticipated judgment, the majority of the Supreme Court of Canada found the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act constitutional in a split 6-3 decision. The key issue before the court was whether the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (“GGPPA”) was constitutional. The majority decided that it was, because Parliament has jurisdiction to enact this law as a matter of national concern ...
Those in the CBD sector should be mindful of their marketing tactics, as the FDA continues to police the industry. Manufacturers of CBD products must also evaluate their quality-control procedures to ensure safe products are hitting the marketplace. As we forecasted this past December in a previous legal alert, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to referee the emerging cannabidiol (CBD) product market ...
As of today, March 31, 2021, no longer may public bodies take advantage of the “any reason” remote meeting provisions of the Open Meetings Act. When the Legislature extended the circumstances under which public bodies could meet remotely, it provided for limited circumstances after the “any reason” provision sunsets ...
No one can escape the basic rules of contracting, even the federal government. If the contract is clear and unambiguous, then the four corners of the agreement set the rules for the project and the parties – and there’s not much room for interpretation. The government was recently reminded of this cold, hard truth after it refused to grant a contractor an equitable adjustment of the contract price for purchasing wetland mitigation credits. In Kiewit Infrastructure W. Co. v ...
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, in BGT Holdings LLC v. United States, recently held that the government does not have the discretion to deny a contractor’s request for equitable adjustment (REA) under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.245-1 (Government Property) where the conditions specified in that clause are present and the contractor is able to show financial loss ...
In a December 2020 opinion, the United States Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (the “Board”) reviewed and reversed a Federal Highway Administration (“FHWA”) Contracting Officer’s (“CO”) decision to terminate for default Eagle Peak Rock & Paving, Inc.’s thirty-six million dollar contract (the “Contract”) for work on a project in Yellowstone National Park (the “Project”) ...
What does 2021 hold for investors in Australian renewables? We ask 100 Australian and overseas investors in the renewable energy sector for their insights. We compare our findings today to those from 2019. This report explores the current trends shaping the Australian renewable energy market, in addition to the main drivers behind deals, opportunity sectors and challenges facing investors ...
UAE Federal Decree Law 19 of 2020 Regarding Trusts (the UAE Trusts Law) was issued in September of 2020. As there was no comparable law previously, the UAE Trusts Law opened the door to trusts in the UAE for the first time (not including DIFC and ADGM trusts, the UAE’s two financial free zones). This is a potentially significant development that holds great promise, although some key questions remain ...
Since the consultation document on Proposed Security of Payment Legislation (SOPL) for the Construction Industry in June 2015 and the report of the consultation in April 2016, the SOPL Bill has yet to be put before the Legislative Council for consideration. The Government released a draft Technical Circular on the Implementation of the Spirit of Security of Payment Legislation in Public Works Contracts (Draft Circular) and a reference document in mid-March 2021 ...
The Charity Commission focuses on charities meeting “public expectation”, but they also need to remain true to their stated purpose, even when doing so may prove controversial. A report on our colonial past The National Trust has acted in accordance with its charitable objects. This shouldn’t be headline news, but it has been for the last six months ...
The new American Rescue Plan Act[1] (ARPA) as signed into law earlier this month provides for $1.9 trillion in economic stimulus, supplementing last year’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act[2] and its $2.2 trillion allocation, both undertaken in response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States ...
The government’s recently announced low-carbon industrial sector strategy, supported by over £1 billion in funding to cut emissions from industry and public buildings, if nothing else, shows great ambition but does it also deliver the wherewithal to achieve those objectives? It builds on the proposals in the Energy White Paper which themselves expanded upon the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution announced by Prime Minister in November last year ...
On March 17th, 2021, through the publication of General Ruling No. 96/2021 in the Official Gazette, the National Institute of Industrial Property (“INAPI”) provided new instructions in relation to the filing and payment of renewal applications of trademark registrations in Chile, applying the regulations set forth in the Trademark Law Treaty (“TLT”), which was ratified by Chile and is in force since 2012. By virtue of General Ruling No ...
On March 18, 2021, the Financial Market Commission (“FMC”) opened a public consultation process regarding 2 regulations: Amendment to the files that configure the report of financial system debtors The proposed regulatory changes, applicable to banks, supervised cooperatives and bank support companies (sociedades de apoyo al giro), aim to reduce the frequency of the delivery of the files D10 (Information on debtors article 14 LGB (General Banking Act)) and D27 (Obligations
As competition for project siting increases, so do the challenges of development due diligence. This webinar will address significant issues and questions surrounding real estate contracts, title insurance, and environmental assessment and permitting common in solar PV project development. Bradley’s renewable energy attorneys will share advice and experience managing key development challenges and environmental compliance concerns presented by solar PV project development ...
(Antelope Valley Groundwater Cases, JCCP No. 4408 (3/16/21))[1] After twenty-two years, the protracted proceedings in the Antelope Valley groundwater adjudication resulted in a settlement and court-approved "physical solution." A physical solution equitably allocates available water under California's laws governing water rights. The physical solution in Antelope Valley limited pumping to balance the overdrafted aquifer with the available native safe yield ...
In EBSA Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01, the Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a critical interpretation of prior guidance that extended certain deadlines for employee benefit plans, participants, and beneficiaries due to COVID-19. We discussed the original guidance in this prior article ...
If you are responsible for handling data subject requests made pursuant to the EU General Data Protection Regulation or verified consumer requests made pursuant to the California Consumer Privacy Act, chances are you have come across one or more of the myriad companies that purport to be advocating for consumers in making requests on their behalf. These companies include Mine, Privacy Bee, DeleteMe and Revoke ...
On March 22, 2021, through a televised address, the President of the Republic announced the strengthening and extension of the Social Protection Network, destined to mitigate the adverse effects caused by the restrictions due to the COVID-19. These measures are based on 5 pillars: • Greater protection to the families’ incomes. • Strengthening of the middle-class support. • Greater job protection ...
