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’ ...
Examples of ESG investments include investments in businesses such as wind farms and solar power initiatives, or in companies that meet the investor’s ESG value criteria (for example, because they have in place policies to address climate change or to ensure ethical supply chain sourcing) ...
It’s the final countdown, with only one year to go before EU member states must transpose the EU’s new Network and Information Security 2 Directive (“NIS 2”) into national law. Key Dates EU Member States have until 17 October 2024 to transpose NIS 2 into national law and those national laws will apply to organisations as early as 18 October 2024. Enforcement is likely to start from 17 January 2025, in line with parallel legislation affecting financial services ...
October 18, 2023 By: Leah Lively California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed SB 525 into law, which amends the California Labor Code to set industry minimum wage requirements for nearly all healthcare workers, whether they are hourly or salaried employees, or independent contractors. The law also provides these workers with an independent private right of action to enforce these minimum wage requirements ...
The European Commission published a draft proposal for a revised Product Liability Directive (the “PLD Proposal”) on 28 September 2022, which aims to bring the European Union’s product liability regime ‘up to speed’ with the digital age, circular economy business models and global value chains. This blog focuses on the main changes the PLD Proposal brings and its impact on life science companies ...
The idea of achieving purpose alongside profit has been part of the business world for centuries, but the importance placed on it has reached new heights in recent years with an increased focus on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues, informed by a longer-term view that we cannot afford to pursue profit without consideration for people and our planet ...
We have previously commented on the impact environmental concerns are having on those working in the traditional energy sectors. In particular, the focus on renewable energy has left many oil and gas workers nervous about their job security and ability to find alternative work if they are made redundant. Thankfully, it appears those concerns might be unfounded ...
On October 8, 2023, theScientific and Technological Ethics Review Regulation (Trial)("Scientific and Technological Ethics Regulation") was jointly published by the China's Ministry of Science and Technology ("MOST"), the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and other seven (7) departments/institutions, which was followed by a press conference held next day by the MOST to respond to media inquiries ("Press Conference") ...
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is once again extending telemedicine prescribing flexibilities for controlled substances. On October 6, 2023, the DEA jointly with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a Second Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications (the “Second Extension”) ...
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 ...
Over the course of a century of oil and gas development in the U.S., a robust body of law developed, covering virtually every aspect of E&P and interpreting every provision in oil and gas leases, joint operating agreements and innumerable industry contracts. But with the rise of the energy transition, a new set of rules are needed to deal with unprecedented policy, new technology and different priorities ...
World Mental Health Day is marked every year on 10 October to raise awareness about mental health issues around the world and to mobilise initiatives to support and protect everyone’s mental health. This year’s theme ‘mental health is a universal human right’ serves as a reminder that good mental health shouldn’t be considered a luxury; it’s a fundamental aspect of our wellbeing ...
After a particularly active consultation round with approx. 140 consultation responses, together with the proposal for the national budget for 2024, the government presented a revised proposal today, 6 October 2023. The criticism from a relatively united renewables industry must be said to have fallen on relatively deaf ears and the proposal is essentially a continuation of the consultation proposal ...
It’s been an exhausting week for climate and transport policy. Whilst the controversy around the Conservatives’ self-declared “war on motorists” will rightly rage, there seems little doubt that the move to electrification of domestic vehicles is one which they accept is inevitable, and ideology aside, makes good financial sense ...
On September 28th, Law 21,614 of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security was published in the Official Gazette (hereinafter the “Law”), which establishes amendments to Law No.21,063, which Creates an Insurance for the Accompaniment of Children Suffering from Diseases as Indicated and Modifies the Labor Code for these purposes (hereinafter “SANNA Law”) ...
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) ...
2023 By Jarom B. Phipps, Esq. INTRODUCTION "Does it matter when an attorney completes the certificate of independent review for a gift to a care custodian in relation to when the dependent adult executes the transfer document? Getting the answer correct is important because a certificate that fails to comply with Probate Code section 21384 makes the donative transfer to the care custodian presumptively invalid ...
September 26, 2023 By: Carol K. Lucas Effective January 1, 2024, health care entities in California that propose to enter into “material change transactions” will be required to provide advance written notice to the California Office of Health Care Affordability (“OCHA”) ...
On September 7, 2023, the Center for Drug Evaluation (the "CDE") of the National Medical Products Administration (the"NMPA") released "Annual Report on Progress of Clinical Trials for New Drug Registration in China (2022)"(the"2022 Annual Report") ...
Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a settlement with L.A. Health Care Plan. With more than 2.7 million members, L.A. Care is the nation's largest publicly operated health plan, that offers Medicaid, Medicare and plans through the Affordable Care Act. Under the settlement, L.A. Care agreed to pay $1 ...
On September 8, 2023, the China National Center for Biotechnology Development (the "CNCBD"), a public institution under direct charge of the China's Ministry of Science and Technology (the "MOST"), released the"Notice on Issuing Answers for Frequently Asked Questions on Human Genetic Resource Administration"(the "Updated FAQs"), which summarized and responded to questions that are constantly raised among the relevant industry (the "Industry") ...
The new biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements are set to come into force from November 2023. This will legally mandate securing a minimum 10 per cent biodiversity net gain from new commercial and residential developments in England, with a few exceptions. While the requirements - part of the Environment Act 2021 – will have financial and operational implications, the real estate industry has had several years to prepare for BNG ...
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans upheld parts of a Texas District Court ruling by restricting the use of Mifepristone, while allowing Mifepristone to remain on the market.[1] This is the latest ruling in an ongoing legal battle that has left the future of abortion medications in a state of flux. Dinsmore previously discussed the original April 2023 ruling that led to the most recent development ...
Inflation Reduction Act Perhaps the most significant recent development in the area of alternative energy, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) offers approximately USD270 billion in tax incentives to help combat climate change ...
