In this issue, we present an overview of arbitration as a dispute resolution mechanism. This edition also includes some key takeaways from a recent debate in Stockholm on the relevance of Section 36 of the Contracts Act in commercial disputes. Additionally, we provide an update on the proceedings before the Court of Appeal concerning the temporary injunction granted by the Oslo District Court in the Norwegian climate case ...
SyCipLaw Senior Partner and Head of Litigation Department Ricardo P.G. Ongkiko, Partners John Christian Joy A. Regalado, and Ma. Patricia B. Paz-Jacoba have authored the Philippine chapter in the newly released Chambers International Arbitration 2024 Global Practice Guide (GPG) ...
On September 15, 2023, the DOLE issued Labor Advisory No. 20, Series of 2023, providing new guidelines on the implementation of a Cancer Control and Prevention Policy and Program in the Workplace. Under the Labor Advisory, employers and their employees are required to adopt such program, which shall include the following areas: 1. promotion of a safe and healthy lifestyle, including the mental and social well-being of employees; 2 ...
The UK GDPR and similar data protection laws around the world ask for data protection by design - but what does this mean in practice when it comes to DSARs? Using products such as Shoosmiths' SmartSAR may be the solution your organisation is looking for. Data protection ‘by design and default’ is a core concept under the UK GDPR and similar laws around the world ...
HR teams have a lot on their plate, but a key priority for 2024 is undoubtedly protecting the employee brand proposition. Our 2024 online programme is focused on supporting HR teams to do just this, equipping them with the tools they need to protect the employee brand proposition of the organisations they work for. Our latest webinar focused on what organisations need to do to manage conflicting protected beliefs ...
On 9 September 2024, Mario Draghi, former Italian Prime Minister and European Central Bank President, presented his highly anticipated report on «The Future of European Competitiveness» to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen [1][2]. This comprehensive report analyzes the challenges faced by European industries and companies in the Single Market and proposes strategies to enhance the EU’s competitiveness [2] ...
The EU's comprehensive data and AI regulatory package is about to become operational. This year, the Krogerus Data Symposium will highlight some of the most impactful changes of the Data Act and the AI Act, which will profoundly influence the application of AI, how companies and communities can utilise IoT data, and how data usage agreements are formed ...
Jersey publishes new guidance on the tokenisation of real world assets (“RWAs”) What is tokenisation? Tokenisation is the process of issuing a digital representation of an asset, typically on a blockchain, and its benefits include allowing investors to own and sell fractions of an asset which may otherwise be illiquid and/or financially unattainable for such investors to own outright ...
Modern data protection rules are being introduced to tax-efficient jurisdictions like Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. It's increasingly vital to understand how to handle data in some less familiar territories for data protection. Advisers are familiar with the data protection laws which apply in the jurisdictions where many commercial businesses operate like the UK Data Protection Act, the UK/EU GDPR and the California Privacy Protection Act ...
Chambers and Partners recently published its Enforcement of Judgments Global Practice Guide 2024. The Philippine chapter was authored by SyCipLaw partners Ramon G. Songco, Anthony W. Dee, Ricardo Ma. P.G. Ongkiko, head of the Firm's Litigation department, and Russel L. Rodriguez ...
Chambers and Partners recently published its Corporate Immigration Global Practice Guide 2024. SyCipLaw senior partner and Employment and Immigration department head Leslie C. Dy and partner Rodelle B. Bolante authored this year’s Philippine chapter ...
Force majeure remains a hot topic when it comes to contracts. Following the pandemic, Suez Canal blockage and international sanctions, parties to contracts have been looking at how to possibly recover their losses or minimise the effects of delays. One question that had arisen was whether contracting parties could be forced to find a way around the issues by being commercially minded, particularly where they had an obligation to use reasonable endeavours to overcome the force majeure event ...
The Ministry for Home Affairs, Security and Employment (MHSE) published the proposed Maltese draft order for the transposition of the EU Network and Information Systems Directive II (‘NIS 2’) on 6 September 2024 ...
The UK Cabinet Office has just announced, in a brief statement that the date for the Procurement Act 2023 to enter into force has been postponed. At less than 2 months from the planned “go live” date which was slated for 28 October 2024, in a surprise announcement, the new Government has decided to push this back. The reasoning for the decision stems directly from the change in administration following this year’s General Election ...
Over the last year, we have monitored a lawsuit in Georgia that alleged a hedge fund (“Fearless Fund”) violated 42 U.S.C. § 1981—the federal prohibition on racial discrimination in contracting—by operating a grant contest that awarded $20,000 grants to select small business owners, all of whom, by the contest’s express rules, had to be Black women. That case, American Alliance for Equal Rights v. Fearless Fund Management, LLC, settled yesterday ...
A federal court has issued a nationwide injunction blocking enforcement of the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) new rule that would ban nearly all non-competition (“non-compete”) deals. The rule, issued on April 23, 2024 (the “Non-Compete Rule”), would broadly ban employer/employee non-compete agreements nationwide and was set to go into effect on September 4, 2024 (“Effective Date”) ...
September 11, 2024 By: Amber Healy, Craig Nickerson, and Spencer Adler On September 3rd, 2024, Los Angeles County’s Fair Chance Ordinance (“FCO”) went into effect, establishing new criminal background check requirements for employers in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. The FCO expands the limitations placed on employers by California’s Fair Chance Act (“FCA”) ...
The trend for financial services businesses and others to procure services from FinTech providers – and for providers to offer their services direct to consumers – has increased over the last 15 years. In this article, we outline some of the key areas of law that relate to FinTech. Similar to technology law more broadly, FinTech law is very much a “discipline of disciplines” ...
SyCipLaw's Employment & Immigration Update (Volume XIX, Issue 1) features the latest issuances from the Department of Labor & Employment (DOLE), summaries of Supreme Court decisions, and labor and immigration updates. Please read the full bulletinhereor via thislink. Labor Advisories DOLE Labor Advisory No. 23-23: Guidelines on Minimum Public Health Standards in Workplaces Relative to the Lifting of the State of Public Health Emergency due to COVID-19 DOLE Labor Advisory No ...
Dr. Christine Calleja from Mamo TCV Advocates and Dr. Matthew Brincat from Ganado Advocates will be participating in an upcoming webinar organised by Novargo on the 12th of September. This webinar will focus on tackling key employment law issues encountered by HR professionals. Participants will have the chance to ask questions and gain invaluable insights on effectively navigating complex legal matters and workplace challenges ...
Recently, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a decision on the Department of Labor's (DOL) rule concerning tipped employees. This final rule, introduced in 2021, addresses the amount of time a tipped employee can spend on "tip-producing work" versus "non-tip-producing work ...
In Harrington v. Purdue Pharma LP in June, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the U.S. Bankruptcy Code does not authorize nonconsensual releases of nondebtors as part of a Chapter 11 plan ...
The National Interest Waiver (“NIW”) is a special provision within the EB-2 employment-based immigration category that allows individuals to bypass the usual labor certification process (“PERM”) required for most employment-based green cards. The NIW is granted to foreign nationals who can demonstrate that their work is in the national interest of the United States, making it a valuable option for highly skilled professionals ...
Carey Olsen announces new counsel within Bermuda employment law practice Bradley has over ten years of experience advising clients on a full range of contentious and non-contentious employment law matters. He also advises on all aspects of Bermuda immigration law, both for corporate and individual clients, in addition to data protection and privacy matters. Bradley was admitted as a solicitor of England and Wales in 2011 and was called to the Bermuda Bar in 2020 ...
Until recently, employer matching contributions under qualified plans were required to be conditioned solely upon employee contributions made to the plan. However, one of the many changes enacted by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Pub. L. 117-328 (“SECURE 2.0”) enabled certain qualified plans to condition employer matching contributions on employees’ qualified student loan repayments, effective for plan years beginning in 2024 ...
