The EU published a report on 18 April 2024, ‘Much More than a Market’.1 The reasons behind the call for the report are the EU’s concerns that just over 30 years after its creation there are important aspects of the Single Market that are not complete, and that the world is very different to what it was 30 years ago ...
The reception, hosted by Lord Borwick, focussed on how to operationalise the Automated Vehicles Bill (AV Bill), and realise its full potential, now that it is expected to receive Royal Assent and become law later this year. Despite the swift movement through Parliament of this landmark legislation - aimed at establishing a legal framework for the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles - the UK remains at the beginning of its regulatory journey ...
Early last week, the UAE experienced its most severe rainfall in the past 75 years. A large number of homes and business premises across the UAE suffered damage from the effects of the rain or floods, including the many motor vehicles that were stalled or otherwise impaired ...
On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) held a public hearing where members voted 3-2 to adopt a final rule effectively banning employers from enforcing non-compete clauses against employees with very limited exceptions. This rule, which is largely similar to the proposed rule first announced by the Commission in January of 2023, imposes a “comprehensive ban on new non-competes with all workers ...
As noted in our May 3, 2023 and August 14, 2023 client alerts, Congress enacted the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) in late 2022, expanding protections for pregnant workers. Pursuant to the Act, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was directed to make rules to implement the statute. On April 15, 2024, the EEOC issued its final rule and interpretive guidance, which will go into effect on June 18, 2024 ...
Carey Olsen advises Cuscaden Peak Investments on S$1.7 billion sale of student housing The acquisition brings Mapletree's housing portfolio to 33,000 beds across 47 cities in the UK, the US, Germany and Canada, and makes the Singapore-based real estate investor one of the largest owners of student housing in the UK ...
Do social media users have a fair choice between giving up their privacy and paying a subscription fee? The European Data Protection Board has given its opinion on what’s fair for large platforms in the latest shake up of personalised online advertising. When it comes to justifying processing personal data for targeted advertising under EU data protection laws, Meta (along with other online platforms) has been feeling the squeeze ...
On April 19, 2024, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered its decision in Société des casinos du Québec inc. v. Association des cadres de la Société des casinos du Québec, marking the end of an almost 15 year-long debate on the freedom of association of managers and their exclusion under the Labour Code ...
Earlier this month, the UK Joint Taskforce (UKJT) formally launched the Legal Statement on Digital Assets and English Insolvency Law. The statement aims to provide clarity to critical legal questions regarding how digital assets are treated in any insolvency. Shoosmiths contributed towards the consultation for this legal statement through the Crypto Fraud and Asset Recovery network ...
In the latest update to Kentucky’s Medical Cannabis Program (the “Program”), Governor Andy Beshear signed House Bill 829 which moved up the timeline to apply for cannabis business licenses by six months. Additionally, two emergency regulations were issued by the Program that explain how to apply for a cannabis business license ...
On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) published its final rule increasing salary threshold amounts required for certain employees to be exempt from federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) overtime requirements. The new rule is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2024. Based on DOL estimates, the rule will expand overtime protection to cover more than 4 million additional workers within the first year ...
By: Leah Lively and Alexandra Shulman On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced a final rule, “Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional (EAP), Outside Sales and Computer Employees,” increasing the salary threshold for an employee to qualify for exempt status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The final rule takes effect on July 1, 2024 ...
On Monday, April 1st, 2024, the Chilean Government introduced in the Chamber of Deputies a bill which aims, on one hand, to establish regulations to facilitate and promote the transfer of technology and knowledge and, on the other, to enable and stimulate the creation and development of science and technology-based companies (“EBCT”) from higher education institutions ...
The 2023 Federal Budget (the ?Budget?), tabled on March 28, 2023, proposes amendments to certain provisions of the Income Tax Act (ITA) that would make ?genuine? intergenerational business transfers no longer subject to the anti-avoidance rules of section 84.1 and allow the transferor to benefit from their capital gains exemption ...
The Presidential Administration has not approved amendments to the second reading of the draft law on turnover fines for personal data (“PD”) leaks Despite the positive review of the draft law from the Government Commission, the State Legal Department of the President has prepared a ****negative review**** of the draft law on ****turnover fines**** for businesses for ****PD leaks**** ...
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has submitted its final version of enforcement guidance on workplace harassment. We previously reported on the new guidance when it was proposed in early October of 2023. This is the first time the EEOC has updated its workplace harassment guidance since 1999. Some of the new topics addressed include remote work, the #MeToo movement and the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia ...
Between September 2021 and May 2022, the words 'stress', 'mental health' and 'depression' appeared in more than 12,000 early conciliation or employment tribunal cases , demonstrating the prevalence of this subject matter in employment-related disputes. Today, more than ever, employers are expected to afford greater consideration to workplace conditions that do or could impact upon employees’ mental health ...
Bank Accounts were reinstated after Bank failed to give justified reasons for termination under AML/CFT obligations. 1. Facts of the Case APS Bank p.l.c ...
By: Sarah Andrzejczak On April 29, 2024, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued new enforcement guidance on workplace harassment in a step toward fostering a more inclusive workplace environment. This guidance serves as a crucial resource for employers striving to uphold fairness and equality for all employees, irrespective of gender identity. The new guidance builds on the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v ...
In July 2023, the World Seafood Center opened its new facility at Oslo Airport, the world’s largest refrigerated terminal for handling of fresh seafood. Large quantities of seafood are being exported from Norway every day from this terminal ...
Law No. 21.398 "Pro-Consumer", which was published on December 24th, 2021, incorporated the current Article 17 N of the Consumer Protection Act. This article establishes that, before entering a credit transaction, suppliers must analyze the economic solvency of the consumer in order to comply with the obligations arising therefrom ...
Greenwashing is a form of marketing that misrepresents a product, service or practice as having positive environmental effects,1 thereby misleading consumers and preventing them from making an informed purchasing decision.2 Several initiatives have been launched around the world to counter this practice. In California, a law requires business entities to disclose information in support of environmental claims ...
