In April 2020, we reported on the first cases that were conducted remotely via video conferencing facilities (VCF) during the court closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic. More than a year has passed and, although Covid-19 is still posing challenges, the courts have reopened and continue to embrace technology to facilitate social distancing ...
This is a summary of the Annual Report. Click here to access the full guide. The 2020 proxy season shareholder proposals were already submitted before the COVID-19 shadow loomed large over the season; however, such shadow likely impacted how shareholders voted on the proposals themselves, impacted business throughout 2020, and continues to jolt 2021 and the forthcoming 2021 proxy season ...
In FanDuel, Inc., v. Interactive Games LLC, No. 2019-1393 (Fed. Cir. July 29, 2020), the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (Board) did not violate the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) by rejecting the prior-art combination on which it instituted inter parties review (IPR). The relevant patent claims related to a method of gambling on a mobile device ...
Part I of a III Part Primer: An Introduction This newsletter is the first of a three part report prepared for our public finance clients with respect to “public private partnerships.” Also known as “PPP” or “P3” projects, there is an increasing amount of press regarding these projects, some of which is contradictory and some of which is just plain confusing ...
This is the second of a three-part report on “public private partnerships.” Also known as “PPP” or “P3” projects, there is an increasing amount of press regarding these projects, some of which is contradictory and some of which is just plain confusing. The purpose of this three-part report is to provide you with some useful information in identifying and analyzing P3 opportunities. The first part of the primer provided an introduction to the P3 concept ...
The Technology and Construction Court (“TCC”) decision in National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside (Trustees of) v AEW Architects and Designers Ltd [2013] EWHC 2403 (TCC) was published last month. In his decision, Mr Justice Akenhead shows much pragmatism in assessing the heads of quantum put forward by the Claimant, which some may view as particularly widely casted ...
Overview Jersey property law is derived from a mixture of local statute and customary (common) law. Jersey's customary law has evolved from Norman-French law and is primarily contained in the judgments of the Royal Court of Jersey and the writings of local and French jurists. In Jersey law property is either "movable" or "immovable". These classifications are broadly similar to the English classifications as "personal" or "real" property ...
The Consumer Protection Act 1987 (the CPA) was enacted almost 35 years ago in order to implement EU law. The act introduced the concept of “strict liability” into the arena of product supply to certain users. This means that consumers who are injured by defective products can sue manufacturers without having to prove negligence. This practical guide provides an overview of the CPA for consumers and manufacturers, with reference to recent key cases ...
‘A whole new planning system for England’ is what Boris Johnson was promising in his introduction to the Planning White Paper. He also took a sideswipe at the current system for providing “nowhere near enough homes in the right places” ...
Despite rumours from Westminster that the Pensions Bill was to be dropped to make room for the anti-fox hunting Bill, it looks certain that the Pensions Bill will finally receive Royal Assent in November. In its final form, the Bill now extends to over 350 pages. Those looking for simplification will be disappointed to say the least ...
In M&K Holdings, Inc., v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., 2020-1160 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 1, 2021), the Federal Circuit found that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (Board) violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) by finding a patent claim unpatentable using a “markedly” different theory from the one the patent challenger presented. In this case, the patent challenger (i.e ...
What Happened: OFAC settled with BitGo, Inc. for $98,830, resolving 183 apparent violations of multiple US sanctions programs for processing digital currency transactions on behalf of individuals located in sanctioned jurisdictions ...
This legal analysis focuses on the typical case of a company that although it is not directly targeted by the measures established in order to prevent the spreading of the novel coronavirus, it still registers a decrease of demand, of the level of proceeds and of the production of goods and services ...
NPF4 forms part of the statutory development plan taking precedence where it postdates local development plans. Tesco argued that the local planning authority failed when considering whether the store was "small scale neighbourhood retail development". Tesco has successfully challenged a decision by Perth and Kinross Council granting planning permission to Aldi for a store at Pitheavlis, Perth. The store was intended to be a direct replacement for Aldi's existing store at Glasgow Road ...
Getting ready for your next compliance examination? Well, it may be time to take a fresh look at your institution’s Regulation B compliance. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act ("ECOA"), as implemented by Regulation B, is not a new concept. First adopted in 1974, Regulation B is understood by most institutions to include a focus on what information and what signatures can be obtained with respect to the family member of an applicant ...
For the financial services sector, 2020 was to be the year of rebuilding after the royal commission reckoning of 2018-2019. But with 2020 presenting circumstances that were previously unimaginable, the sector – like the entire Australian economy – has a whole new set of challenges to face… As 2020 ticks on, the financial services industry is grappling with new challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic downturn ...
A new Consumer Credit Act (Sw. Konsumentkreditlagen (2010:1846)) came into effect on 1 January 2011. The Act implements the Consumer Credit Directive (Directive 2008/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on credit agreements for consumers and repealing Council Directive 87/102/EEC). The Directive’s purpose is to enhance consumer protection by addressing some of the indebtedness problems caused by text message loans (Sw ...
A new BIG GUARANTEE SCHEME was introduced in Slovakia in a form of (i) guarantees for bank loansand (ii) remissions of guarantee premiums as per new Temporary Framework for State aid recently adopted by the European Commission to support the economy in COVID-19 outbreak and via adoption of an amendment (the “Amendment”) to Act No. 67/2020 Coll ...
Business owners grudgingly accept lawsuits as a part of doing business. If you’re doing what it takes to advance your business, you will suffer the bumps and bruises that will result in your name on a legal pleading. You may even be the one who files the lawsuit.Almost any money you can recover in a lawsuit is eaten up by lost employee time, and, perhaps more importantly, the business owner’s loss of focus on healthy profits. If you are the one sued, you can never win ...
Earlier this year, the European Court of Justice ("CJEU") has thrown out an appeal by Nestlé, which argued that it owns the shape of its famous treat KitKat. Nestlé, the world's largest food and beverage company, has spent more than a decade fighting to trademark the four-fingered wafer shape. However, EJC's most recent ruling could bring an end to the snack's protected European status ...
Trends in leasehold transactions during 2021 and expectations for 2022. Now that the decorations are back in the loft, retailers are announcing their Christmas trading updates. There is a general consensus that the retail sector had a difficult time in 2021 as has been the trend in modern years and whilst some retailers will be announcing positive news to the markets, there are undoubtably some that are likely to continue to have a challenging time in 2022 ...
The stock market is undoubtedly one of the most important economic forces in the world. Every year, billions of dollars are moved through stock exchange operations, and year after year, in most jurisdictions, the stock market is promoted as a tool for financing or capturing capital for issuers and as an investment for thousands of participants seeking to place their funds in higher yield investments ...
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was enacted in 1996 to provide websites with immunity from liability arising from posting third-party content. For a service provider to be immune, however, the information at issue must be provided by another information content provider. This begs the question of whether website operators provide the content on their platforms or act solely as intermediaries for third-party content ...
