On October 30, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm CT, the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) is hosting a virtual event aimed at those individuals whose roles necessitate them to stay abreast with the latest in healthcare privacy issues and trends. The conference, titled Healthcare Privacy Compliance Conference, will provide an invaluable opportunity for learning….
After many years of tepid expansion and false starts, the United States is beginning to realize its offshore wind potential. State policies have mostly driven the progress made so far, primarily incentivizing projects off the East Coast in the Atlantic Ocean. However, a noteworthy shift has occurred recently with the federal government announcing the inaugural…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently published a letter in reply to a petition lodged by various environmental groups. The petition sought amendments to the Clean Water Act (CWA) regulations specifically for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). More details about the EPA’s response and the proposed amendments can be found in the petition….
On August 30, 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to revise the stipulated salary requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Aimed at updating salary and annual compensation requirements for certain employees, this proposal specifically targets those subject to executive, administrative or professional exemptions; categories commonly known…
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), on August 25, 2023, issued the IRS Notice 2023-62, providing crucial relief for employers struggling to comply with a major provision of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, colloquially known as SECURE 2.0. This relief comes at a pivotal time, given the impending December 31, 2023 deadline, when certain requirements…
The UK government has recently announced a significant shift in its strategy towards police misconduct, as it seeks to afford senior officers and chief constables greater power to terminate the contracts of employees deemed to be ‘rogue’. In addition to this, individuals who fail to pass background checks will also be subject to dismissal. A…
One of the most instrumental measures employed by companies to weather economic downturns is the short-time work allowance, known as “Kurzarbeit” in Germany. This approach was extensively utilized in the spring of 2020 when nearly six million employees in Germany were placed on short-time work. The degree to which the German government invested in this…
On Wednesday, August 30, 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a proposal aimed at increasing the number of employees eligible for overtime compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This update signifies a shift in labor law, potentially impacting businesses around the country. The proposed rule targets the classification of exempt executive,…
On August 4, 2023, the Department of Finance released the draft of a significant piece of legislation containing several previously announced investment tax credits. The focus of these credits is primarily the renewable and clean energy sectors. The document, which has been coined as the ‘Proposed Legislation’, features comprehensive regulations and changes pertaining to green…
The future of the automotive and manufacturing industry is set to be electric. However, keep in mind that the electrification of the industry does not solely involve automobile manufacturers and their supply chains – there’s an increasing involvement of public entities as well. As indicated by a recent analysis by Clark Hill PLC, the electrification…
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently unveiled its final guidance for the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). This comes after the act was enacted in November 2021 as a component of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The OMB’s guidance lays out tighter U.S content prerequisites for federally financed infrastructure ventures….
In a recent development, the No Surprises Act (NSA) regulations have been struck down by the Eastern District of Texas court, marking the fourth defeat for the federal government in its attempts to combat cases brought by health care and air ambulance providers. Embodied in a case known as TMA III, the court’s decision specifically…
The UN’s renewal of sanctions on Mali has failed due to a veto by Russia, resulting in the sanctions set to end on Thursday. Initially put into place due to ongoing political unrest in 2015, these sanctions imposed a travel ban and assets freeze on key individuals in the West African nation. The proposed extension…
The landscape of international tech and telecoms is witnessing profound shifts, particularly concerning China’s involvement in the U.S. market. Notably, the U.S. government has applied a multi-faceted strategy aimed at limiting the influence of Chinese technology suppliers in service of foreign policy and national security goals. The results of this approach are giving rise to…
In response to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) that was enacted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, states have been required to keep individuals continuously enrolled in their Medicaid programs throughout the entirety of the public health emergency (PHE). This mandate marked a shift from the previous policy, which stipulated states to…
Climate change is increasingly shaping legislation and, as such, impacting businesses on a global scale. In California, a significant development is unfolding. A confidential committee within the state’s legislature is anticipated to move forward this week on two Senate bills packaged as part of the Democrats’ Climate Accountability initiative, introduced earlier this session. This powerful…
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is currently consulting on considerable changes to the UK listing regime. Where traditionally we’ve seen standard and premium listing categories, we now face the possibility of a unified single listing category. This poses significant implications for management teams considering a UK IPO. However, keep in mind, these rule changes,…
In response to a provision in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have issued proposed regulations affecting transactions involving cryptocurrency and other digital assets. New tax reporting requirements have been outlined for digital asset brokers, a change aimed to take effect from the…
In an unprecedented move, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently cast its recommendation for the reclassification of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. This potential shift, analysed in detail by Benesch, could signify the initial steps toward federal legalization and bear significant implications for legal…
Belgium has recently put forth an unexpected measure in its handling of the ongoing refugee crisis. As per an announcement made on Wednesday by Nicole de Moor, the State Secretary for Asylum and Migration, the country has imposed a temporary halt on the acceptance of single male asylum seekers. The objective of this move is…
The United States Department of Justice’s Opinion Release procedure remains a crucial source of guidance for legal and compliance teams around the globe. The procedure’s latest release offers essential insights into the payment of travel and other expenses for foreign government officials. This release is significant to corporations and law firms that frequently interact with…
On August 23, 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) updated its interpretation and implementation of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts for the first time in almost 40 years. Published in the Federal Register (88 Fed.Reg. 57526), these revised regulations affect prevailing wages and fringes contractors need to pay their workers on federal and certain…
China has officially completed the finalization of its regulations concerning generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) services. The Interim Administrative Measures for Generative Artificial Intelligence Services, also known as the AI Measures, came into effect on August 15, 2023. The regulations were jointly unveiled by several government bodies in China, including the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC),…
In an attempt to deflect further European Union antitrust examination, Microsoft Corp. has proposed to separate its Teams video-conferencing app from a comprehensive business software bundling. Nanna-Louise Linde, Microsoft’s Vice President for European government affairs, stated in a blog post on Thursday that starting from October 1st, Microsoft will start to unbundle Teams from Microsoft…
In a landmark decision influencing the global legal framework around climate change risks, the Australian Government will now disclose these risks to potential investors following a lawsuit. The risks informed will revolve around how climate change could potentially affect the value of the country’s bonds. This comes as a significant move that brings transparency in…