On December 27, 2019, the Chilean Pensions Superintendence (the “SP”) issued General Regulations No.68 and No.256, amending the Unemployment Insurance Regulation Compendium and Pension Funds Regulation Compendium, respectively, in order to organize the different regulations applicable to the investment of Pension Funds in alternative assets and consolidate the various instructions and resolutions issued by the SP between 2018 and 2019 ...
The Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) has recently issued two technical advisories with helpful California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidance on two prominent California land use topics. The first advisory outlines potential CEQA exemptions for immediate-term disaster recovery, with the goal of helping communities and public agencies prepare their climate change adaptation and resilience strategies ...
Kochhar & Co. Senior Partner, Suhas Srinivasiah, and Principal Associate, Ajay G Prasad, have co-authored the India chapter of the ‘Private Mergers & Acquisitions’ published by Practical Law, Thomson Reuters. The paper provides a holistic view of the M&A law in India and recent trends in the private M&A space” ...
As we enter into a new decade, we cannot over emphasize the importance of protecting your brands. In this digital age, trademarks are becoming more vulnerable to infringement. Mass production and counterfeit products are swamping the market ...
Freezing orders are one of the most important weapons inacourt’s arsenal to prevent parties from disposing of or dissipating assetsto ensure they will be available to satisfy a potential future money judgment. In the British Virgin Islands, the court is empowered to grant a freezing order under the provisions of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and the Civil Procedure Rules ...
In December of 2019, the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy (“Board”) proposed rule changes for medical marijuana dispensaries. These proposed rule changes came on the heels of increased regulatory scrutiny of ownership structures and consulting arrangements in recent months.1 The proposed rules ostensibly seek to revise and clarify the Board’s position on changes of ownership and control of medical marijuana dispensaries ...
The Indonesian competition authority, the Indonesian Commission for the Supervision of Business Competition (the “KPPU”) issued Regulation No.4 of 2019 on the Procedures for the Supervision and Handling of Partnership Cases (“Reg 4/2019”). This regulation replaces No.1 of 2015 on the Procedure for the Supervision of Partnerships, as amended, and Regulation No.1 of 2017 on the Procedures for Handling Partnership Cases, as amended (“Old Regulation”) ...
The Minister of the Environment and Forestry (MOEF) has issued Regulation No. P.38/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/7/2019 on The Types of Planned Businesses and/or Activities Plans which Require an Environmental Impact Analysis (Reg 38/2019), which came into effect on 5 September 2019. Reg 38/2019 replaces Regulation No. 05 of 2012 on the same matter ...
Oh what a year it has been. 2019 has been a rollercoaster ride: Trump accelerates and then suddenly slams on the brakes on his tit-for-tat trade war with China. Hong Kong, hitherto the paradigm of pragmatism, lies smouldering as months of pro-democracy protests see no end. A Swedish girl (celebrating her 17th birthday just last Friday) becomes the unlikely face of environmentalism, shaming Boomers for doing nothing about climate change in front of the UN ...
On Nov. 20, 2019, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed the Risk Management Program Reconsideration Rule (Reconsideration Rule), which finalized changes to the 2017 Risk Management Program Amendments. The Reconsideration Rule reflects EPA’s reconsideration of its 2017 Amendments based on objections from three petitions and based on its own review. The Reconsideration Rule was effective on Dec ...
With a new year comes changes. And one change is a law tying business license applications to California's water quality laws. Beginning January 1, 2020, Senate Bill 205 will require that certain applicants for either a new business license or a renewal from cities or counties show that they are complying with the federal Clean Water Act and California's Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act ...
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), National Security Division (NSD), recently published updated[1] policy guidance, effective immediately, for companies considering whether to voluntarily self-disclose potentially criminal violations of U.S. export control and sanctions statutes.[2] The policy, dated Dec ...
After five long years since the issuance of Law No.7 of 2014 on Trade (the "Trade Law"), the Government of Indonesia finally issued an implementing regulation on e-commerce on 20 November 2019, through Government Regulation No. 80 of 2019 on Trade through the Electronic System ("GR 80/2019"). This regulation is part of the Government's efforts to encourage internet-based transactions and trading as part of making Indonesia 4.0. GR 80/2019 has 19 chapters and an extensive scope ...
Summary of Public Policy and Prior Amendments The Minimum Fuels Storage Public Policy (the “Public Policy”) was released by Mexico’s Ministry of Energy (“SENER”) on December 12, 2017. The objective is to improve energy security in Mexico and ensure adequate energy supply and competitive prices, through the establishment of mandatory minimum fuel inventories and reporting obligations ...
Recent enforcement actions initiated by the Bureau of Industry and Security’s (“BIS”) Office of Antiboycott Compliance (“OAC”) serve as a warning to U.S. persons (including U.S. companies) with business interests in and around the Middle East. It is easy for the complacent to run afoul of OAC’s Antiboycott Regulations when evaluating and responding to otherwise routine documents such as a letters of credit, shipping certificates, or purchase orders ...
The DIFC has provided slightly more clarity as to how UAE Cabinet Decision 31 of 2019 (the Economic Substance Regulations, or ESR) will apply within Dubai’s financial free zone. Helpful as the guidance is, significant questions remain. The DIFC held a presentation on 17 December to discuss the Economic Substance Regulations. The first point of note was that all businesses in the DIFC must file an ESR notification by 31 March 2020 ...
As we approach the end of 2019, we look back on the requirement introduced by the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018 (Regulations) for very large private companies to make a statement about their corporate governance arrangements. This statement relates to financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2019 and as we head into 2020, the new year will bring with it the start of the first actual reporting period under the Regulations ...
The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy TD, and the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton TD, launched a public consultation on proposed revisions to the Wind Energy Development Guidelines (the draft Guidelines) on 12 December 2019. The draft guidelines, when finalised, will affect future planning applications and considerations for future wind energy development proposals ...
Data protection in the United States is about to undergo a major change, and everyone needs to be ready. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), signed into law June 28, 2018, enters into effect Jan. 1, 2020. It creates several new obligations for many United States-based businesses with regard to the collection, treatment, and sale of personal information ...
For decades, patent owners who appealed refusal of their sought-after registrations with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) were responsible for their own costs, fees and certain expenses incurred by the USPTO (e.g. travel expenses, expert fees and copying), as required by Section 145 of the Patent Act (35 U.S.C §145) ...
The ANM, launches ANNA Mining, the digital platform will replace the Colombian Mining Cadastre and will start operating in phases. On December 13, 2019, the National Mining Agency (ANM) launched the new Comprehensive Mining Management System: ANNA Mining (ANNA), which will replace the Colombian Mining Cadastre ...
On Dec. 3, 2019, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Office of the Comptroller of Currency (OCC) in conjunction with the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) issued a joint statement entitled “Providing Financial Services to Customers Engaged in Hemp-Related Businesses ...