The EU Insurance Distribution Directive 2016/97 (“IDD”) entered into force on 22 February 2016. EU member states are required to transpose it into national legislation by 1 July 2018 and to apply it to insurers and insurance distributors by 1 October 2018. IDD will replace and repeal EU Insurance Mediation Directive 2002/92/EC (“IMD”). Like the IMD, the IDD covers the regulatory requirements for insurance and reinsurance intermediaries that wish to operate toward European customers. However, the application of the IDD...

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Last week’s elections will bring in new legislators at the federal and state levels and The Toy Association team has begun laying the foundation to successfully navigate regulatory and legislative threats and opportunities in 2019 and beyond. The Toy Association is committed to working closely with new legislators and the current administration to support policies that promote growth in the toy industry and those that remain highly protective of children. In the coming months, the Association will meet with newly-elected...

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By Áine Cadogan | +353 1 614 7728 | acadoganmhc.ie Just as businesses have begun to come to terms with the GDPR, another regulatory regime has come into force, its arrival having gone largely unnoticed by many businesses. This incoming regulatory regime is called the Network and Information Systems Directive (“NIS Directive”) and the Irish legislationimplementing the NIS Directive (“NIS Regulations”) was signed into law in September of this year. The GDPR was designed to reshape the way that businesses approach data privacy...

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VAT on costs incurred in connection with an envisaged share disposal is in principle not recoverable. However, if the reason for the disposal lies in the VAT taxed activities of the parent company, VAT on the disposal costs may be recoverable. Proper and timely documentation of such reasons will play a deciding role. This follows from the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) in the C&D Foods case (C-502/17) on 8 November 2018. Facts of...

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VULCAN VIEW-KEY EVENTS THIS WEEK: BREXIT  Theresa May pushes for consensus on current Brexit deal as negotiations continueThis week, Theresa May’s government has largely focused on stepping up preparations for a Brexit deal, which they claim is “95% completed,” as cabinet ministers were allowed for the first time to inspect the draft withdrawal treaty. The intention was undoubtedly to inspire consensus on the deal as it stands, which is still notably missing any workable solution for Northern Ireland. Their strategy to...

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By Greig Taylor| Managing Director | Alix Partners In September 2018, I spoke at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) New York conference on a panel titled Efficiency Is Money: Techniques to Improve International Arbitration. The large number of actors involved in any given international arbitration, coupled with the differing interests in desired outcomes, makes the process highly complex. AlixPartners is experienced in working with clients and counsel to help them overcome such challenges, and in this article I summarize some of...

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By Etienne Bodard and Etienne Soula In the face of new findings regarding the challenge of climate change, exciting new initiatives on both sides of the Atlantic are finding greater and greater expression. On October 8, 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a special report documenting the consequences of global warming for life on Earth. Its conclusions are bleak. The Paris Agreement pledged to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The IPCC report explains that reaching two...

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The US market is very attractive for companies looking to invest and run operations. The US represents a quarter of all global economic activity and is a reliable and consistent country with a long-standing history of economic growth. 1. Starting a Business The US ranks as 49th in the world for ease of starting a business, according to the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC). The process of starting a business can vary depending on what state, or even city, you would...

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