The U.S. Department of State announced last week that it has updated its immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms - including for J-1 visas - to request information about social media accounts. A drop-down list of social media platforms now appears on the Form DS-160 nonimmigrant application, as well the Form DS-260 immigrant visa application, according to NAFSA. Applicants are asked to list all usernames or handles used on those platforms over the past five years. Image courtesy of NAFSA The updated visa application also...

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Key Events This Week Von der Leyen Secures Commission Presidency On Tuesday MEPs narrowly ratified Ursula von der Leyen as the new President of the European Commission – making her the first woman to fill the EU’s top job. The former German Defence Minister won ratification by a margin of just 9 votes. Von der Leyen pledged to put forward a “green deal for Europe” in her first 100 days in office, including legislating for net zero emissions by 2050 and...

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By Chase Perkins, Natalie Pierce, Aaron Crews, and Jill Weimer | Littler In an age where computer generated imagery (CGI) and digital effects enable entire film genres to exist, like Marvel’s superhero series the Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy, audiences have no expectation that movies they consume depict actual events or reflect reality. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the context and forum of how digital media and information is communicated, observed and consumed informs our default expectations...

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Michael J. Hartman | Jan P. Levine | Megan Morley | Robin P. Sumner | Pepper Hamilton On July 11, the U.S. Department of Justice rolled out a new policy to encourage stronger corporate antitrust compliance efforts. Announced by DOJ Antitrust Division head Makan Delrahim in remarks at the New York University School of Law, the new policy provides that DOJ prosecutors may weigh the strength of a corporate compliance program at both the charging and sentencing recommendation stages. As...

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Statement by Werner Hoyer, President of the EIB: The EIB welcomes the European Council’s call for more climate action: ”The EU Bank welcomes the request by the European Council to step up our activities in support of climate action. Last week I informed EU economy and finance Ministers that the EIB was prepared significantly to step-up its support to climate action if the EU Member States asked us to do so. They have now given us a very clear steer,...

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By Simone R.D. Francis & Shabri Sharma | Ogletree Deakins As we previously reported, the New York State Senate and Assembly recently passed Senate Bill 5248A and Senate Bill 6549. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed both bills, and both became law on July 10, 2019. Senate Bill 5248A, which amends Section 194 of the New York Labor Law, prohibits wage differentials based on any protected class. This law will take effect on October 8, 2019. Senate Bill 6549, now Section 194-A of...

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 Offit Kurman, one of the fastest-growing law firms in the mid-Atlantic, is strategically expanding into the Southeast by affiliating with one of Charlotte’s oldest and most respected law firms. Starting September 1, 2019 the attorneys and staff of Horack Talley will be joining Offit Kurman. The affiliation extends Offit Kurman’s geographic footprint to encompass roughly half of the East Coast and lays the foundation for further expansion for the firm.   Fifty-one employees of Horack Talley, including 27 lawyers, will become...

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On 12 July 2019, the Dutch government published a legislative proposal implementing the Mandatory Disclosure Directive (Directive). The legislative proposal introduces mandatory disclosure rules based on which qualifying intermediaries and – under certain circumstances – taxpayers need to report certain arrangements to the relevant tax authorities. These arrangements concern potentially aggressive tax planning arrangements with a cross-border dimension and arrangements designed to circumvent reporting requirements like the Common Reporting Standard and Ultimate Beneficial Owner reporting. Implementation of the legislative proposal...

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