Information is the lifeblood of our economy. It enables us to run our businesses more efficiently, to sell smarter and to innovate. In parallel, our digital economy has also revolutionized the business of cybercrime. Instead of stealing information and going to all the trouble of selling it or using it themselves, cyber thieves are holding our systems and data hostage and demanding ransom for their release. With ransomware, digital files are virtually stolen, and a monetary ransom is demanded in...

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Fear that the spread of the Delta mutation of the covid would disrupt the global economy spurred the unwinding of risk-on positions. Interest rates fell, and the traditional funding currencies:  the US dollar, Swiss franc, and Japanese yen, strengthened most in July. While major US indices set new record highs, as did Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600, the MSCI Emerging Markets Equity Index fell 7%. The preliminary July PMI reports were below expectations in the US, UK, and France.  Japan's...

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The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS or the “Committee”), an inter-agency committee headed by the Department of the Treasury, has released its 2020 Annual Report to Congress (Report). CFIUS is authorized to review transactions that could result in the control of U.S. businesses by foreign persons or companies, as well as non-controlling investments by foreign persons or companies in certain U.S. businesses which are involved in critical technology, critical infrastructure, or the gathering of sensitive personal data,...

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The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has completed two of its early benchmark obligations arising out of the recently passed Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (the “AML Act”), which we previously wrote about here.  First, FinCEN published its first-ever government-wide list of Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Finance of Terrorism (AML/CFT) priorities.  Second, FinCEN published its report on the potential for a FinCEN no-action letter process. Below are some key takeaways from these publications, and here is a deeper analysis of the issues. Priorities: The AML...

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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced that it is loosening the requirement on companies to provide notice to the federal agency of acquisitions, mergers, and spinoffs. By way of background, in addition to requiring the submission and certification of two years of EEO-1 reports, the EEOC had created a new filing platform for the 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 filings, which are due by August 23, 2021. The transition to the new platform and the requirement to...

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Originally appeared in the Boston Business Journal, July 26, 2021 | Key insights Hackers continue to exploit weaknesses in cybersecurity systems and practices. The cost of a data breach can be in the millions of dollars, and take close to a year to detect and rectify the situation. Pre- and post-breach cyber regulations have been specifically developed for some industries and states. Take steps now to develop a strong, compliant cybersecurity program for your organization. When a business suffers a cyber...

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Traditionally used by hedge funds to drive alpha-generating strategies, news analytics data also has applications for assessing financial market risks, as the deep dive into the research below shows. Before ordering in the Moet it’s always a good idea to make sure your back is covered, and as every professional money manager knows, an accurate assessment of the potential downside to any given position is an integral part of the job, especially in the current regulatory climate. The investment game is...

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TABS entered a unique collaboration to give access to affordable health insurance for expats, offering our network many advantages if you join through TABS! Many European start-ups that are expanding to the U.S. are hoping to offer great health insurance to their future hires. They often aim to offer health benefits that are similar to the European head office and use these great benefits as a selling point to attract new talent for their U.S. subsidiary. However, what many start-ups...

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