Chapter News, News

October 2013: Euro area annual inflation down to 0.7% – EU down to 0.9%

Euro area annual inflation was 0.7% in October 2013, down from 1.1% in September. A year earlier the rate was 2.5%. Monthly inflation was -0.1% in October 2013. European Union annual inflation was 0.9% in October 2013, down from 1.3% in September. A year earlier the rate was 2.6%. Monthly inflation was -0.1% in October 2013. In October 2013, the lowest annual rates were observed in Greece (-1.9%), Bulgaria (-1.1%) and Cyprus (-0.5%), and the highest in Estonia and the...

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Member News, News

Nearly Empty Chicago Office Positioned for Sale

The $29.9 million FCB Center loan was placed on servicer watchlist according to November servicer data. This story probably warrants closer monitoring than most. The loan makes up 1.9% of JPMCC 2005-LDP1 and the property is a 225,00 square-foot office in Chicago, Illinois. The lead tenant in the building is FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding) with over 90% of the space. It appears FCB vacated the space a few years ago, but the lease was not slated to end until March 2014. The November...

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Chapter News, News

Europe’s Budgetary Surveillance Moves into Full Gear

The European Commission today presented a major package of budgetary surveillance announcements, covering 13 euro area Member States and 3 non-euro Member States, with a special focus also on the euro area as an economic entity in its own right. For the first time, the Commission has issued opinions on euro area Member States’ Draft Budgetary Plans, which from this year must be submitted to the Commission by 15 October, at the same time as draft budgets are sent to...

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Chapter News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

EU & US Conclude Second Round of TTIP Negotiations in Brussels

The EU and US today concluded the second round of week-long negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. A good atmosphere and the active involvement of regulators from both sides meant significant progress was made. “I am glad to see that we are now fully back on track with the EU-US trade talks”, said EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht. “We are making good and steady progress across the broad range of issues we need to tackle to make...

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Member News, News

U.S. Customs Finalizes Its Durability Test For Footwear With Textile Outer Soles

On November 13, 2013, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) issued a General Notice to inform the public how it will administer Additional U.S. Note 5 to chapter 64 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (“HTSUS”). U.S. Note 5 specifies that to be classified as footwear having a textile outer sole in Chapter 64, HTSUS, the textile outer sole must possess “the characteristics usually required for normal use of an outer sole, including durability and strength.” See...

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Chapter News, News

EU to kick off fourth European Semester

The European Commission will adopt a number of documents to mark the start of the fourth European Semester for economic policy coordination in the EU. The Annual Growth Survey will set out general economic priorities for Member States to follow when drawing up their budgets and reform plans over the next year. The Alert Mechanism Report will screen EU economies for potential macroeconomic imbalances, and indicate which economies require further analysis. This year the Annual Growth Survey will be accompanied by...

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Chapter News, News

ALFI: Asset Managers Should Broaden their Appeal to All Savers in Society

ALFI: Asset managers should broaden their appeal to all savers in society A report entitled "Beyond 10%: the case for enlarging the pool of retail investors in Europe's investment funds," commissioned by ALFI and prepared by research company Mackay Williams highlights the fact that there is a ?4 trillion pool of household assets in Europe that are not managed professionally and which is therefore either losing value or failing to grasp growth opportunities that are available through long-term investment vehicles....

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Member News, News

Pepper Hamilton Opens Silicon Valley Office

Law Firm’s Booming Intellectual Property Practice Plants Flag in the Heart of Tech Country - New Office Marks Third Pepper Office in California San Francisco (November, 2013) — Marking the beginning of its expansion into Northern California—the center of the nation’s high-technology industry and home to seven of the top 10 patent-producing cities—AmLaw100 firm Pepper Hamilton LLP, a founding member of the EACCNY, today opened the doors of its new Silicon Valley office. The office will complement Pepper’s two existing...

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Member News, News

Netherlands here we come again

EACC New York Member GRANITO has expanded once again, this time to actively assist companies, both in the US and Europe, to increase their business in the Netherlands. With the addition of Attorney Johan De Flines, an international Dutch lawyer,  Granito's Team is in a ready position to further aid its clients involved in cross-border business. The arrival of Avv. De Flines illustrates Granito's goal to actively expand into those countries which can benefit corporations seeking to increase profits beyond their home borders, whether by expanding exports, contracts,...

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