By: Daniel Silva, Sanjay Bhandari, and Manisha Malhotra The Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) emerged as a lifeline for small businesses grappling with the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lenders navigated a landscape of regulations that Congress quickly drafted in response to the pandemic. These regulations and obligations evolved, subtly yet materially, from the first and second rounds of PPP “draws ...
On 9 December 2023 the European Parliament and the Council managed to reach a provisional agreement regarding the AI Act, which is expected to be adopted early 2024. Within two years from adoption the AI Act will apply to all businesses introducing or using AI in the EU. Given this timeline, EU businesses should already be planning and adjusting their strategies to comply with the new AI regulation ...
On November 17, 2023, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law Senate Bill 4516, amending General Obligation Law Section 5-336 (GOL 5-336). As set forth in our earlier alert from when the law was first enacted, Section 5-336 limited employers’ use of nondisclosure provisions in agreements releasing claims involving sexual harassment ...
The U.S. Department of State has released details on a proposed pilot program testing the agency’s ability to resume domestic visa renewals for certain nonimmigrant visa categories and to study the effect the program has on reducing visa wait times worldwide. The program will begin on January 29, 2024 and end on April 1, 2024 ...
On 18 January 2019, the Supreme People's Court and the Department of Justice of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region jointly signed theArrangement on Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters between the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region(the "New Arrangement"). In Hong Kong, the New Arrangement was meant to be implemented via local legislation ...
On December 21st, 2023, the Chilean Congress approved the bill that modifies Law No. 21,420, which amended the Mining Code as of January 1st, 2024; the Mining Code; the Constitutional Organic Law on Mining Concessions; and the law that creates the National Geology and Mining Service (the “Bill”). Main amendments introduced by the Bill 1 ...
On December 15, 2023, the Financial Market Commission (“CMF”) published for public consultation a regulatory proposal that will complement the proposed implementation regulation (the “Original Proposal”) of Law No. 21,521 (“Fintech Law”) ...
A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE (AMENDMENT) ACT 2023 INTRODUCTION The Evidence Act (Amendment) Act 2023 (the Amended Act) was signed into Law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the 12th day of June 2023. The Amended Act was aimed at amending the provisions of the Evidence Act 2011 (the Principal Act) to be in conformity with global technological advancements in evidence taking and its applicability covers all judicial proceedings before Courts in Nigeria ...
THE BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REGISTER: IMPLEMENTING THE FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE’S RECOMMENDATIONS ON MONEY LAUNDERING AND TERRORISM FINANCING IN NIGERIA INTRODUCTION Section 119 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (“CAMA”) 2020, in conjunction with the Persons with Significant Control Regulations (“PSC Regulations”) 2022, requires companies, Limited Liability Partnerships (“LLPs”), and by extension, foreign exempted companies under
Introduction The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (“MARPOL” or the “Convention”) was promoted by the International Maritime Organisation (“IMO”). It was adopted on the 2nd of November 1973 to tackle the menace of marine pollution by oil, chemicals, and other hazardous materials from ships through operational or accidental causes ...
In the current complex geopolitical environment, Chinese science and technology enterprises are facing unprecedented challenges when going global. On one hand, China has to cope with concerns and restrictions imposed by various countries in terms of export control in multiple technology areas. On the other hand, there is an urgent demand for actively seeking technology export and rapidly converting long-accumulated technological advantages into economic value ...
Renewable energy projects affecting the environment, such as wind and solar projects, currently require multiple permits from different authorities, which may make the permitting processes rather burdensome and unpredictable. To tackle this, the government is looking to streamline and standardize the permitting process by developing a "one stop shop" in order to boost new investments in Finland and make the processes more predictable ...
Recent changes to Ohio law have licensed health care professionals asking themselves when was the last time they confirmed or updated their email address, and other contact information, with agencies like the State Medical Board of Ohio, the Ohio Board of Nursing or the Board of Pharmacy? The impetus for such reflection is that Ohio licensing agencies may now serve significant legal documents exclusively through email, or a last-known fax number, as opposed to registered or certified mail thro
The government has produced draft regulations which will make further changes to holiday laws in Great Britain. We look at what is planned and what it means for employers. The government has been reviewing which European Union laws to retain and has taken that opportunity to consult about changes to holiday pay, resulting in the publication of draft regulations. We look at what is planned and what it means for employers ...
The UK is home to some of the most innovative and cutting-edge startups in the world, especially in fields like AI, semiconductors and quantum computing. These startups have the potential to transform various industries and sectors, from healthcare to finance to defence ...
Module 6 of the UK’s Covid-19 Public Inquiry opened on 12 December 2023, with public hearings set to begin in Spring 2025. This article explores what Module 6 will examine and explains how and why members of the Care Sector may want to become involved ...
Last week, Shoosmiths hosted an event by The Fashion Network titled ‘AI in Fashion Retail: Mastering the Future of the Style business’. During this event we heard from fashion industry leaders on how the retail sector is seeking to revolutionise their businesses using cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technologies ...
We’re entering the season of giving. Over the coming weeks, Americans across the nation will gather with family and friends to celebrate the holidays and give selflessly to the people and causes they love. Unfortunately, the Biden administration might be embracing the giving spirit a little too much. Federal officials may soon decide to give away key domestic assets — American intellectual property (IP) — to our rivals ...
There was considerable anticipation regarding whether the negotiations would be successfully concluded during this meeting. Without an agreement, there was a risk of significant delays in the adoption of the framework. This was undesirable for EU institutions that have invested considerable prestige in leading the regulation of AI globally. Read more about the most contentious issues leading up to the last negotiation meeting in this article ...
On June 2, 2021, the Québec government reduced the administrative burden relating to international publicity contests by excluding them from the jurisdiction of the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (the ?Régie?). It has now followed suit with all types of publicity contests launched on or after October 27, 20231 ...
Shoosmiths’ AI lead and partner Alex Kirkhope attended the Data Ethics Summit, focused on exploring the fundamental principles of ethical technology, the agenda evolved to delve into the practical applications of ethics, spanning from private sector strategies to policy and regulatory development, many of which are now being put into practice ...
