In a significant settlement, Slaughter and May, along with Nigerian legal firms, have successfully guided British American Tobacco (BAT) in a $110 million settlement, effectively bringing a halt to a criminal investigation in Nigeria. This high-stakes settlement agreement stipulates that Nigeria’s consumer protection agency will close all investigations, as well as withdraw any impending criminal…
As we usher in 2024, businesses across various states are bracing themselves for an influx of new laws that vastly impact their operations. Among other concerns, these laws encompass employee sick days, consumer privacy protections, and regulations surrounding claims of “carbon neutrality” on product advertisements. Several states are placing emphasis on consumer privacy. Considering the…
The Kansas City Royals, a Major League Baseball (MLB) team currently seeking a new stadium, have appointed Michael Post as vice president and general counsel. Post’s appointment comes two years after the Royals hired Adam Sachs, a former senior counsel at Husch Blackwell, as their first in-house legal chief. Sachs has now transitioned into the…
Just over a year since generative AI became a common practice, in-house counsel are still trying to adapt to its use within their companies. Simultaneously, they are gearing up for a surge in regulations and requirements directed at the technology. In the final month of last year, the European Union set the pace when it…
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Wall Street’s top regulator, is putting pressure on companies to offer more comprehensive information about the impact of climate change in their financial statements. The move comes as the SEC plans to finalize its highly anticipated climate disclosure rules. The implication of these rules is that corporations will come…
As we step into 2024, banks are expected to face a heightened regulatory scrutiny concerning capital rules and swipe fees. Federal regulators are aiming to escalate capital and other risk management requirements for lenders. These developments are being watched closely by legal professionals advising major corporations and law firms navigating financial regulations. Bloomberg Law provides…
The US Department of Justice (DOJ)’s criminal chief, Nicole Argentieri, announced that several corporations are expected to plead guilty in early 2024. This announcement comes in the wake of escalating bipartisan criticism regarding the DOJ’s handling of white-collar enforcement. Critics, including lawmakers and former prosecutors, have suggested that the pace and severity of enforcement have…
As we embark on 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States is set to face high profile cases pertaining to abortion, gun rights, and the January 6 Capitol attack. Decisions in these contentious areas of law are expected to provide critical clarifications and possibly shape the legal landscape for years to come. Completing its…
While Covid-19 relief appropriations have been crucial in aiding many businesses from the brink of demise, an upsurge of associated fraud, specifically with respect to claims for the employee retention credit (ERC), has emerged. Given the IRS’s intensified scrutiny on ERC claims, taxpayers who believe they have filed inaccurate or unsubstantiated ERC claims need to…
Regulations targeting health-care fraud are increasing in scope and intensity, causing a stir among both established and emerging players in the sector. Compliance challenges are particularly pronounced for entities harnessing new technologies, as well as data outliers, those considered to be capitalizing on ambiguous requirements, as well as providers failing to ensure patient data security….
If your New Year’s resolutions involve staying more up-to-date with the latest in legal news, we’ve got you covered. In case you missed some key updates due to the holiday rush, here’s a quick recap to ensure you are caught up. In the realm of corporate legal affairs, there have been several noteworthy roster changes…
The Supreme Court of Israel has struck down a significant element of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial judicial reform law this week. This disputed reform sought to prevent judges from nullifying government decisions that they considered to be unreasonable. In July 2023, after seven months of arduous debate and widespread unrest, Netanyahu’s government passed a…
While cyber threats undoubtedly pose substantial risks for law firms, there’s another issue that perhaps deserves equal, if not more attention. Retention of senior partners is integral to a firm’s success and survival. Let us delve into why retention is such a critical concern for today’s law firms. This topic came to prominence early this…
President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been declared the winner of the recent heated election, despite opposition cries of electoral fraud. Notably, the elections, which took place late December, were disrupted by multiple incidents causing the international community to question the process’s integrity. Two parliamentary candidates were killed in separate…
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has recently initiated an investigation into Tun Abdul Daim bin Zainuddin, a former finance minister and close ally of ex-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. These proceedings, unveiled in a MACC press release, allege potential violations of domestic laws pertaining to power abuse and money laundering. The MACC clarified that, although the…
In a recent development, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reportedly rejected nominations of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, for the Pakistan general election from two constituencies: Lahore and Mianwali. The returning officer for NA-122, Lahore, based the decision on Articles 62 and 63 (1h) of the Constitution of Pakistan,…
Multiple opposition presidential candidates in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) rejected the provisional election results announced recently, urging their supporters to take action. The results declared incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi as the victor, a decision that sparked widespread dissent among opposition figures. Martin Fayulu, the leader of the Engagement for Citizenship and Development party,…
Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, stated in a recent interview with Russian state-owned RIA news agency that over 200 members of Ukrainian armed groups have been given long-term prison sentences by Russian courts for alleged crimes. His comments come as part of a broader response to inquiries into the alleged misdemeanors of Ukraine. Russian law…
The outset of 2024 will be a period of significant challenge for the professional responsibility bar, with law firms around the globe set to contend with issues ranging from sexual harassment suits to data security breaches. These concerns are particularly pertinent in a time when generative artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly prominent feature of…
In a surprising dismissal of the Supreme Court’s alleged ethics violations, landmark decisions, and deep-seated public distrust, Chief Justice John Roberts has chosen to center his end-of-year report on the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential impacts on the legal field. According to a report on Bloomberg Law, Roberts discusses both the benefits…
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres officially closed the special tribunal established to investigate the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. This came to light during an announcement made on Saturday. The tribunal had been created in response to the deadly attack in Beirut that claimed the former Prime Minister’s life. The spokesperson for…
On Sunday, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced a five-year ban on the separatist party Tehreek-e-Hurriayt (TeH) Jammu and Kashmir on grounds of being an “unlawful association”. This notification falls under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA). The MHA stated that the ban was a response to TeH’s engagement in fomenting terrorism…
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) submitted a review petition to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) challenging the court’s suspension of its previous ruling. This ruling prohibited the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), one of the three major political parties in Pakistan, from using a cricket bat as an electoral symbol in the forthcoming general election on…
New York Assemblyman Alex Bores, D-Manhattan, has reaffirmed his commitment to lifting the population-based cap on the state’s trial court judges with the “No Cap Act”, an initiative set to return to lawmakers debate in 2024. According to the act’s stipulations, the current cap that limits the number of justices to one per 50,000 residents…
The onset of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made its preceding waves felt in various industries including the legal sector. Yet despite this, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., in his year-end report for 2023, contends that AI will not obsolete the role of human judges in the legal system. In the wake of emerging technological advancements,,…