This week, COVID restrictions in the UK have loosened once again, with the UK taking the next step in its "roadmap" out of lockdown. In England, hairdressers, gyms, non-essential retail, and outdoor dining are now open. In Wales, non-essential shops can now open and travel is allowed from England, but the re-opening date for outdoor dining has not yet been announced. Northern Ireland will be reviewing lockdown restrictions this week, and in Scotland, rules remain the same after their...

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On April 5, 2021, the U.S. Court of International Trade issued an opinion declaring the Section 232 steel and aluminum “derivative” tariffs unlawful, and ordered the government to refund any duties to the plaintiff.  Prime Source Building Products v. United States, Slip Op. 21-36. The Section 232 “derivative” tariffs were imposed beginning January 24, 2020 on certain articles of steel and aluminum such as nails, tacks, stranded wire (of aluminum), and bumper stampings.  A complete list of affected products can be...

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Have you considered rethinking your business model with a more sustainable mindset? In the ESG era, this is the mission of many managers. The Product-Service System represents a new way of relating to products. How about the fact that the energy efficiency of many processes domestic and industrial does not reach 50%? A large part of the resources we use ends up as garbage, without reuse. The key factor to this problem is in the way we deal with our...

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Previously published in Bloomberg Politics & Policy | Scandals and failures will continue to plague the sector until it completes the unified regulation it promised more than a decade ago, including deposit insurance similar to that of the U.S. Europe’s banking sector continues to be shaken by scandals and failures. German public prosecutors are facing demands to bring charges against the German banking arm of Greensill Capital. Germany's financial regulator, BaFin, has been humiliated by the 3.5 billion euro Wirecard scandal. Serious...

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Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that, at least in the short run, is likely to dramatically reduce litigation under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”). In Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid, the Court held that only a narrow set of telephone equipment meets the definition of “an automatic telephone dialing system” (“ATDS”) for purposes of the statute’s ban on making certain types of calls with an ATDS.  The TCPA’s prohibition on using an ATDS to call a cell...

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SPACs — short for “special purpose acquisition companies” — recently have drawn significant interest by companies and executives as a more seamless method to conduct an initial public offering. Often referred to as “blank check” companies, SPACs provide a vehicle by which companies may raise funds from public markets through initial public offerings (IPOs) that take a company from private to publicly listed. Unlike traditional IPOs, which often involve private companies that have developed over time, SPACs are shell...

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The Social Inspectorate is responsible for monitoring compliance with the rules on teleworking enacted to combat the spread of Covid-19. Criminal or administrative fines may be imposed for noncompliance with these rules. In the event of a Covid-19 inspection by the Social Inspectorate, the following information/documents should be made available. 1.    Covid-19 risk analysis Although teleworking is mandatory, measures should still be taken to protect employees who cannot telework due to the nature of their position or for business continuity reasons....

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Written on March 30, 2021 | With the new President, we expect a less restrictive approach toward immigration, however, the COVID-19 virus has significantly impacted global travel and immigration since March 2020.  As such, the current and past Administrations have implemented travel and immigration restrictions in the name of safety.  These measures have ranged from simple travel restrictions, to outright travel bans, medical testing requirements, and even the suspension of certain nonimmigrant work visas and immigrant visas issued by consulates...

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This article is part of Portolano Cavallo’s “INFORM@Digital & IP” Newsletter. Click here to subscribe. | In a recent interview, Europe’s antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager, warned Apple that its recent changes to privacy rules must not give preferential treatment to its apps over those of its competitors or it might be in violation of antitrust norms. Apple has framed those changes as being designed to protect users’ personal data, but that does not exempt its actions from competition rules. This warning came in reaction...

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