Norway fully integrated the provisions of PSD2 and the Payment Accounts Directive into its legal system with the entry into force of the new Financial Agreements Act on January 1, 2023. The Norwegian Central Bank made significant strides in its exploration of digital central bank currency, completing the fourth phase of its initiative. This phase focused on testing and validating technical solutions, with findings reported on December 18, 2023, indicating successful outcomes ...
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 ...
Ownership of shares by companies usually results in tax being payable for dividends received or capital gains realised upon sale. However, in the UAE, the Corporate Tax law (Federal Decree No. 47 of 2022) ("CT Law") provides an exemption to Corporate Tax in a certain scenario referred to as the Participation Exemption. Article 23 of the CT Law states: "Participation Exemption" 1 ...
On the 1st of August 2023, Bill No. 63 entitled the Air Navigation Act (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”) was published in the Supplement to the Government Gazette. The proposed Act has reached the stage of the Third Reading and shall repeal the Civil Aviation (Air Operators’ Certificates) Act (Chapter 218 of the Laws of Malta), the Air Navigation Order (Subsidiary Legislation 499 ...
Changes to Stamp Duty, LTT & EPTT in Jersey Increase to the first-time buyer threshold The Law provides a welcome amendment to first time buyer stamp duty rates (and equivalent land taxes such as land transactions tax (LTT) in respect of share transfer properties and enveloped property transactions tax (EPTT)), with the maximum purchase price threshold for first-time buyers increasing from £500,000 to £700,000 ...
Introduction Block exemption regulations (BER) for liner shipping companies have been in place in one form or another since 1986, originally as «Conference» BER, and since 2008 as «Consortia» BER. With the discontinuation, the liner shipping segment joins other shipping segments as fully subject to the competition rules in the EU, including the prohibition against anti-competitive cooperation under Article 101 TFEU ...
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 ...
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
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 ...
It is highly documented that the transport sector is heavily male dominated. Indeed, reports suggest that while women account for 47% of the general UK workforce, within the transport sector women only account for 20% of the workforce and only 3% of HGV drivers in the UK. Many employers are aware of the work that needs to be done in this sector in terms of addressing and challenging behaviours, changing mindsets and creating inclusive cultures ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
On Monday 04 de December, Decree No. 164/2023 from the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security was published in the Official Gazette, approving the National Cybersecurity Policy that will be in force during the period 2023 - 2028, replacing the previous Policy, published on January 28, 2017, which was in effect between that same year and 2022 ...
SyCipLaw's Tax Department has prepared an international edition of its Tax Issues and Practical Solutions (T.I.P.S.) for the third quarter of 2023. Please read the full texthereor via thislink. The SyCipLaw T.I.P.S - International Edition covers the following tax issues: 1 ...
In the guide, Chambers notes that Simonsen Vogt Wiig is a highly respected firm in Norway with significant expertise in payments law. The firm acts for large banks and start-ups on corporate matters, regulatory compliance, data privacy and cryptocurrency issues. It has further capability in intellectual property and crowdfunding ...
Carey Olsen's FinTech practice ranked Band 1 in Chambers 2024 Guide Carey Olsen Bermuda has advanced two positions to secure its Band 1 ranking, just six years after the office opened. The team has been commended by clients as "really knowledgeable in Bermuda law and very responsive on time-sensitive matters" ...
What is a JPUT? A Jersey Property Unit Trust (JPUT) is a legal structure whereby legal ownership of assets (primarily non-Jersey real estate) is vested in one or more trustees who hold the assets on trust for the benefit of unitholders upon the terms of a written trust instrument. What are the benefits of a JPUT? JPUTs have many plus points: Familiarity: JPUTs are generally recognised and accepted by investors, lenders, advisers, regulators and tax authorities in the UK and elsewhere ...
