Shoosmiths’ Public Inquiries team is delighted to present a series of podcasts in respect of reflections and experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosted by Hayley Saunders and Alex Friston, we are delighted to be joined by a variety of speakers, each bringing something different to the table in relation to impacts, views and then thoughts towards the Public Inquiry, which is set to commence its first public hearings on 13 June ...
When you hear the word cyberattack you think of attacks on banks, large box stores, or medical facilities. You should add the construction industry to that list because it is the third most common target for cyberattacks. These types of attacks are only increasing because bad actors have created processes that have streamlined how they attack businesses. They like to attack the construction industry because large sums of money are being transferred in and out of bank accounts via wire transfers ...
Legislation in Florida may soon change the time property owners have to file construction-related lawsuits. Both the Florida Senate, with SB 360, and the House of Representatives, with HB 85, passed identical bills and recently converted them into an Act to be presented to the Governor. If signed into law, the Act would revise the lawsuit “triggering actions” in section 95 ...
The N.C. Building Code Council is required by North Carolina law to reevaluate the building code every six years. In light of climate change legislation enacted in North Carolina on the heels of Governor Cooper’s 2019 Clean Energy Plan, changes to the energy code are being considered that would result in an 18 percent increase in energy efficiency for new homes. These code changes are in line with the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code ...
Time is running out for developers that have not yet signed the Developer Remediation Contract. The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, delivered a clear message last week: “The Responsible Actors Scheme is coming. Only developers who behave responsibly will be trusted to build the homes of the future. Any eligible developers who fail to do the right thing will need to find a new line of work” ...
The South African Government's new Preferential Procurement Regulations, 2022 (“2022 Regulations”) have created uncertainty about how organs of state will identify "specific goals" in their procurement processes. While the regulations do not specifically require the consideration of B-BBEE, organs of state can still use it as a factor in preference point scoring, along with or instead of other goals like employment equity, green procurement, and local content and production ...
The Department of Health and Human Resources (“DHHR”) was West Virginia’s largest executive agency until the Legislature passed House Bill 2006 earlier this month. For several years now, West Virginia lawmakers have been looking into how to handle the enormous agency, improve its function and oversight, and improve the management of the wide range of health and social programs administered by the DHHR. With an annual budget topping $7 ...
On March 8, 2023, the Oregon Senate passed Senate Bill 592, which, if passed by the House and signed by the governor, would significantly increase the penalty amounts that the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) could impose on an employer for workplace safety violations. In addition, SB 592 would require Oregon OSHA to conduct comprehensive inspections of a workplace under specific circumstances, greatly expanding the number of inspections that an employer could face ...
The government has published its response to a further section of the building safety regime consultation, focusing on occupied higher-risk buildings (HRBs). The questions considered in this part of the consultation related to registration requirements for HRBs. More information about what the registration will actually entail is now available, as well as confirmation of the fee for registration, which will be £251 ...
Introduction Off-plan properties are those which are sold in advance of completion and can offer attractive payment plans and potentially high returns on investment. Therefore, the acquisition of off-plan property has always been a favored form of investment for those seeking to profit from the booming Dubai Real Estate market. However, it is vital for buyers to understand the risks involved ...
Prepare for another big shift in health care operations. On January 30, 2023, President Joe Biden announced he would not extend the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) beyond its current expiration date of May 11. The PHE was declared by former President Donald Trump in March of 2020 as COVID-19 began to spread around the nation. The waivers and other regulatory changes instituted in its wake have impacted nearly every facet of health care services ...
Reliance on performance guarantees in infrastructure projects has gained traction in Uganda in recent years. A performance guarantee is a legal promise made by one party to another, and typically backed by a third-party financial institution, to ensure fulfilment of contractual obligations ...
March 13, 2023 By: Manuel Fishman While unexpected, the closure by California regulators of, and the appointment of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) as receiver for, Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) is an event that is contemplated by most leases. If you are holding a letter of credit issued by SVB, you are an unsecured creditor of the bank ...
Figures from Homes for Scotland indicate that there is currently a shortage of almost 100,000 homes in Scotland. According to their most recent figures, 25,000 new homes are needed each year to keep pace with need and demand – and that figure was last met in 2007. Let those figures sink in ...
Chapter 8: Technical Barriers to Trade This chapter provides rules to facilitate trade by eliminating unnecessary technical barriers, improving transparency, and promoting greater regulatory cooperation. It applies to the elaboration, approval and application of technical regulations, standards, conformity assessment procedures and trade authorization for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and medical devices ...
Recent months have seen sustained industrial action in the rail sector. On 20 February 2023, the government launched a 12-week consultation on setting minimum service levels for passenger rail. Unlike in many European countries, there are currently no limits in the UK on the number of employees who are able to take part in strike action together ...
The Health and Safety Executive has confirmed that all higher-risk buildings will be required to be registered with the new Building Safety Regulator from April 2023. This follows the government’s latest response to its consultation on the management of higher-risk buildings and what information must be submitted following the registration of higher-risk buildings. The registration application will need to be accompanied by supporting information ...
Dear Readers, ALRUD Regulatory practice has prepared a new version of our regulatory Guides. This Guide is devoted to an overview of key changes and trends that took place in 2022. The review was published with the participation of ALRUD experts - Maxim Alekseev, Senior Partner and Head of ALRUD Regulatory practice,Dina Kravchenko, Senior Associate, andBoris Pribylov, Senior Associate. Follow the link below to learn more ...
Nearly 106,000 Americans are currently on waiting lists for donor organs and 17 die each day while waiting. The holy grail for rising to meet this demand and end this suffering will be the ability to “print” the organs, muscles, and tissues from individually grown cells, lowering the need for human donors and the complicated and sometimes unbearable stress that goes along with donor wait lines ...
On February 20 of this year, the Public Health Institute (hereinafter "ISP"), approved through Exempt Resolution No. 401/23 the technical guide for the sanitary registration of allergens with the purpose of establishing the guidelines and requirements for the sanitary registration of these products (the "Guide") ...
On February 20 of this year, the Public Health Institute (hereinafter "ISP"), approved through Exempt Resolution No. 405/23 the technical guide on homeopathic products with the purpose of providing the guidelines and requirements for the request of the sanitary registration of these pharmaceutical products in order to provide complete and updated information that supports the quality, safety and efficacy of these products (the "Guide") ...
The implementation of the Building Safety Act 2022 (‘the Act’), aimed to reform building safety legislation following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, is now well underway. The requirements set out in the Act will affect everyone in the built environment industry, and not just in respect of higher-risk buildings ...
