On February 25, 2019, the European Banking Authority (EBA) published its final Guidelines on outsourcing (Guidelines) to ensure that sound risk management measures are adopted by banking, financial, and payment institutions (Institutions). These Guidelines will become effective September 30, 2019 and specifically highlight FinTech and data protection issues. This not only reveals some potential regulatory challenges that EU players will have to face going forward, but also relates to the broader interest in IT outsourcing also echoed by US regulators. Outsourcing...

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The Toy Association – the not-for-profit trade association representing the toy, game, and youth entertainment product businesses that drive the annual $28 billion American toy market and are leaders around the world – announced today that the Trump administration’s proposed 25 percent tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese imports, including children’s toys, would irreparably harm American families, jobs, and businesses. "The return of a dark tariff cloud threatening the toy and retail communities would sharply increase the cost of toys...

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By Dr. Max Helleberg & Dr. Bärbel Sachs | Noerr LLP As previously reported, the European Union has adopted a framework regulation for the screening of foreign direct investments into the Union. It entered into force on 11 April 2019. However, the Regulation will not apply until 11 October 2020. Unusually for an EU Regulation, it merely provides a legal framework to be completed by the Member States. The decision on whether to set up a screening mechanism or to...

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Pursuant to the Law No. 155 of October 19, 2017 delegating the Italian government to reform state provisions governing business crisis and insolvency, the Legislative Decree No. 14 was enacted last January 12, 2019 (“New Code”). While most of the new provisions on business crisis and insolvency will enter into force next August 15, 2020, some provisions came into force on March 16, 2019. These provisions essentially cover (i) the organizational structure of Italian limited liability companies and (ii)...

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By Jorge Lopez and Elizabeth Whiting on May 7, 2019 On April 25, 2019, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) issued a practice alert announcing that the nationwide immigration association had “been in discussions with CBP related to what appeared to be an unannounced policy change in L-1 adjudication at the port of entry under NAFTA.”1  AILA advised the immigration community that—contrary to existing policies allowing Canadian citizens to apply for extension of L-1 intracompany transfer visas at ports of...

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By Jonathan Halpern, Jenna Bigornia & Ilenna Stein | Holland & Knight LLP Doctors, hospitals and others in the health care space should take to heart the increasingly aggressive position the U.S. Department of Justice is taking, including through an expansive application of state bribery laws under the Travel Act, in bringing federal health care prosecutions. In its prosecutions, the government is not limiting its focus to arrangements with government-funded programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, but is using the Travel Act...

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Sales Slicer™ adds a new dimension to sales management with peer-sourced benchmarks of actual time invested working sales opportunities. Salespeople benefit from practical guidance, while executives and investors benefit from dramatically improved forecasting. USAM Group Inc. is proud to announce that today marks the 5th anniversary of the company's founding. Over that period, USAM's global team of enterprise sales and marketing professionals has matched hundreds of financial institutions with best-of-breed solutions from dozens of advanced information and technology vendors. USAM offers...

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Key Events This Week UK to contest EU elections on May 23rd This week Cabinet Office minister and de facto deputy prime minister David Lidington formally announced what we already knew – that the UK would go to the polls on May 23rd to elect Members of the European Parliament. Britain’s new MEPs will keep their seats until such time as Westminster ratifies a Withdrawal Agreement. The Labour Party, SNP and Liberal Democrats on Thursday launched their respective campaigns for the forthcoming...

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As Europe prepares to go to the polls from 23rd May, the European Council, representing the Heads of State and Government of each of the Members of the Europe Union, meets in Romania for one of its last meetings of the current mandate. Top of the agenda for discussion will be the key findings of its ‘Future of Europe Initiative’. As Europe faces a crossroads on many fronts, leaders look to develop a future framework to remain strong and relevant...

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Operating between the United Kingdom and France, and wondering how Brexit changes your VAT obligations? Here are answers to some of the most frequently-asked questions. When the United Kingdom leaves the European Union (EU) it will become a third country, that is, a jurisdiction outside the EU and also the European Economic Area (EEA). We’ve discussed the tax implications of a no-deal Brexit and examined how it would change the VAT refund procedure. Now, we answer some frequently-asked-questions that we’re receiving about trading...

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