Member News

Panitch Law | USPTO Offers Additional Relief to Plant Patent Applicants Due to Pandemic

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused significant changes to the manner in which businesses must operate, including patent offices around the world and the businesses and law firms that file patent applications. As a result, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), like many other patent offices around the world, made certain concessions to allow patent examination to continue despite the challenges. Those concessions include some aimed specifically at prosecution of plant patent applications. At the beginning of the pandemic, the USPTO provided relief...

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Chapter News

OECD | A Turning Point for Tax: International co-operation for better regulation of globalisation

This article is part of a series in which OECD experts and thought leaders — from around the world and all parts of society — address the COVID-19 crisis, discussing and developing solutions now and for the future. | Originally delivered as a speech by Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, to open the 11th Meeting of the Inclusive Framework on BEPS, which took place on 27-28 January 2021. | Looking back at the past 15 years, the OECD’s efforts to transform the international landscape stand out as...

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Chapter News, Financing for Development/UN SDG's

Multilateral cooperation for global recovery

In September 2000, 189 countries signed the ‘Millennium Declaration,’ shaping the principles of international cooperation for a new era of progress towards common goals. Emerging from the Cold War, we were confident about our capacity to build a multilateral order capable of tackling the big challenges of the time: hunger and extreme poverty, environmental degradation, diseases, economic shocks and the prevention of conflicts. In September 2015 again, all countries committed to an ambitious agenda on how to tackle global...

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Chapter News

Eurosystem agrees on common stance for climate change-related sustainable investments in non-monetary policy portfolios

Eurosystem agrees on common stance for climate change-related sustainable and responsible investment principles for euro-denominated non-monetary policy portfolios Common stance promotes disclosures and understanding of climate-related risks Eurosystem aims to start climate-related disclosures for these types of portfolios within two years The Eurosystem central banks – the 19 national central banks of the euro area countries and the European Central Bank (ECB) – have defined a common stance for applying sustainable and responsible investment principles in the euro-denominated non-monetary...

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Member News

Marks Paneth | Biden tax proposals: What you should know

With Democrats now in control of Congress, it is increasingly likely that President Biden will be able to get at least some of his tax proposals passed. However, as the details of these proposals are still fluid, it is important to be mindful of the potential changes and to keep up with any new information. Income/Payroll Tax President Biden’s proposals aim to increase tax rates and limit deductions for taxpayers with income above $400,000. It is uncertain whether the $400,000 amount...

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Brexit News, Member News

Arendt | Clarifications on the validity of insurance contracts concluded by UK insurance undertakings in a post-Brexit context

Validity of insurance contracts concluded by UK insurance undertakings in a post-Brexit context – Clarifications by the Luxembourg legislator The Luxembourg legislator recently amended the law of 27 July 1997 on insurance contracts, as amended (the “1997 Law”) in adopting the law of 19 December 2020 on the budget of State revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2021. In particular, this amendment clarifies the post-Brexit validity of insurance contracts concluded by UK insurance undertakings prior to the end of...

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Member News

Houthoff | Remuneration policy, cross-border distribution of investment firms and UCITS, climate change and more

In this News Update, we discuss the amended Regulation on Sound Remuneration Policy Wft 2017, the consultation on the Act Implementing the Directive on Cross-Border Distribution of investment firms and UCITS, the ECB's new climate change centre, and the AFM's supervision agenda for 2021 and research agenda for 2020-2021. Finally, we highlight some other important financial regulatory publications. If you wish to stay informed, you can subscribe to the News Update Financial Regulatory. DNB – Amended regulation on Sound Remuneration Policy Wft...

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Member News

Steptoe | EU Plans to Enhance Enforcement of EU Sanctions and Counteract Extra-Territorial Third-Country Sanctions

On January 19, 2021, the European Commission (the Commission) presented a Communication setting out a strategy to stimulate the openness, strength, and resilience of the European Union's economic and financial system. An important part of this Communication concerns EU sanctions, in particular: The implementation and enforcement of EU sanctions regimes. The EU's resilience to the effects of the extra-territorial application of unilateral sanctions and similar measures by third countries. The stated aim of the proposed actions is to further enhance the EU's strategic...

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Brexit News, Member News

H&K Law | Brexit: Implications for Dispute Resolution

Highlights Brexit has officially arrived and brings with it changes to a number of important areas concerning cross-border litigation between the United Kingdom and European Union. This Holland & Knight alert gives an outline of the possible implications of Brexit in this field, primarily from an English law perspective and with a focus on commercial contractual matters. It is more important than ever that the points and issues discussed below are considered carefully at the negotiating and drafting stages...

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Chapter News

How the EU wants to achieve a circular economy by 2050

Find out about the EU’s circular economy action plan and what additional measures MEPs want to reduce waste and make products more sustainable. If we keep on exploiting resources as we do now, by 2050 we would need the resources of three Earths. Finite resources and climate issues require moving from a ‘take-make-dispose’ society to a carbon-neutral, environmentally sustainable, toxic-free and fully circular economy by 2050. The current crisis highlighted weaknesses in resource and value chains, hitting SMEs and industry. A circular economy will cut...

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