Highlights U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) proposed a $103,265 fee for all cap-subject H-1B petitions, which is a broader scope than the prior $100,000 fee. The newly proposed H-1B fee would not apply to extension, change of employer, or cap-exempt petitions. The proposed rule will undergo a 30-day public notice and comment period, after which USCIS will announce its implementation, if applicable. The executive branch is also considering a $100,000 fee for Optional Practical Training (OPT), which would...

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For EU antitrust investigations, a U.S. company cannot rely on U.S. attorney-client privilege to prevent the Commission from demanding U.S.-located documents, particularly communications with in-house counsel. The context is an EU antitrust investigation into Broadcom/VMware’s licensing practices (VMware virtualization-software licensing practices following Broadcom’s 2023 acquisition of VMware, including moving customers from perpetual licenses to subscriptions, bundling VMware products, significant price increase, contractual terms that could increase customer lock-in, restrict interoperability, or make it harder for customers to switch). What happened The...

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The US dollar is trading higher against nearly all the currencies. Equity markets are mixed and bond yields are lower alongside oil prices. There are two major developments.  First, the US and Canada trade talks broke down, and the risk is further escalation. Last week, President Trump has granted Canada a three-day grace period from the 50% tariffs on $20 bln of Canadian goods, even those that were protected by the USMCA saying a deal was struck. Canadian Prime Minister...

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