The U.S. Department of Justice has conceded in Wrzesinski v US that an American citizen and a native of Poland does not owe penalties for failing to file IRS Form 3520, “Annual Return To Report Transactions With Foreign Trusts and Receipt of Certain Foreign Gifts,” after receiving $830,000 from his mother in Poland. Krzysztof Wrzesinski immigrated to America in 2005 at age 19 and for the past nine years he has been a Philadelphia police officer. In 2010, his mother, Barbara...

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The general sentiment for prospective deal making in Canada at the end of Q1 2023 might best be described as restrained optimism, especially in comparison to 2021 and early 2022. Despite continued headwinds from various macroeconomic factors, Q1 ended on an encouraging note with a modest upswing in total Canadian deal activity (by deal count) from the last quarter. This quarterly review provides a snapshot of Canada's M&A landscape for Q1 2023. In addition, we will also take a look...

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On March 15, 2023, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) announced the launch of a coordinated enforcement action regarding the designation and position of DPO across the European Economic Area (EEA). In practice, EEA Data Protection Authorities will send questionnaires to organizations in order to assess their compliance with GDPR requirements, open formal investigations, and/or follow-up on ongoing formal investigations. As a reminder, non-compliance with GDPR requirements for the designation and position of the DPO could be subject to a...

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Two months ahead of schedule, EU lawmakers have come to an agreement on the EU Chips Act, a deal expected to double the EU’s global market share in semiconductors from 10% to at least 20% by 2030. Negotiators from the European Parliament, Council of the EU and Commission announced this week, on Tuesday, 18 April, that they had reached a provisional political agreement on the EU’s proposed regulation to strengthen Europe’s semiconductor industry. Commissioner Thierry Breton, the European Commission’s front...

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California’s Civil Rights Council has revised proposed regulations governing the use of automated-decision systems. A proposed bill, AB 331, would impose obligations on employers to evaluate the impact of an automated decision tool (ADT), prohibit use of an ADT that would contribute to algorithmic discrimination, add a new notice requirement, and create a governance program. A separate bill, SB 721, would create a temporary Working Group to deliver a report to the legislature regarding artificial intelligence. California continues to...

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In this week’s Roar: a closer look at import data, simmering labor trouble at U.S. ports, AI in the supply chain, a new trade partnership in the UK, and ocean carriers taking to the air. The story data tells will often change based on perspective. That’s what’s happening with the data on U.S. imports. The numbers from March show an import rebound—up 6.9% from February and 4.2% from March 2019, before the impact of COVID. And that’s a positive sign,...

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The monthly newsletter gives you an overview of recent notable changes in Canadian and American immigration. Here is an overview of the most recent news as of April 18, 2023. CANADA Extensions to submit work permit applications from within Canada All foreigners who are in Canada as visitors will be able to apply for and receive a work permit without having to leave the country. This temporary public policy has been extended for 2 years, until February 2025, allowing visitors' visa holders...

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Occupiers were already seeking out differentiated office space prior to the pandemic. In fact, 90% of office absorption in 2018 and 2019 was in Class A quality buildings, which only account for approximately half of total inventory. Executive Summary Occupiers were already seeking out differentiated office space prior to the pandemic. This flight-to-quality trend, however, has accelerated since 2020. Occupiers want to create engaging, experiential office environments where employees will happily choose to attend the office several times a week. ...

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Troutman Pepper's Guide to International Arbitration provides an overview of international arbitration: how it works; when you should select it as the dispute resolution procedure; and key considerations when drafting an international arbitration agreement. This guide also briefly introduces a species of international arbitration known as investment arbitration or investor-state arbitration. We hope you find the Guide to be informative and helpful when answering basic questions about the arbitration process and procedures Topics covered in this handbook include: What is...

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The EACC, in partnership with the International Property Tax Institute (IPTI), wants to keep its members up to date with the latest developments in property taxes in the USA and Europe. IPTI has put together below a selection of articles from IPTI Xtracts; more articles can be found on its website (www.ipti.org). UNITED STATES USA: Half-Empty Office Buildings Will Likely Lead to Higher Taxes for All Property Owners When cities can’t raise taxes from enough office buildings, they’ll go looking elsewhere. A topic...

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