The recent US tax overhaul continues to have wide-reaching implications. The limit on interest deductibility is impacting the way that firms finance domestic mergers and acquisitions which is fueling the existing trend for US companies to pursue foreign M&A. Why invest in foreign companies? Growing a business internationally has always been attractive to US companies. Businesses are still structuring for tax purposes, however the main reasons for going abroad are now; the desire to find new markets with more customers, access fresh...

Read more

So you've heard a lot about CFIUS reform and the changes that may result from FIRRMA, perhaps from our prior pieces. While the President just signed FIRRMA into law on August 13, you probably know that many key FIRRMA provisions aren't yet effective because they require implementing regulations, which could take many months. That timeframe might push the casual observer toward a "big whoop" attitude—i.e., "when the precise rules come into focus, I'll start paying attention." That would be a mistake for at least...

Read more

By Kaitlin Moyer Datacolor®, a global leader in color management solutions, partnered with the German building paint manufacturer DAW, to implement Datacolor’s newest, hand-held color matching solution, ColorReaderPRO, for use in its retail stores and by pro painters. DAW is the third largest manufacturer of architectural paint in Europe and develops, produces and sells innovative coating systems. DAW and Datacolor have a long-lasting relationship managing color in DAW laboratories and production. “We needed a device with high accuracy and a user-friendly design to...

Read more

Tradewind has funded a producer of metal pipes based in Bulgaria with both an export factoring facility of €340,000 and a purchase order facility of €425,000. The company, whose pipes are used in furniture, sells to buyers in Europe, including the iconic furniture giant IKEA. Proceeds from the facilities will be used to finance growing sales with new buyers, including Amazon, on open account payment terms as well as for the diversification of its product line and the purchase...

Read more

By Elliot Rysenbry  Tl;DR Competitive Intelligence is the practice of gathering information about the external business environment, including consumers, the market, and competitors, to formulate business strategies and tactics. What is Competitive Intelligence? According to Karl Swope, a private investigator in Trustify’s network, competitive intelligence (CI) is “a highly complex undertaking... the intelligence process involves not only the collection of data, but the interpretation of the data… to use as a strategic business component.” In simpler terms, CI is strategic information gathering that...

Read more

Reavis Page Jump LLP is pleased to announce the opening of a new office  in Stamford, Connecticut. RPJ Partner Deena R. Merlen has been appointed to head the Connecticut practice. Ms. Merlen counsels clients of the firm in both our Manhattan and Stamford offices. Ms. Merlen is a Stamford native and member of the Fairfield County Bar Association. She was previously Co-Chair of its Employment Law Committee (2015-2018) and presently Co-Chairs the Association's Entertainment, Media and Intellectual Property Law Committee. Our Stamford office is located at:1234...

Read more

By Greetje van Heezik | Houthoff On 25 July 2018, the CJEU set aside a judgment of the General Court (GC) that annulled a Commission Decision declaring a Spanish tax lease system to constitute incompatible State aid. The relevant tax system allowed shipping companies to acquire vessels via a specific contractual and financial structure. Under this structure, an Economic Interest Grouping (EIG) (formed by a bank and investors who purchased shares in the EIG) would take a lease out on a ship...

Read more

Firms accessing this credit line will benefit from favourable terms of EIB financing The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing financing for SME and mid-cap projects with a EUR 75m loan to Bankia. Under the agreement signed in Madrid, Bankia will match the loan with the same amount, meaning that a total of EUR 150m will be made available by the two institutions for financing Spanish businesses. This EIB loan to Bankia is being provided under the EU programme for SMEs and mid-caps....

Read more

By Guenter Degitz | Sean Dowd | Cameron Gibbs | Charlie Laurence  AlixPartners’ sixth annual global anticorruption survey polled more than 275 corporate counsel, legal and compliance officers representing more than 20 major industries globally. This year, businesses continued to face strong FCPA enforcement activity due to increased international cooperation, data challenges from legislation like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the emergence of new regions of concern. Our report examines the impact of these issues on organizations and effective compliance tools.  At a...

Read more

By Mark Overmann | Vice President of External Affairs | InterExchange   International interns and trainees contributed $662 million to the U.S. economy in 2017, a just-released study indicates. The study, conducted by the research firm Eureka Facts, examines the Department of State's Intern and Trainee international exchange programs.    The major findings of the report include:    Intern and Trainee programs are valuable tools for U.S. diplomacy, fostering positive attitudes towards the United States: 95% of international interns and trainees reported a positive experience in the...

Read more