KEY EVENTS THIS WEEK: BREXIT UK considers EU customs rules extension as ‘’bridge’’ to future eventual arrangement The British government is developing plans to stay within the EU customs union beyond 2021 in order to act as a ‘’bridge’’ to an eventual future customs system and prevent a hard border emerging on the island of Ireland.  This temporary scheme would mean that rather than the UK moving immediately to a post-Brexit customs scheme at the end of the transition period on the...

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In June 2018, the Embassy of Portugal and the Consulates in the US, together with many local partners, will organize a series of cultural, artistic, economic and scientific events to commemorate a “Month of Portugal” in the US. The program will span almost 60 cities and one dozen states and will celebrate celebrate Portugal, a 900 years young country, the Portuguese-American Community and the friendship between Portugal and the United States, our neighbors across the ocean. Download the entire program HERE Compliments of AICEP...

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By Andrea Guerzoni | EY Transaction Advisory Services Leader for Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa Eurozone companies build confidence by making their portfolios fit for an optimistic future, according to EY’s 18th Global Capital Confidence Barometer. Our M&A survey finds Eurozone companies optimistic about economic and capital market conditions over the next 12 months. The turnaround in market conditions signaled in the previous two Barometers looks set to continue, with 70% of respondents expecting the Eurozone economy to perform better than in...

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Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, has today launched its new company name, following the amendment of the company's articles of association changing its name from Philips Lighting N.V. to Signify N.V. "The choice of our new company name originates from the way light becomes an intelligent language, which connects and conveys meaning," said Eric Rondolat, CEO of Signify.  "It is a clear expression of our strategic vision and purpose to unlock the extraordinary potential of light for...

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By Thomas J. Engellenner , Reza Mollaaghababa | Pepper Hamilton  On April 24, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, held that inter partes review (IPR) proceedings conducted by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) do not violate Article III or implicate the Seventh Amendment. This decision in Oil States Energy Services, LLC v. Greene’s Energy Group, LLC, No. 16-712, validates administrative proceedings that were put into place by Congress in the Leahy-Smith American Invents Act (AIA) of 2011. The Court, however, made sure to emphasize...

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By Gerlind Wisskirchen | CMS  CMS Employment Practice Area Group is pleased to share with you the new edition of the guide covering main aspects of the labour law in fourteen jurisdictions in the Central Eastern Europe (CEE).The CEE has progressed considerably in catching up with the market economies of Western Europe in the past decades. The European Union is still a driving force, despite the potential Brexit and the economic crisis which affected us all. Still, the political and economic...

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On 11 May 2018, the State Secretary of Finance published a new transfer pricing decree in which he sets out his interpretation of the arm’s length principle as embedded in Dutch tax law (the Decree). The Decree explains the view of the Dutch tax authorities (DTA) on the 2017 OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines (2017 Guidelines) and it documents certain positions of the DTA on topics where the 2017 Guidelines leave room for interpretation. The Decree enters into effect on 12 May...

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By Dr. Thomas Griebe | Shareholder | Hamburg | Littler On February 7, 2018, Germany's two ruling parties, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), agreed on a joint government and a 177-page coalition agreement. The employment-specific provisions of the coalition agreement proved to be "deal breakers" and could only be agreed upon after numerous negotiations lasting late into the night. The latest coalition agreement will usher in numerous changes to employment legislation that are expected to be implemented over...

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The Italian Competition Authority (“ICA”) is a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization established on the basis of Law no 287 of 10 October 1990 (“the Competition Law”). The ICA operates in Italy enforcing rules against anticompetitive agreements among undertakings, abuses of dominant position as well as concentrations (e.g., mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures) which may create or strengthen dominant positions detrimental to competition. The ICA acts as both an investigative and decision-making body. In essence, the ICA controls M&A activities which...

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