Member News, News

RSM | Tenth Circuit’s Liberty Global decision: What it Means for M&A Planning

Economic substance doctrine affirmed; integrated M&A plans face heightened risk. What the Tenth Circuit’s Liberty Global decision means for M&A tax planning On April 21, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed the government’s economic substance win in Liberty Global, Inc. v. United States, No. 23-1410. The court held that section 7701(o) applies even when a transaction mechanically complies with the Internal Revenue Code (Code), and that common mergers and acquisitions (M&A) building blocks (i.e., section 351...

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Member News, News

AlixPartners | Volume, Not Just Value: How North American Consumer Goods Companies Can Reignite Real Growth

The consumer goods industry is running out of room to hide behind price. By late 2025, category volumes were slipping into decline even as retail sales stayed positive—a clear sign that topline gains are still all price, not product. With inflation pressures intensifying again from rising energy and shipping costs, pricing alone won’t cut it. The next wave of growth will have to come from something harder: winning back consumers through innovation, sharper portfolios, and flawless execution. Why pricing is...

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Chapter News, News

European Commission | Questions and Answers on AccelerateEU Communication

Why is the European Commission putting forward Accelerate EU?  The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is heavily impacting global energy markets, with a knock-on effect on the economy, industry and households.  Since the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East, the EU has spent an additional €24 billion on energy imports, mainly fossil fuels. Even if hostilities ceased immediately, disruptions to energy supplies from the Gulf will persist for the foreseeable future.  Member States using more renewable and/or...

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Member News, News

Troutman Pepper Locke | Evolving AI Tools and Reliance in the Workplace: Key Developments Employers Need to Know

It started as merely trying out artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Now, more and more employers (and their employees) are relying on AI for their everyday operations, including drafting emails and summaries, screening and ranking applicants, managing employee performance, and answering routine questions. This expanded role has changed AI from a casual acquaintance into a new “co-worker” that can influence employment decisions, outcomes, and experiences. Employers are reviewing AI tools, assessing risks and deciding which tools are authorized in...

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Member News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

Jaguar Freight | The Big Squeeze

In this week’s Roar: Air cargo rates up, electronic tariff refund Phase 1, new emergency surcharges, the state of the global maritime system, and how AI is handling operational bottlenecks. Since mid-March, air cargo rates are up 10% as the war in Iran has squeezed capacity, pushed up oil prices, and disrupted flights across the Middle East. Jet fuel costs have nearly doubled, resulting in new surcharges on many routes. For shipments where time is of the essence, there are now frequent delays averaging...

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Chapter News, News

ECB | Navigating Uncertain Times With the Help of Artificial Intelligence

Blog | Artificial intelligence (AI) can help track inflation risks in real time. A new ECB model based on machine learning informs experts how likely it is that inflation will be much higher or much lower than they expect. In times of growing economic and political uncertainty, prices can change more rapidly and more strongly. This is why monetary policy decisions rely not only on the most likely path for inflation, which economists like to call the “baseline”, but also...

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Member News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

Perkins Coie | The Launch of CAPE Phase 1: Essential Guidance for IEEPA Duty Refunds

Today, April 20, 2026, marks a significant milestone for importers seeking to recover duties paid under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).  U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has officially launched the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) Phase 1 functionality within CBP’s digital system for processing imports and exports—the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). Following the invalidation of certain IEEPA-based tariffs, CAPE serves as the primary administrative mechanism for securing refunds. However, CAPE is not a “blanket” refund process. CBP...

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News, TRIA News

EIB | EIB Group, European Commission and IFC Back Biovac to Build Africa’s First End-to-End Multi-Vaccine Manufacturing Site

€75 million EIB Group quasi-equity investment to support Africa’s first end-to-end multi-vaccine manufacturing facility in South Africa enables an additional $20  million and further mobilization in senior financing from the IFC. This investment is backed by a European Commission EFSD+ guarantee under the Human Development Accelerator (HDX), part of the EU's Global Gateway strategy. Project to produce key vaccines for cholera, polio, meningitis and pneumonia, strengthening the prevention of serious infectious diseases in children. More than 340 skilled and...

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Chapter News, News

European Commission | Commission Updates EU Competition Rules for Technology Licensing Agreements

The European Commission has today adopted the revised Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation ('TTBER') and Guidelines on the application of Article 101 of the Treaty to technology transfer agreements ('Guidelines'), following a thorough review of the rules that have been in place since 2014. Technology transfer agreements are agreements by which a firm that owns technology rights (such as patents, design rights or software copyright) authorises another firm - usually by granting a licence - to use the rights to produce goods or services. Because...

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Member News, News

FBT Gibbons | Scam Alert: Fake USPTO “Trademark Verification” Emails Targeting Trademark Applicants

Fake mandatory verification appointments, fake examining attorney phone calls, and fraudulent USPTO emails. There have been reports of law firms receiving a wave of fraudulent emails impersonating the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). These emails target trademark applicants with urgent demands for a “mandatory verification appointment” phone call with a fake examining attorney. They look convincing because scammers pull real application data (serial numbers, owner names, attorney addresses) from the USPTO’s publicly available Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR)...

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