Known worldwide for its robust shipping registry, trusts, funds, and corporate law sectors, the British Virgin Islands is emerging as a globally competitive jurisdiction for registering and protecting intellectual property, thanks to the enactment of the highly anticipated Trade Mark Act, 2013. The Act, which clarifies, protects, and streamlines the trademark processes, institutes beneficial legal proceedings and conditions for the welfare of intellectual and industrial properties in the BVI ...
Microbusinesses are a growing, vibrant, and profitable economic segment throughout the world. Such enterprises provide flexibility for individuals to operate on their terms, according to their skills and passions. Microbusinesses generally are defined by modest annual sales and asset values and fewer than five to ten employees, including the owner, but varies by jurisdiction ...
British Virgin Islands (BVI) companies are commonly used in the UAE by investors to hold real estate properties and/or shares in UAE companies. Investors need to be aware of a recently enacted BVI law, the Economic Substance (Companies and Limited Partnerships) Act, 2018 (the Law), which introduces economic substance requirements in the BVI ...
Back in February 2023, The British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) revised and relaunched its model documents for early-stage investments. The model documents are widely used throughout the growth company ecosystem in the UK and provide a basis for the constitutional arrangements of most privately held businesses backed by institutional growth capital at all stages - from seed to pre-IPO ...
Overview There is no sell-out right in the 2008 Law for minority shareholders to be bought out. However, the constitutional documents of the target Guernsey Company (the “Target Company”) may provide additional rights to minority shareholders. From 1 July 2009, a provision to appoint a body to regulate takeovers and mergers in Guernsey was introduced to the 2008 Law, under the Companies (Panel on Takeovers and Mergers) Ordinance, 2009 (the “Takeover Panel”) ...
On October 3, 2018, the IRS issued guidance for employers on how to claim tax deductions for business meals this year. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, ("TCJA") business expenses for "entertainment" are no longer deductible, effective for 2018. However, the TCJA did not modify the separate 50% deduction for expenses for business meals, which left employers wondering how to distinguish a business meal from entertainment ...
Effective May 9, 2022, Native tribes, workers, and businesses may face fewer hurdles when competing for federal construction projects due to several revisions the Department of the Interior has published to its Department of the Interior Acquisition Regulations (DIAR), codified at 48 CFR parts 1401-1499, to better comply with the Buy Indian Act and policies from the Biden Administration ...
Numerous sectors of the economy have been paralysed. The problem is not just closings or restricted access to arange of services, but also absence of staff due to illness, quarantine or childcare. Consequently, businesses cannot operate normally or perform their obligations on time. Alack of supplies by one company often carries over to an inability of its customers to fill their own orders. This bogs down the whole economy ...
The Bribery Bill has finally become law, introducing a completely new regime with which British businesses will need to comply. The old law has been widely criticised, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development stating recently that it was ‘characterised by complexity and uncertainty’ ...
A lot hinged on the answer to the following question for thousands of businesses and organisations across the UK. When is equipment used at work not work equipment for the purposes of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998? It was put before the House of Lords at a hearing on 4 February 2009, exactly one year after the same question was considered by the Court of Appeal ...
The landmark CARES Act provides many Alabama employers with several options to increase liquidity and cash flow during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. And only nine days before that legislation was enacted, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) also created two other payroll tax-related incentives for certain employers, and self-employed individuals ...
Despite the risk of ‘greenwashing’ and some calls for business to row back from ‘non-essential’ commitments to focus on the bottom line of shareholder return, surely on a small planet of limited and dwindling resources which is getting ever hotter, a focus on ESG remains the general direction of travel, and Planet and People continue to count, not just Profit ...
The current Administration continues to be active in the area of immigration law and policy, and has promulgated several Executive Orders (“EO”), mostly directed to immigration enforcement and national and public security. The exception is the April 2017 Buy American, Hire American Executive Order, which extends to and impacts professional work visas ...
The government has started the announce the dismantling of certain Covid19 measures and from Monday, April 27, 2020, itnow allows business trips for foreigners to the Czech Republic, in respect of which entrepreneurs have been repeatedly demanding. However, it set a number of conditions and rules ...
We are very excited to be supporting the UN Global Compact Network UK’s ‘Transitioning to a Net Zero’ webinar series. The opening webinar, ‘Business Transition to a Net Zero and Resilient World’ took place on Thursday, 1 July 2021 during London Climate Action Week. The webinar saw government representatives, experts and business leaders discuss their vision of a net zero, climate resilient world, and the actions they are taking to get there ...
Because of the demographic context, the rate of business transfers has been rising steadily in Quebec over the past few years. Whether unexpectedly or as part of a succession plan, certain key employees can show the potential and ambition to take over from the current owner. In this issue ofLavery Business, we look at a number of aspects that are of particular importance when a business is being transferred to its employees or managers ...
On March 27, 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”). This historic $2 trillion relief package received bipartisan support and is part of the third wave of federal government support as the nation copes with the acute economic fallout from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The CARES Act, among other things, aims to provide significant aid to businesses and employees ...
Houston Business Journal © 2002. All rights reserved As April 15 nears, many can empathize with Ralph Waldo Emerson's statement that "for every benefit you receive a tax is levied." Recent legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Ric Keller (R-Fla), however, seeks to counter this mindset. In fact, this bill appears to make the statement that "for every benefit you give, a tax credit will be given ...
One of the innovations introduced by the Companies Act, 71 of 2008 (“Companies Act”) is the mechanism of business rescue proceedings in South Africa. In particular, chapter 6 of the Companies Act was inserted to “provide for the efficient rescue and recovery of financially distressed companies, in a manner that balances the rights and interests of all relevant stakeholders” (see section 7(k)) ...
Entertaining a trading partner may be marketing, but if the gesture conveys to the guest an expectation of favourable treatment in awarding a contract, it may be regarded as a form of economic corruption.The question posed in the title - on its surface unrelated to the law - has been raised with us on several occasions recently, by various clients and with respect to various situations ...
Further guidance for insurers and policyholders on business interruption claims is now available following an award made by Lord Mance in Certain Policyholders v China Taiping Insurance (UK) Co Ltd. Whilst the arbitration award will not be binding on the courts, it will no doubt prove persuasive and represents a victory for insurers, with Lord Mance finding no coverage under the denial of access cause in question ...
As each day that passes while COVID-19 spreads throughout the country, more businesses are closing their doors to protect their employees, customers, vendors, and other people with whom they come into contact. And many of them are wondering whether there is coverage for their business losses during this time. Business interruption or business income coverage is sometimes included in commercial property coverage ...
As each day that passes while COVID-19 spreads throughout the country, more businesses are closing their doors to protect their employees, customers, vendors, and other people with whom they come into contact. And many of them are wondering whether there is coverage for their business losses during this time. Business interruption or business income coverage is sometimes included in commercial property coverage ...