By Jacqueline Chiu, Alexa Driansky, and Ryan Poole, of AlixPartners As retail takes stock of another up-and-down year and gets ready for 2020, several key themes are emerging. In addition to the expected global economic slowdown and ongoing trade uncertainty that is likely to affect all businesses at some level in the coming year, retail is facing additional trying headwinds. Key among them is the fact that many retailers have taken on increased debt and, consequently, are needing to service...

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European companies are navigating a variety of social and equality-related issues impacting their workplaces and, according to Littler’s second annual European Employer Survey, are increasingly channeling their concerns into concrete actions. Faced with an aging workforce, rapidly evolving technology and market pressures requiring employees to do more with less, the vast majority of respondents are taking steps to support the mental health of employees. Improving workplace equality is also top of mind for European employers, with many taking greater action...

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How has Sweden managed to become a dream location for entrepreneurs and innovation despite high wages, strong unions, generous welfare, and regulated markets? What does the future of work look like in the age of digitalization and automation, and what lessons can be learned from Sweden and the US? The Seminar at Scandinavia House features: David Crouch, author of books Bumblebee Nation: The Hidden Story of the Swedish Model and Almost Perfekt: How Sweden Works and What We Can Learn From It Sarita Gupta,...

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Ogletree Deakins, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to announce that Scott Preston and Tiffany Hofmeister have joined the firm’s Indianapolis office as shareholder and of counsel respectively. Preston joins the firm from Jackson Lewis, where he was a principal and the Indianapolis office litigation manager. Hofmeister joins from Krieg DeVault, where she was senior corporate counsel. With the addition of Preston and Hofmeister, the Indianapolis office has grown to more than...

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On Thursday 14 November, the final three Commissioner hearings were held in Brussels for the French, Romanian and Hungarian candidates. Thierry Breton (France) and Adina Vălean (Romania) were approved by the relevant European Parliamentary Committees, while Olivér Várhelyi (Hungary) was blocked pending further scrutiny. French Commissioner-Designate Thierry Breton has gained approval from MEPs for the sizable ‘Internal Market’ portfolio. “Investing today for growth tomorrow” was key to Breton’s powerful opening speech which insisted on a vision of protection and transformation...

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Having the right roof over your head is always a key consideration in business (and life!), but is particularly crucial when expanding into a new country. You want to be spending your time driving your expanding business forward and not worrying about whether you are in the right location and space for your business. Things can be very different as you move into different jurisdictions, and so here are some of our top tips and legal considerations when choosing...

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By, Matthew D. Ridings, Norman A. Bloch, and Tom Mason, Partners of Thompson Hine, LLP The United States Department of Justice, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Service, and 13 U.S. Attorneys, announced last week the creation of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), which is designed to step up the government’s efforts to target bid rigging and other collusive behavior in government contracting, procurement, and grant and program funding. The PCSF will lead a...

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By Howard L. Nelson, Kenneth M. Minesinger, and William Garner, Shareholders of Greenberg Traurig, LLP On Nov. 8, 2019, the Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) issued DOE/FE Order Nos. 4461 and 4462 (the Orders) authorizing GT client SpotX Energy, LLC (SpotX) to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) under its recently enacted “small-scale natural gas export” rule (the Rule). The Rule amended DOE’s regulations to facilitate small-scale exports up to 51.75 billion cubic...

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By Stuart M. Saft, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Corporate Transparency Act of 2019 (HR 2513) by a vote of 249-173, including 25 Republicans, on Oct. 22, 2019. A companion bill is being reviewed by the Senate. The purpose of HR 2513 is to create a national database of the beneficial owners (Beneficial Owners) of corporations and limited liability companies (LLCs) in the United States "to assist law enforcement in detecting, preventing, and punishing terrorism,...

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