Bans to Cover Luxury Goods, Commercial, Industrial, Medical and Laboratory Equipment and Materials On Friday May 20, 2022, Canada announced amendments to the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations, which were registered and entered into force on May 18, 2022. Notably, these amendments substantially expand the scope of purchase and sale restrictions imposed on Russia to broader categories of goods and new industries. A detailed summary of current sanctions related to the Russia/Ukraine conflict can be found in our previous insight, "Canadian...

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This article from ICLG - Anti Money Laundering was published in May 2022. The entire publication is available at: https://iclg.com/practice-areas/anti-money-laundering-laws-and-regulations/7-impacts-of-covid-19-and-the-increasing-use-of-technology-for-financial-institutions The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities at many banks and financial institutions that increased money laundering activity. A report from the Financial Action Task Force found that criminals were exploiting conditions during the pandemic to bypass customer due diligence, misuse online financial services, exploit economic stimulus programs, and misappropriate financial aid - all increasing the risk of corruption and money...

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This article is part of Portolano Cavallo’s “INFORM@Digital & IP” Newsletter. Click here to subscribe | On April 26, 2022, the Court of Justice of the European Union (the “Court”) delivered its judgment (full text of the decision accessible here) in case C-401/19 – Poland vs. European Parliament and Council, concerning the validity of Article 17 Directive (EU) 2019/790 on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market (full text accessible here – the “DSM Copyright Directive”). 1. Article 17 DSM Copyright...

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The USTR has announced that it is further extending certain China 301 exclusions that had been put in place and/or previously extended to help address the COVID-19 pandemic. The 81 exclusions at issue, which had been extended through May 31, 2022, are now being further extended through November 30, 2022. The extensions are effective for goods entered on or after June 1, 2022. We have prepared the below schedule of the COVID-19 exclusions that are impacted by this announcement.  The...

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We are pleased to announce the appointment of Catherine Kelly (Tríona) as a partner in our Employment & Benefits and Education teams. With one of the largest employment law teams in Ireland, Tríona’s promotion further underscores our depth and breadth of expertise. Tríona has over 20 years of experience in employment law specialising in the area of education. She works closely with education institutions and employers advising them on a range of complex matters. She regularly appears before the Courts,...

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In this two-part series, we take an in-depth look at how the shifting economic outlook and interest rate environment will impact the future trajectory of property values. As strong headwinds continue to collide with strong tailwinds, the macroeconomic environment is becoming increasingly complex for real estate investors to navigate. In this first part, we review the historical relationship between the economy, inflation, interest rates and commercial real estate price movements. The second part will take the learnings from part one and analyze...

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On 1 June 2022, the Belgian law transposing the EU directives on certain aspects of contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services (2019/770) and for the sale of goods (2019/771) will enter into force, thereby ushering in a number of changes. In brief Consumer law will be modernised in order to take into account the development of the digital market and to harmonise the rules on the supply of digital content and digital services. In particular, the two-year...

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Our monthly newsletter provides an overview of recent significant changes in Canadian and U.S. immigration, including all updates regarding travel restrictions as of May 31, 2022: Opening of the International Mobility Program Plus (IMP+) As of May 24, 2022, the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship has opened work permit applications for selected permanent residence applicants in Quebec. Due to the current severe labor shortage, foreign skilled workers will no longer have to wait for approval of their application for permanent residence...

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I am very happy to announce that Cea Legal is launching today an innovative NFT rewards program for its clients. Each client - whether a business or an individual - that spends in a one-time transaction at least $2,500, $5,000, $7,500 or $10,000 in legal fees will receive a Cea Legal NFT, minted on Cea Legal's website and hosted on the Ethereum blockchain. Each NFT will give a predetermined future special benefit in connection with Cea Legal services, as well...

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Economic Calendar June 1: Bank of Canada June 1: Mexican Gubernatorial Elections June 2-3: UK Platinum Jubilee (Markets Closed) June 3: Dragon Boat Festival – China (Markets Closed) June 3: US Employment Data June 6: Pentecost (Various European Markets Closed) June 7: Reserve Bank of Australia June 7: US Primaries – IA, CA, NJ June 8: Central Bank of Poland June 9: European Central Bank June 10: US CPI June 12/19: French Legislative Elections June 13: Queen’s Birthday- Australia (Markets Closed) June 15: Federal Reserve June 15: Central Bank of Brazil June 15: China Medium...

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