Last week, the legal scene in London was abuzz with several noteworthy cases. These included a dispute between Hugh James law firm and Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP, a patent claim by Panasonic against Chinese companies Xiaomi and Oppo, and collapsed law firm Carillion’s lawsuit against the U.K. government and three partners from PwC. Hugh James,…
The topic of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Management Directive 715 (MD-715) is both important and complex. Government agencies must rigorously prepare their annual filings for the EEOC MD-715, in conjunction with their regular self-assessments to locate and remove any potential barriers obstructing equal employment opportunity. This process has taken on even greater significance following…
In a significant legal motion, 21 Democratic Attorneys General (AGs) have intervened in the conversation surrounding the degree of free communication permissible between the U.S. government and social media platforms. These AGs have filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, asking the Court to overturn a preliminary injunction…
In a recent ruling by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), staking rewards from certain cryptocurrencies are to be considered taxable income. This extends to taxpayers using a cash method of accounting who receive additional units of a cryptocurrency because of their staking activities. Under the new guidelines, these taxpayers must now include the fair market…
The Canadian federal government has officially published a template to guide employers in the preparation of mandatory employment statement. This follows changes to the Canada Labour Code and its regulations that were implemented on July 9, 2023. These amendments necessitate federal Crown corporations and federally-regulated employers operating within the private sector to provide a written…
The aviation industry is on the brink of a significant transformation. Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), an umbrella term for a next-generation air transportation method for both people and cargo, is in the spotlight as it promises a sustainable way forward in the field. This new tech-driven leap is powered by emerging, innovative technologies. This article…
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has overturned a lower court’s ruling this week that had temporarily blocked enforcement of Guam’s in-person, informed consent law for abortion access. The law had previously allowed Hawaii physicians to remotely administer prescriptions for medicinal abortions via telemedicine. The Ninth Circuit vacated the lower court’s…
According to recent reports, William Hochul has announced his decision to step down from his position as the general counsel of Delaware North, a private food service and hospitality firm based in Western New York. His departure will become effective on August 15, as stated by the company. Hochul, married to New York Governor Kathy…
On August 3, 2023, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced the release of the much-anticipated Pre-enforcement Notice and Conciliation Procedures Final Rule, perhaps better known within the industry as the “PDN Rule”. The news of the rule’s release carries particular significance for legal professionals with clients or interests in the areas of…
In a move poised to enhance the safety of pipelines and underground natural gas operations nationwide, the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) declared on Aug. 2, 2023, the awarding of $64.4 million in grants to the states. Details of the development were recently released by the law firm McGuireWoods…
As with any public sector entity, local and state government bodies are increasingly grappling with the demands of managing eDiscovery in response to Access Requests and Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs). Evidently, sizable data management challenges coincide. State and local groups generate and store copious volumes of data, spread across a myriad of departments, committees…
Legal professionals should be aware that on October 4, 2023, at 2:20 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). A test of the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) will kick off two minutes…
Amid ongoing social unrest over a military coup that took place last week, the UK announced on Thursday that it would reduce the number of staff at its embassy in Niger. This move echoes the actions of other nations such as the United States and several European Union states, all of which have also chosen…
According to a recent report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW), Zimbabwe authorities have come under fire for their inability to guarantee a free and fair electoral process in the impending general election on August 23. The report emerged from a two-week-long investigation, involving interviews with representatives from the main opposition party, election observer groups,…
German authorities announced the arrest of a Syrian national on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, connected to a series of alleged offenses committed between 2012 and 2015. The suspect, known as ‘Ahmad H.,’ reportedly partook in extreme cases of torture, killings, and enslavement while operating as a member of a pro-government militia…
An esteemed tax practitioner, Cameron Blackwood, has recently left PwC to join fellow Australian law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth. Blackwood’s departure followed closely after PwC’s global legal boss, Tony O’Malley, stepped down ahead of his slated retirement. Blackwood, however, joined PwC only a year ago, in June 2022, following the accounting firm’s acquisition of his…
In a recent indictment charging former President Donald Trump with conspiracy and obstruction, there are five unnamed attorney co-conspirators who have been listed. Either they are already cooperating with the government or they will face indictment, as per predictions made by former prosecutors to Law360. The stance of these prosecutors revolves around their belief that…
Former US President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to four criminal charges connected with alleged interference in the 2020 presidential election. On Thursday, he appeared with his private counsel before Federal Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya in a federal courthouse in Washington D.C. to declare his plea. The charges against the former president were unveiled…
In the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, it can be easy to lose sight of the ongoing legal challenges to federal programs that have far-reaching implications for major corporations and law firms. These challenges cover a wide range of areas: from tribal gaming support, and the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 8(a) program, to…
Well-known as the former lawyer of an ex-president, Rudy Giuliani, or as some refer to him, “Co-Conspirator 1,” has thus far evaded any criminal indictments. However, Giuliani managed to envelop himself in a series of civil lawsuits, ranging from election interference to his personal behaviour. Giuliani is currently facing a $10 million lawsuit filed by…
Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG) has recently appointed former in-house counsel at an insurance company, Rick Da Costa, as the head of its national corporate and regulatory insurance and reinsurance team. Da Costa, who joins from the law firm Cassels Brock & Blackwell, brings to the team his rich in-house experience from his time as VP…
On Thursday, Singaporean authorities carried out the execution of 39-year-old former delivery driver, Mohamed Shalleh Bin Abdul Latiff, for the trafficking of 54.04 grams of diamorphine, a controlled substance. This amount exceeds by four times the threshold required to impose the mandatory death penalty as stated under Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act. This marks the…
In June 2023, the Australian government issued an updated Statement of Expectations to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). The statement mandates the APRA to adopt climate reporting standards, primarily focusing on promoting prudent practices and transparency for climate-related financial risks. This new mandate includes monitored financial institutions and regulated entities within its scope. The…
Legal professionals and compliance teams across the globe may find Compliance Notes – Vol. 4, Issue 31 a pertinent read. Published by Nossaman’s Government Relations & Regulation Group, the installment offers a comprehensive digest of key developments in areas including campaign finance, lobbying compliance, election law, and government ethics at the federal, state, and local…
In a move to encourage more build-to-rent (BTR) projects, the Australian Government has laid out plans to eliminate some prevalent income tax barriers, an issue thoroughly discussed in Part 1 of our BTR series. The proposed revisions aim to assist those engaged in BTR projects, significantly streamlining the processes involved. As detailed in Part 2…