Chapter News

Commission welcomes entry into force of Paris Agreement

Today the Paris Agreement on climate change enters into force, 30 days after the EU's ratification took it over the threshold to take effect. The new milestone comes less than a year after the historic agreement was adopted. European Commission Vice-President in charge of the Energy Union, Maroš Šefčovič, said: "Today's entry into force of the Paris Agreement, less than a year after its adoption, shows one thing: that the entire world shares a pressing sense of urgency when it...

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Member News

EU Commission proposes to extend the scope of the EU hybrid mismatch rules and introduce a Common (Consolidated) Corporate Tax Base

Last week, the EU Commission proposed to extend the scope of the EU hybrid mismatch rules by way of an amendment to the EU Anti Tax Avoidance Directive (the "ATAD"; see our Tax Alert of 23 June 2016 for further background. Under the proposed amendments to the EU hybrid mismatch rules, in contrast to the current scope, they will also apply to hybrid mismatches with third countries. Furthermore, the rules will apply to inter alia permanent establishment mismatches, dual resident mismatches...

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Member News

Businesses respond to changing face of US consumer, HSBC research finds

October 28, 2016 – New York – More than any other country, American consumers make purchases that cater to risk-taking, adventure and personal values, according to global research by HSBC. This structural shift among US consumers’ purchasing habits is prompting companies to re-think existing marketing and business strategies. According to the HSBC Future of Consumer Demand report, changing demographics and consumer behavior will present new opportunities for savvy American companies in the coming decades whilst posing threats to traditional business...

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Member News

Stout Launches Legal Management Consulting Practice

CHICAGO – Stout Risius Ross, Inc. (Stout), a global advisory firm, is pleased to announce a new Legal Management Consulting service to assist corporate legal departments in optimizing their practices. Stout welcomes to the firm Jim Mitchell and Stacie Neeter, who will lead the new line of business as Managing Directors. Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Neeter bring to Stout more than 25 and 15 years’ experience, respectively, including long tenures at Arthur Andersen and Huron Consulting Group. The vast majority...

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Member News

5 Largest CMBS Loans by Balance That Became Delinquent in October

The Trepp CMBS Delinquency Rate continued its climb in October. The rate began to rise in March as loans from the 2006 and 2007 vintages started to reach their maturity dates, which has caused the reading to move higher in seven of the last eight months. The delinquency rate for US commercial real estate loans in CMBS is now 4.98%, an increase of 20 basis points from September. Over $1.9 billion in CMBS loans became newly delinquent last month, one...

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Member News

Statutory Protections for Freelance Workers: New York City Paving the Way for a New Category of Workers

Wage and hour laws have traditionally drawn, or at least attempted to draw, a bright line between employees, who are entitled to the protections of wage and hour and other employment laws and independent contractors, who are not covered by most employment-related statutes.  In the growing gig economy, however, some have suggested that there should be a third category of worker – one that has some, but not all, legal protections of an employee but whose relationship is freelance,...

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Member News

Digital Rights Ireland challenges EU-US “Privacy Shield”

Privacy advocacy group Digital Rights Ireland is challenging the EU-US “Privacy Shield” (allowing for EU-US data transfers based on self-certification by US companies) before the EU’s General Court, accusing it of failing to provide sufficient guarantees to ensure adequate data protection. 1                 Background – invalidation of the EU-US “Safe Harbour” On 6 October 2015, in the “Schrems” case (C-362/14), the EU Court of Justice (the “CJEU”) ruled that the EU Commission’s “Safe Harbour” decision was no longer valid. This regime...

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Chapter News

Commission invests over €220 million in green and low-carbon projects in Member States

A LIFE-line for 144 innovative projects investing for a better environment and climate action. The European Commission has approved an investment package of €222.7 million from the EU budget to support Europe's transition to a more sustainable and low-carbon future. The EU funding will spur additional investments leading to a total of €398.6 million to be invested into 144 new projects in 23 Member States. The support comes from the LIFE programme for the Environment and Climate Action. €323.5 million will...

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Chapter News

ECB amends Guidelines relating to the Eurosystem’s monetary policy implementation

The European Central Bank (ECB) has today published three new guidelines (Guidelines ECB/2016/31, ECB/2016/32 and ECB/2016/33). These guidelines provide amendments to (i) the General Documentation Guideline on the implementation of the Eurosystem’s monetary policy (ECB/2014/60), (ii) the Guideline on Valuation Haircuts (ECB/2015/35) and (iii) the Guideline on Additional Temporary Measures relating to Eurosystem refinancing operations and eligibility of collateral (ECB/2014/31). The new Guidelines introduce changes to the monetary policy implementation framework, including: First, the Eurosystem is introducing some changes to the...

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Member News

Crucial Challenges Before the World’s Economy

The world economy now faces severe risks posed in part by slow economic growth, exceptionally slow world trade growth, and rising nationalism, populism and protectionism in many countries, states William R. Rhodes in a presentation to the Hudson Institute. Mr. Rhodes stresses that political leadership now is essential to place the world economy on a faster economic growth track and to educate citizens about the profound advantages of free and open fair international trade, which has been responsible in...

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