This article was published in ACG New York 2017 Private Equity in Review. It is reprinted here with permission. By Johanna R. Collins-Wood | Associate | Pepper Hamilton  According to PitchBook, 23 M&A deals in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space closed in 2017. Within the first month of 2018, five more deals closed. While most of the 2017 transactions occurred between industry participants due to consolidation, increasingly, other companies are evaluating the many potential benefits of blockchain technology,  particularly companies that engage in extensive...

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By Roderik Bouwman | Illya Sverdlov On 12 March 2018, Ukraine and the Kingdom of the Netherlands signed the Protocol (Protocol) amending the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and on Property (Convention). It is expected that the Protocol will enter into force not earlier than 1 January 2019 after finalization of the ratification procedures. MAIN CHANGES  The official text of the Protocol has not been published yet. According to the Ministry...

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KEY EVENTS THIS WEEK: BREXIT UK eyes alignment with subset of EU single market in effort to solve Irish border questionAs Brexit negotiations set to resume next week in Brussels, British officials are planning to present a plan to their EU counterparts that would propose an entirely new EU-UK customs agreement which would keep the whole of the UK remaining aligned with a subset of the EU’s single market rules. Leaked reports from Downing Street suggest that the plan is intended...

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By Greetje van Heezik | Murat Duman | Eline Groen | Marinela Vieira  At the beginning of March 2018, the Court of Justice of the EU ("CJEU") clarified the limits of the private investor principle, also known as the "market economy operator criterion" ("MEO criterion") in two fundamental rulings. In SNCF Mobilités v Commission (case C-127/16) the CJEU clarified the limitations of the applicability of the MEO criterion. The CJEU ruled that the MEO criterion is not applicable to the implementation of a compensatory measure (the forced sale of favoured activities)...

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10 February 2017 The General Data Protection Regulation (“GPDR”) comes into force on 25 May 2018, and many businesses are beginning to prepare for its introduction. While the GDPR builds on familiar concepts and rules, it also brings about many changes. To help prepare for these changes, we have launched our "Getting Ready for the GDPR" Guide. The Guide will serve as a helpful resource for those looking to get to grips with the GDPR in the coming months. Does the GDPR...

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By IIE In today’s competitive economy, it takes more than a college degree to convince employers that graduates are ready for the workforce. Study Abroad Matters: Linking Higher Education to the Contemporary Workforce through International Experience, from IIE and the AIFS Foundation, synthesizes leading-edge research to demonstrate that in this globalized era, study abroad has become one of the most powerful ways to prove to employers that graduates have in-demand skills for the contemporary workplace. This paper outlines best practices for high education institutions, industry,...

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By Kevin Fritz | DLA PIPER The recently released Canadian federal budget ("Budget 2018") includes certain international income tax measures that will impact both Canadians investing or carrying on business outside of Canada and foreigners investing or carrying on business in Canada. In this legal update we will summarize these proposals and their significance for key issues including: reporting requirements, reassessments, foreign accrual property income and in the case of foreign investment into Canada, anti-surplus stripping rules. Measures impacting foreign affiliates of...

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By Patrick Kane | WSGR As application of the European Union’s (EU’s) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)1quickly approaches, the enforcement authority of the European data protection authorities (DPAs) is rightfully on everyone’s mind. The power to issue monetary fines against non-compliant entities of up to four percent of the entity’s past year worldwide turnover is one of the GDPR’s most striking provisions.2 But, the GDPR also includes a provision that may prove to be equally important: giving individuals the right to bring...

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By Ogletree Deakins Ogletree Deakins, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to welcome Cécile Martin as the third partner in the firm’s Paris office just one year after its opening. Martin joins the firm from Proskauer, where she was Special international labor and employment counsel. Martin has practiced law in Paris for nearly 18 years and began her career as in-house counsel for the French Data Protection Regulator (CNIL). In this role, Martin advised on...

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