Member News

Portolano Cavallo | Telemedicine: The new national guidelines in Italy

This article is part of Portolano Cavallo’s “INFORM@ Life Sciences” Newsletter. Click here to subscribe. | Healthcare services provided remotely are officially a part of the National Healthcare Service (“NHS”), now that the State-Regions Conference has approved the document entitled “National guidelines for the provision of telemedicine services,” drafted by the Ministry of Health (hereinafter the “Guidelines”). Henceforth, the Guidelines shall serve as the national reference for provision of telemedicine services, with this updated version replacing the previous guidelines of 2014. Italian regions...

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Member News

BBGFX | March 2021 FX Outlook

The investment climate is changing.  The reflation trade has gained traction.  Bond yields rose sharply, and curves steepened.  The dollar value of the negative-yielding bonds in the world fell from a peak last December of around $18.4 trillion to $12.6 trillion, the least since last July. Commodity prices continue to move higher.  The CRB Index rose nearly 9.5% in February and brings the gain to almost 32% since the end of October.  Equities rallied strongly in the first half of...

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Member News

Jaguar Freight | Have the Major Supply Chain Events of the Past Year Become Normalized?

It’s cliche, but we have to ask. Is this the new normal? In this week’s global freight updates, we’ve got hidden post-Brexit costs, shippers on the prowl for boxes, the current state of ocean freight – in pictures, CMA CGM branching out, and plunging air cargo rates. According to The Loadstar, EU consumers are starting to become “more reluctant to order UK brands due to longer transit times and additional costs linked to duty and VAT.” Despite attempts to avoid disruptions, the uncertainty...

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Chapter News

New EU energy labels applicable from 1 March 2021

To help EU consumers cut their energy bills and carbon footprint, a brand new version of the widely-recognised EU energy label will be applicable in all shops and online retailers from Monday, 1 March 2021. The new labels will initially apply to four product categories – fridges and freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, and television sets (and other external monitors). New labels for light bulbs and lamps with fixed light sources will follow on 1 September, and other products will...

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Chapter News, COVID-19 News

ECB | Speech: Macroprudential policy after the COVID-19 pandemic

Panel contribution by Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, at the Banque de France / Sciences Po Financial Stability Review Conference 2021 “Is macroprudential policy resilient to the pandemic?” | Introduction It is a great pleasure to be here this afternoon and share some thoughts on the future of macroprudential policy in the euro area after the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. About one year ago, the euro area was hit by a major unexpected shock: the COVID-19 pandemic. While this health and...

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Chapter News

ECB | Speech: The coronavirus crisis and SMEs

Speech by Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, at the “Jahresimpuls Mittelstand 2021” of Bundesverband Mittelständische Wirtschaft | Frankfurt am Main, 1 March 2021 | It is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to speak to you today. At the ECB we care deeply about connecting with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), since they are the foundation of the European economy. SMEs make up 99.8% of all non-financial companies in the EU, provide 66.6% of jobs and generate 56.4% of added value. It...

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Member News

Wilson Sonsini | Forecasting Healthcare Regulatory Developments in a Biden Administration

President Joe Biden was sworn into office on January 20, 2021. As with any incoming administration, new policies will be pursued while those of the previous administration are furthered, abandoned, or undone. The federal government is an enormous bureaucracy with several layers and, therefore, converting policies into quantifiable results takes months or even years. Early indicators of policies' prioritization, implementation, or their likelihood of success can provide a head start to regulated businesses scanning the horizon. It is in...

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Member News

TABS Inc. | New law extends COVID tax credit for employers who keep workers on payroll

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) urges employers to take advantage of the newly-extended employee retention credit, designed to make it easier for businesses that, despite challenges posed by COVID-19, choose to keep their employees on the payroll. The Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, enacted December 27, 2020, made a number of changes to the employee retention tax credits previously made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), including modifying and extending...

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Member News

Vulcan Insight | EU Commission seeks input for gig economy workers’ rights

When Ursula von der Leyen presented her Agenda for Europe as a European Commission presidential candidate advocating a ‘Union that strives for more’, she singled out the fact that “digital transformation brings fast change that affects our labour markets.” She committed at that time to “look at ways of improving the labour conditions of platform workers.” Since then, gig economy workers have played an increasingly crucial role in the provision of services across the EU as the pandemic has...

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Member News, New York Related News

Grassi | Remote Workforces May Bring UBT Savings for NYC Businesses

While New York State has maintained that non-residents who telecommuted to their NY-based jobs during COVID-19 are still subject to the state’s personal income tax under the convenience of the employer rule, the issue is less clear when it comes to business taxes, such as the NYC Unincorporated Business Tax (UBT). Partnerships, LLCs or sole proprietorships that are subject to the UBT may be able to realize additional tax savings on their 2020 returns due to their remote workforces. This is because the...

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