USCIS recently announced that beginning March 11, 2019 it will require use of a new version of Form I-539 Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, a form commonly used to extend or change the status of H-4 and L-2 dependents. USCIS stated it will also require use of a new Form I-539A, Supplemental Information for Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status ...
Since the EU referendum, ourImmigration Team has been advisingEU nationals and their familiesimpacted by the UK’s decision to leave the EU. The result has thrown up a whole host of issues for EU nationals in the UK, not least how it affects their rights as a family unit. Our earlier post,British passports for EU children, looked at the position for EU children in the UK and how their parents can obtain a British passport on their behalf ...
The Scottish Government has published its first two Scottish Procurement Policy Notes (SPPNs) for 2019, both of which relate to public procurement in Scotland in the event that the UK exits the European Union without an agreement (a ‘no-deal’ Brexit), and has published accompanying draft legislation to implement the changes it proposes. The first policy note (SPPN 1/2019) sets out the Scottish Government’s proposed changes to public procurement legislation ...
When a scion of the investment banking world gets into crypto it is probably worth taking notice. JP Morgan Chase, America's largest bank, has just grabbed everyone's attention with the launch of its very own cryptocurrency, the JPM Coin. JP Morgan intends the internally developed crypto asset to be used in its wholesale payment system, which currently sees daily volumes in the region of $6 trillion ...
On January 31, 2019, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced a proposed rule that would significantly change the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) regulatory safe harbors regarding prescription drug rebates and discounts ...
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recently launched a consultation on its proposed guidance on cryptoassets (CP19/3) which can be read in fullhere. The move comes as part of the UK Cryptoasset Taskforce's wider look into the regulation of the cryptoasset market. The consultation follows a report published in October 2018 by the Taskforce, which consists of the Bank of England, HM Treasury and the FCA. Our discussion of that report can be readhere ...
In its decision from February 7, 2019, the Bundeskartellamt prohibited Facebook from the further processing of user data which it has generated from so-called third party sources. In order to make use of these personal data in future, Facebook will need the consent of the data subject as defined by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It remains to be seen whether this will be granted by the majority of users. 1 ...
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides for a significant increase of the maximum possible fine for legal infringements compared to previous data protection legislation. Fines of up to 20 million euros or 4 percent of the worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher, can be imposed (Art. 83 para. 5 GDPR). Yet, the first few months after the introduction of the GDPR in May 2018 were uneventful in this regard. That is now changing, however ...
On December 28, 2018, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with the Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSSC), published the “Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices: Managing Threats and Protecting Patients” (HICP Publication), which is a four-volume publication designed to provide voluntary cybersecurity practices to health care organizations of all types and sizes, ranging from local clinics to large health care systems ...
The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has published a Request for Information on Modifying HIPAA Rules to Improve Coordinated Care (RFI). OCR announced the publication of the RFI through a December 12, 2018 press release available here. OCR Director Roger Severino stated that OCR is “looking for candid feedback about how the existing HIPAA regulations are working in the real world and how we can improve them ...
The US tech giant, Google is fined EUR 50 million by France's data protection regulator, CNIL, for failing to comply with its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) obligations. This is the biggest GDPR fine yet to be issued by a European regulator and the first time that one of the tech giants has been found in breach with the new regulations that came into force in May 2017 ...
Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Overview On October 24, 2018, Congress enacted the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018 (EKRA) as part of the SUPPORT Act, which is a comprehensive attempt to combat the opioid epidemic. EKRA established an all-payer anti-kickback prohibition that extends to arrangements with recovery homes, clinical treatment facilities, and laboratories. Unlike the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) under 42 U.S ...
On January 28, 2019, the California Department of Social Services issued a letter informing all licensed Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly that Title 22, Section 87224 of the California Code of Regulations has been revised. Section 87224 previously provided for a 30-day eviction notice to residents upon the change of use of a facility. This notice period was inconsistent with the applicable statute, Health and Safety Code Section 1569.682(a)(2) ...
The use of the Internet without the use of search engines, which list links to Internet pages after keywords have been entered, is almost unthinkable. In the context of the search results, however, websites may appear that contain personal data and thus fall within the scope of the GDPR ...
On 18 January 2019, the Electronic Invoicing (Public Contracts etc.) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) were laid before the Scottish Parliament. They come into force on 18 April 2019 for central government authorities and bodies established under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, and on 18 April 2020 in relation to all other contracting authorities and contracting entities ...
On January 21, 2019, Google was fined nearly $57 million (approximately 50 million euros) by France’s Data Protection Authority, CNIL, for an alleged violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).[1] CNIL found Google violated the GDPR based on a lack of transparency, inadequate information, and lack of valid consent regarding ad personalization. This fine is the largest imposed under the GDPR since it went into effect in May 2018 and the first to be imposed on a U.S ...
To date, the Indonesian government and institutions have largely remained entrenched in an endemic culture of corruption. Despite major victories before the court by the Corruption Eradication Commission (“KPK”) in recent years, crimes of corruption (especially bribery and gratification) remain a major problem at every level of government institution ...
The Brexit Withdrawal Agreement negotiated between the European Union and the United Kingdom envisaged that during the United Kingdom's transitional period data protection legislation would have been treated in the same way as with the countries of the European Economic Area. This would have allowed a transfer of personal data from the European Union to the United Kingdom without additional measures to ensure adequate levels of data protection ...
“I don’t want a British passport for myself but should I get one for my child?” This is a common immigration-related enquiry, and onemy team and Ihave been asked about by EU nationals repeatedly since the June 2016 referendum vote ...
In a landmark decision, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (‘EUIPO’) has ruled that McDonald’s, one of the world’s largest fast food chains, will lose its EU trade mark for “Big Mac” ...
The Federal Council of Pharmacy published Resolution No. 658/2018 to regulate publicity, advertisement and announcement of activities related to the pharmaceutical profession. Such include any disclosure arising or promoted by pharmacists, regardless of the means of communication ...
The use of marijuana in patient care has undergone widespread growth and acceptance nationwide. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws authorizing the use of marijuana in some form. Two of those states – Utah and Missouri – joined that list this past mid-term cycle, as voters passed initiatives authorizing the use of medical marijuana. Others, such as Kentucky and Virginia, have pending legislation seeking to authorize the use of medical marijuana ...
The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) must currently clarify whether and how website operators can legally integrate the so-called "Like" button of Facebook on their website (Case C-40/17). A German online retailer had integrated the "Facebook Like" button into their online shop. Due to the functionality of the "Facebook Like" button, personal information was transmitted to Facebook Ireland each time the website was visited, including the IP address ...
The UK government has announced changes to legislation to reduce the risk of fraud, violence or intimidation faced by company directors as a result of having their residential addresses on the public record. For a number of years, directors have been able to keep their residential address details private by making use of a separate service address, often the company's registered office ...
During 2017-2018, the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia (“FAS”) paid close attention to advertisements of OTC medicines and considered large number cases of violations of advertising legislation by pharmaceutical companies. At the end of 2018, FAS in collaboration with the Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and other market players, established a guideline on recommended advertising of OTC medicines (“Guideline”) ...
