Split along partisan lines, the Federal Trade Commission (Commission) voted last week to issue Commentary on Vertical Merger Enforcement (Commentary). The Commentary intends to “provide greater transparency to the public regarding analysis of vertical mergers” by collecting in a single document the Commission’s past vertical merger cases and summarizing how it has analyzed potential anticompetitive effects in vertical transactions. The two Democratic commissioners dissented here just as they had in June 2020, with respect to the issuance of the...

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Christmas is a time for contemplation, and the proposals of the long-awaited Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act may give gatekeepers and other online intermediaries even more reason to be pensive this year. The proposals introduce more rules for them to abide by, while also providing greater safeguards to fair competition and online users. Even though it will likely be another year before the Acts become effective, online intermediaries may already wish to begin considering their internal processes and business policies...

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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 a selection of brief reports from articles contained in IPTI Xtracts which can be found on its website (www.ipti.org). USA California: Prop. 13 Still the Third Rail? Not Exactly Proposition 13 is still the third rail of California politics,” crowed Jon Coupal in the headline of an...

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On 1 December 2020, the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (''ICC'') officially launched its revised Rules of Arbitration, which will enter into force in January 2021. This News Update provides a brief overview of the key changes made in these new rules. Strengthening the integrity of ICC arbitrations The 2021 ICC Rules aim to improve the integrity of the proceedings. Article 11(7), for example, introduces a requirement for the parties to disclose the existence and identity of...

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New York, United States (December 16, 2020) | Tradewind Finance has provided a USD 1 million domestic factoring facility to a seafood importer and wholesaler based in the United States that sells a variety of fish, including snapper, tuna, swordfish, mahi-mahi, and grouper, to retailers and distributors in the USA. The company is a new subsidiary of a large seafood farmer and processor based in Costa Rica and is using the funding to expedite cash flow back to the parent...

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