By Alexandra Kamerling | Sarah Smith | Sam Szlezinger | DLA PIPER Introduction The fines imposed by the European Commission (the "Commission") for substantive breaches of competition law have been steadily increasing in recent years, culminating in the high fines imposed on Intel (€1.06bn), Google (€2.42bn) and the participants in the trucks cartel (totalling €3.8bn). However, the Commission is also increasingly enforcing procedural competition law rules, particularly in the context of the European Merger Regulation (the "EUMR"), imposing fines for breaches, the most recent example being the...

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KEY EVENTS THIS WEEK: BREXIT Downing street comes under renewed pressure over customs union British MPs yesterday approved a non-binding motion recommending that the UK should remain in the customs union after Brexit, a move that heaps further pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May and her cabinet ahead of a crucial binding vote that will come back into the House of Commons in the next few weeks. Although a planned non-binding vote scheduled for today did not go ahead as expected, the...

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By Paul Sanderson | International Property Tax Institute (IPTI) The EACC, in partnership with the International Property Tax Institute (IPTI), wants to keep members up to date with the latest developments in property taxes both in the USA and Europe. IPTI has put together a selection of brief reports from articles contained in IPTI Xtracts which can be found on its website (www.ipti.org). As far as Europe is concerned, this month’s report includes articles on France, Germany, Greece and Poland. There is a separate...

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Vistra was named ‘Fund Administrator of the Year’ at the Private Equity Awards 2018 on Tuesday evening.   The award recognises the overall achievement of fund administrators in the calendar year of 2017, reflecting success in creating value for clients through the use of technology, understanding of ever-changing regulation and best-in-class reporting and analysis, as well as the overall evolution of team and strategy.   Commenting on the win, Onno Bouwmeister, Group Managing Director, Alternative Investments at Vistra said: “This is a huge achievement...

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By MENAKER & HERRMANN We have some major news about a significant development in our practice. After 35 years as a stand-alone partnership, effective April 30, Menaker & Herrmann will enrich its resources by affiliating with Offit Kurman, P.A., a law firm with a broad general practice and over 140 lawyers in the Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New Jersey metro areas. We will become the core of Offit Kurman’s New York practice, operating under the Offit Kurman name. The entirety...

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By Sharon R. Klein | Alex C. Nisenbaum | Taylor Jon Torrence | Pepper Hamilton With South Dakota and Alabama’s new statutes, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have now enacted data breach notification laws. The Oregon and Delaware amended statutes will enhance requirements, and Canada’s new law sets a national standard. The past few weeks have seen a great deal of activity in the area of data breach notification laws. South Dakota and Alabama — the last stragglers in a nationwide movement to enact...

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The first Generation Study Abroad International Symposium will take place outside of the U.S. in Helsinki, Finland in partnership with the Finnish National Agency for Education, EDUFI from September 17th to 18th. The event will convene Commitment Partners and industry professionals in the region to engage in solution-driven dialogue that pushes the envelope on how we think and "do" study abroad, featuring unique opportunities to grow and enhance international partnerships in support of increasing U.S. student mobility. The Symposium Series focuses on addressing the significant value of the...

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At last, Londoners have an ”e-hail” option that they can feel good about ViaVan, the joint venture between Via and Mercedes-Benz Vans, announced today the launch of its shared ride service in London. Through the ViaVan app, passengers will be seamlessly matched in real time with other riders headed their way, sharing their trip in a professionally-chauffeured vehicle. Launching across zones 1 and 2, the service will provide Londoners a much needed alternative to Uber, offering the lowest fares, better...

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By Charles Gielen | NautaDutilh The Benelux trade mark System will undergo two important changes as per June 1, 2018. Appeals from decisions of the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP) Until now appeals from decisions of the BOIP in opposition cases were brought before the courts of appeal of The Hague, Brussels or Luxembourg (with further appeals on questions of law to the respective supreme courts). This resulted in some quite different results. For example, in cases of refusal on absolute grounds, the...

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By AEM Carnelutti The European General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (“GDPR”) is a European regulation on data protection and privacy. The GDPR was enacted on April 27 and is going into effect on May 25, 2018, after a two-year transition period. It replaces the national privacy laws based on the venerable 1995 EU Data Protection Directive and reaches all companies processing EU consumers’ data. The GDPR creates a new privacy framework in European law that grants broad privacy rights to individual EU residents...

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