The advent of blank cheque company IPOs. Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) have taken the corporate world by storm. These “blank cheque” shell companies, which raise funds in their initial public offerings (IPO) to invest in potential but as yet unidentified target businesses, have fuelled a listing frenzy in the US. SPAC IPOs have garnered US$87.9 billion in fundraising in the first three months of 2021, already exceeding last year’s total ...
In a recent article published in écho, WSG Member Astrid Wagner, Partner, IP Communication & Technology at Arendt & Medernach, provides insight on the growing risk of damage to information systems in cyber attacks and what cyber protection measures should be taken ...
On 24 March 2021, the EU Member States agreed to begin negotiations with the European Parliament concerning a legislative proposal on health technology assessment. Health technology includes medicinal products, medical devices or medical and surgical procedures, as well as measures for disease prevention, diagnosis or treatment used in healthcare ...
Research and development ("R&D") of medicinal products is fundamentally important in peoples’ daily lives. This is true both from an individual perspective – when considering the objective of identifying and treating pathologies (with a consequent increase in the quality of life of patients) – and from a collective perspective, when considering the role of R&D in controlling the spread of diseases and in eradicating them altogether ...
In its recent decision Xuereb v Weber Construction Limited Et (decided 18 March 2021) the Civil Court (Commercial Section) weighed in once more on the appropriate tests to be applied when assessing a company's inability to pay its debts under Maltese corporate insolvency law ...
It has been a long road for everyone’s favourite cheese. The protection of halloumi cheese should have never been complicated. The firm cheese which has the unique quality of retaining its shape even when fried or grilled, has its origins in the island of Cyprus where it has been produced for many centuries ...
Did you know? The Chinese National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) and European Patent Office (EPO) recently announced a pilot-programme, which will be of particular interest to Chinese and multinational companies with R&D in Mainland China and Hong Kong, especially if they wish to file patents in Europe, US or other jurisdictions outside of Mainland China ...
What is the CTA? The CTA was enacted on January 1st, 2021 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act to prevent the use of companies to evade anti-money laundering rules or to hide other illegal activities. Under the CTA companies will be required to report information regarding its beneficial owners with a beneficial ownership registry maintained by the United States Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) ...
The grounds for appealing an arbitration award are limited. Even when the tribunal admits that it has made a mistake that is not always enough. So, when is an admitted error serious enough to permit an appeal? This was the question before the court in Doglemor Trade Ltd and others v Caledor Consulting Ltd and another [2020] EWHC 3342 (Comm). The Facts Mr Khabarov (majority owner of Caledor) was granted an option to purchase 30% of the share capital of Doglemor ...
Wellbeing, selfcare is key in order to give the world the best of you, not what’s left of you…. Shoosmiths’ Learning & development Manager, Yvonne Oakenfull gives us an insight into HeartMath – how different patterns of the heart activity have different effects on your thoughts and behaviours ...
It is expected that President Biden will sign the PPP Extension Act of 2021 passed by the House of Representatives on March 16, 2021, and the Senate on March 25, 2021. The bill extends the funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) Loan program through June 30, 2021, for First Draw and Second Draw Loan applications submitted by lenders to the SBA by May 31, 2021 ...
ENSafrica recently released Africa Regulatory Insight: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Regulatory Measures. This comprehensive report outlines the COVID-19 regulatory measures for each country across Sub-Sahara Africa, providing the sector, measure, effective date/status and key points and impact for each region. The information provided herein is intended to provide a general overview, and is not an exhaustive list of all legislatice developments across Sub-Sahara ...
Dinsmore's Richik Sarkar was published in the American Bar Association's Business Law Today this week discussing a few lawsuits alleging that lack of board and management diversity constitutes a breach of fiduciary duty. An excerpt from the article, "ESG In Action: Diversifying Corporate Governance," is below. "While the purpose of these suits is laudable, significant threshold legal questions exist ...
In August 2020, Kudun & Partners was appointed to represent the largest group of creditors, consisting of 87 savings cooperatives, in the wake of the recent Thai Airways’ petition for rehabilitation. Taken together, these investment entities hold 65% of the airline’s total debenture debt, making them the largest group of creditors ...
In the wake of the spate of recent business collapses the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has published a White Paper titled “Restoring trust in audit and corporate governance”. The White Paper is open for consultation until 8 July 2021, and feedback can be submitted directly online via the BEIS website or emailed to [email protected] ...
Understanding the Employer's Entitlement to Liquidated Damages When there is Sectional Completion - ǼLEX Legal .avada-select-parent .select-arrow{background-color:#ffffff}.select-arrow{background-color:#ffffff} It is common for parties in commercial construction projects to include sectional completion provisions in their contracts where they have agreed to complete works in sections or phases ...
President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the Act) on March 11, 2021. The Act provides COBRA premium subsidies, increases the tax-exclusion amount for employer-sponsored dependent care assistance programs and expands who may be eligible to receive premium tax credits for marketplace coverage. This alert explains how these provisions may impact your welfare benefit plans. Please contact your Dykema benefits attorney to explore the new provisions in greater depth ...
On March 22, 2021, through a televised address, the President of the Republic announced the strengthening and extension of the Social Protection Network, destined to mitigate the adverse effects caused by the restrictions due to the COVID-19. These measures are based on 5 pillars: • Greater protection to the families’ incomes. • Strengthening of the middle-class support. • Greater job protection ...
Beginning of Stage 2 of the National Vaccination Plan The Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection (Minsiterio de Salud y Protección Social) declared the initiation of stage 2 of the National Vaccination Plan against COVID-19 for the population between 60 and 79 years of age. This does not mean that vaccination for those over 80 years of age will be stopped; these people will continue to be vaccinated without any interruption ...
If you are responsible for handling data subject requests made pursuant to the EU General Data Protection Regulation or verified consumer requests made pursuant to the California Consumer Privacy Act, chances are you have come across one or more of the myriad companies that purport to be advocating for consumers in making requests on their behalf. These companies include Mine, Privacy Bee, DeleteMe and Revoke ...
In February 2020, just prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 (Subchapter V) took effect.[1] Subchapter V amends Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code to allow certain individuals and businesses with debts of less than $2,725,625 to file a streamlined Chapter 11 case with the goal to make small business bankruptcies faster and cheaper ...