Member News

The Defend Trade Secrets Act Is Now Law

On May 11, 2016, President Barack Obama signed into law the long-awaited Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (DTSA), which is effective immediately. Three key features of the DTSA include: (1) the creation of a federal private right of action for trade secret misappropriation; (2) a provision permitting ex parte civil seizure of property necessary to prevent the propagation or dissemination of trade secrets; and (3) a requirement that employers provide notice to employees of their immunities under the...

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Member News

Insolvency & Restructuring Partners Gerhard Gispen and Christiaan Zijderveld Move to Houthoff Buruma

Partners Gerhard Gispen and Christiaan Zijderveld and their team recently moved to Houthoff Buruma from Simmons & Simmons. Their appointment strengthens Houthoff Buruma's leading position in the field of insolvency and restructuring. First tier firm The Insolvency & Restructuring practice of Houthoff Buruma has been ranked as First Tier firm in the 2016 editions of Chambers Europe, Legal 500, and IFLR1000. Gerhard Gispen has extensive experience with cross-border insolvency cases. He advises creditors (banks, funds and credit insurers) and (national and foreign)...

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Chapter News

Eurogroup statement on Greece

The Eurogroup welcomes the completion of a policy package, which should pave the way for a successful completion of the first review of the ESM programme, upon the adoption of the agreed prior actions. Greece will implement as part of the prior actions for the first review: a first package of fiscal parametric measures amounting up to 3% of GDP by 2018; this package includes a pension reform, a reform of the personal income tax and additional fiscal parametric measures, such...

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Member News

Improving Road Safety through Better Vision

Everyone has a “blind spot” while driving – but combined with visual impairments, driving is a daily activity that can put us in danger. As more and more people develop vision problems, driving poses an increasing risk to not only those drivers, but also to everyone else on the road. A study from the Netherlands indicates that impaired visual functions, including limited visual acuity, reduced field of vision, color blindness, reduced contrast sensitivity (depth perception), increased glare sensitivity and night-blindness,...

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Chapter News

Investment Plan for Europe: First EFSI deal signed in Greece to provide loans for innovative SMEs

The European Investment Fund (EIF) and ProCredit group have signed a guarantee agreement to increase lending to innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small mid-caps in Greece. This transaction benefits from the support of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the heart of the Investment Plan for Europe. Under the new agreement ProCredit group will provide EUR 20 million of loans to innovative companies in Greece over the next two years. The loans will be supported by an EIF...

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Member News

Luxembourg Stock Exchange publishes new rules and regulations

The rules and regulations of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) govern the listing and admission of securities to trading on the LuxSE securities market, as well as the conditions for drawing up a prospectus. LuxSe recently published new rules which entered into force on January 1 2016 and replace the previous set of rules (dated January 2015). To learn more about resulting amendments, changes in procedures as well as the concerned parties, please read the full article. Compliments of NautaDutilh - A member of the...

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Member News

Blockchain Technology in the Financial Sector

Much has been written about Bitcoin since its creation in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto. Indeed, the high volatility of and scandal after scandal involving this new digital currency have been amply documented in the press. In recent months, however, the price of Bitcoin has stabilised at around 40% of its record high and appears to be rising.  One reason for this is the financial sector's interest in the technology underlying Bitcoin, namely the blockchain. This article first explains blockchains in...

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Chapter News

The outlook for the Global Economy: Remarks by Vítor Constâncio, Vice-President of the ECB, at City Week, London, 9 May 2016

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank the organisers for inviting me to participate in this event. In my remarks today, I intend to outline my assessment for the euro area outlook against the backdrop of developments in the rest of the global economy. In doing so, I will discuss the prospects of the euro area’s recovery as well as some of the policy initiatives which are required to make it more lasting and vigorous. The main point that I want...

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Chapter News

Europe Day: “Europe of the future is built together with our citizens”

The vital role of citizens and the importance of engaging them in building a better Europe is the key message from Europe's local leaders on the occasion of Europe Day on 9 May. Markku Markkula, President of the European Committee of the Regions, stressed that the European project has brought and is bringing also in the future so much good for the citizens that it must be defended even during turbulent times when it could be easy to succumb...

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