On November 15, 2024, the U.S. Trademark Office issued a final rule that will not only cost trademark owners more in 2025, but also change the way applications are filed going forward. The new rules and fees are set to go into effect on January 18, 2025, (except for the new Section 66 filing fee, which does not go into effect until February 18, 2025). In this alert, we share the three things you need to know, along with responsive strategies to implement right away ...
When must controllers respond to DSARs with more than just a copy of personal data? Is it enough to point to a privacy notice to satisfy the extra GDPR requirements? UK and EU courts are increasingly saying that it's not enough. Handling data subject access requests (DSARs) is an ongoing compliance burden for many organisations. In this series, we consider how different strategies can cut the task down to size ...
The question of who bears the loss suffered as a result of a business email compromise was answered by the Western Cape division of the High Court in the recent judgment ofGripper & Company (Pty) Ltd v Ganedhi Trading Enterprises CC. Background Facts Gripper & Company (Pty) Limited (“Gripper”) and Ganedhi Trading Enterprises CC (“Ganedhi”) have been dealing with each other since 2014 ...
Businesses involved in, or contemplating litigation are advised to give serious consideration to ADR from the outset of a dispute as well as during the lifecycle of a claim. For those parties who relish their day in Court and pay lip service to alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”), the recent amendments to the Civil Procedure Rules (“CPR”) will make life harder for those parties as the Courts now have the power to order parties to engage in ADR ...
The domestic implementation of NIS2 continues to advance at pace. In this note, we outline Italy’s formal adoption of NIS2, highlight the key dates you need to know for registration, compliance and enforcement. For further information about NIS2, including sector-specific guidance, please visit our Resiliency page ...
The Krogerus Data Symposium 2024 brought together hundreds of data and AI experts on 23 October at Lasipalatsi to discuss the upcoming changes brought by the Data Act and the AI Act. This year, the programme highlighted both the practical challenges and opportunities that technological advancements and the EU legislator's responses to them will present to companies' operations ...
In October of 2024, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”) announced it had received two Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) requests to disclose EEO-1 Type 2 Consolidated Report data, which is filed annually by prime federal government contractors and first tier sub-contractors. The Type 2 report is one of the annual filings required for multiple-establishment covered contractors. The report includes demographic data for all U.S ...
On October 11, 2024, the United States Department of Defense (DOD) published a final rule implementing its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program, which is designed to verify that defense contractors are adequately protecting sensitive information from cybersecurity threats. The CMMC applies to contractors who process, store, or transmit Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or Federal Contract Information (FCI), which is most DOD contractors ...
Resolutions and meetings of Guernsey Companies The articles of incorporation (the “Articles”) of a company must always be checked for specific requirements relating to general meetings. Note, however, that in certain circumstances the Articles may be overridden by The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended) (the “Law”), which provides for certain basic shareholder protections in specific circumstances ...
By: Ruben Gotlieb, Esq. As many of you know by now, Donald Trump has won a second term as president. Additionally, Republicans in the U.S. Senate will have a small majority in Congress. It is still uncertain who will hold a majority in the House of Representatives. What does this mean for tax legislation set to expire, or “sunset,” at the end of 2025? To pass a permanent tax law, a majority of at least 60 senators is needed. Without this, the law can only last for 10 years ...
The Belgian takeover market is currently undergoing a full transformation. Three experts from the independent law firm, ALTIUS, share their insights about the new dynamics in the field of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). “We see clear links with restructurings, bankruptcies, and the evolution of the real estate market.” The new dynamics currently driving the takeover market in our country are the result of various factors ...
Integrating AI tools at work is not without danger. Three experts from the independent Belgian law firm, ALTIUS, explain how companies should best guard against ethical risks, data protection, intellectual property rights, and trade secrets. “It is essential that organisations teach their people to work with AI safely and responsibly ...
****Dear Ladies and Gentlemen!**** Since 2022 restrictions are imposed with respect to transactions with persons from “unfriendly” countries in the Russian Federation. Thus, for a certain number of transactions/operations (i.e. issuance/repayment of loans, execution of financial instruments, distribution of dividends/profits etc ...
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has approved a new credentialing organization for certain healthcare workers for immigration purposes. USCIS approved the application from International Education Evaluations, LLC (IEE), which went into effect October 25, 2024 ...
Our readers may recall our column in this magazine last Fall involving a SALT malpractice suit filed against a North Carolina CPA firm by its former client, Vista Horticulture, Inc. d/b/a Eden Brothers. If you or your spouse are gardeners, you may know the company as an online seller of flower bulbs and seeds, etc. to customers all over the country ...
SyCipLaw Partner and Head of Intellectual Property Department Vida M. Panganiban-Alindogan authored the Philippine chapter of the newly released International Comparative Legal Guide (ICLG) - Copyright Laws and Regulations 2025. Spanning 17 jurisdictions, the guide explores common issues in copyright laws and regulations, including copyright subsistence, ownership, exploitation, owners' rights, copyright enforcement, and criminal offenses ...
The FCA has published the results of its culture and non financial misconduct survey. Here are some points to note. Key facts: The FCA surveyed regulated wholesale financial services firms asking questions about incidences of non-financial misconduct and the firm’s policies and procedures relating to firms’ culture ...
Abstract “[I]t is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.” 4 William Blackstone, Commentaries *358. “[I]t is better that ten innocent men suffer than that one guilty man escape.” Otto von Bismarck, Germany’s first chancellor, quoted in John W. Wade, Uniform Comparative Fault Act, 14 Forum 379, 385 (1979). Punishing the innocent is considered an “error” that the legal system must minimize ...
This is a meaningful Budget for the affordable housing sector, with positive signs that housing, particularly affordable housing, is being prioritised by the government. This reflects a recognition of how crucial community building is for social cohesion and the economy. As highlighted in the Radix Big Tent Housing Commission’s recommendations last week, a prompt rent settlement is essential for the affordable housing sector and for Registered Providers ...
Here's a refresher: Discriminating against a subclass of a sex — e.g., older women or black women — may still be discrimination. In a Sept. 19 opinion in McCreight v. AuburnBank, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit clarified a few things for the summary judgment standard and provided a good refresher on "sex-plus" discrimination, or discrimination based on a subclass of sex ...
Hark! A recent Alabama Supreme Court indemnity decision, Mobile Infirmary Association v. Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, may require you to retrieve your drafting pen. Although not a case involving a construction dispute, Mobile Infirmary does address a key component of risk shifting in construction contracts — the indemnity clause ...
If you find yourself at risk of personal liability as a director in respect of a company's affairs then it is vital that you seek urgent legal advice to mitigate your loss. As a general rule, any claims for wrongdoings committed by the company should be brought against the company as it is recognised as a distinct legal entity and is therefore separate from its shareholders and directors. However, this protection is not absolute ...
Background In January 2022, the Hordaland District Court issued a decision that authorised the Competition Authority to conduct a dawn raid and seize evidence at Kommunal Landspensjonskasse Mutual Insurance Company (“KLP”). The dawn raid was carried out in February 2022. The seizure included, among other things, electronic material produced by KLP’s in-house lawyers ...
By: Matthew Ginder, Esq. As the general election approaches in November, Florida voters will have the opportunity to decide on the state’s adult-use marijuana initiative identified on the ballot as Amendment 3. In the most expensive state marijuana legalization effort to date, there have been various narratives about Amendment 3. This blog is intended to clarify important aspects of Amendment 3 ...
Guidance published this month by the UK Government is designed to support firms in the UK financial sector to share customer information more easily in the pursuit of the prevention and detection of economic crime. Key facts: The UK Government has issued guidance for anti-money laundering regulated firms on the voluntary information sharing measures contained in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (the “Act”) ...
