Perhaps in response to the recent presidential election, the demand for immigrant visas has noticeably surged across most employment-based immigrant visa preference categories. While the final action dates for most preference categories have moved forward, meaning additional numbers of foreign nationals may proceed with applications for immigrant visa processing or adjustment of status, Charles Oppenheim, the Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division at the U.S. Department of State (DOS), forecasts that additional final action cutoff dates are...

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 The FX market continues to wait for more information on the Trump presidency before settling on a direction for the USD. The USD weakened though much of January as the market squared up some long USD positions established on the basis of an expectation of expansionary economic policies from Trump, as political concerns and lack of clarity on the economic agenda clouded the outlook. However, the Fed still seems intent on tightening again by the middle of the year...

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GRANITO is pleased to announce a new set of services relating to trademark, copyright and patent protection. GRANITO believes that the protection of intellectual property rights goes hand in hand with the development of a company's business strategy. GRANITO's recent publication "World Intellectual Property Rights and Remedies" (edited by Thomson Reuters in Nov 2016) showcases GRANITO's experience in the arena. GRANITO welcomes those wishing to reserve the rights that they deserve to grow globally with them in 2017. Compliments of Granito - a...

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On January 27, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending entry to the United States of foreign nationals from the following countries for a period of at least 90 days: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen (“affected countries”). U.S. ports of entry began enforcing the executive order immediately. As such, many travelers becamesubject to this executive order while they were in transit to the United States. Upon arrival, these travelers were detained for possible deportation from...

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Don’t be fooled by the press – they’re not invincible There is a common misconception carefully fostered by the media – especially the press – that there is nothing that you can do when it hits you with misleading and damaging material. This kind of story can be generated by a business rival, a disgruntled employee, or merely the jaundiced imagination of a journalist. Bad press sells newspapers which want to trade the reputation of your brand or corporation, or...

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One of the first acts of the new Administration on Inauguration Day was to issue a memorandum putting the brakes—at least temporarily—on federal regulations that have not yet taken effect, and to release an executive order authorizing agencies and departments to "minimize the unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens" of the Affordable Care Act. These two actions are the first of several presidential orders and memoranda expected in the days and weeks to come. Regulatory Pause The memorandum the President's chief of...

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  Dear friend of Voilà Chocolat, Thanks to the support and patronage of thousands of people like you, we were able to launch an innovative chocolate business in 2014 and build a brand synonymous with fun and creativity.  Business continues to grow. December 2016 was our strongest month yet -- sales were up 70% year-on-year. We were featured in a WABC Channel 7 Holiday Special as one of the city's top holiday destinations. And we're already gearing up for our busiest holiday...Valentine's...

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CHICAGO – Stout Risius Ross, Inc. (Stout), a global advisory firm, is pleased to announce a new Legal Management Consulting service to assist corporate legal departments in optimizing their practices. Stout welcomes to the firm Jim Mitchell and Stacie Neeter, who will lead the new line of business as Managing Directors. Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Neeter bring to Stout more than 25 and 15 years’ experience, respectively, including long tenures at Arthur Andersen and Huron Consulting Group. The vast majority...

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GRANITO is pleased to announce their support to companies looking to participate in the 2017 INAIL grant offering. As it is done every year, INAIL, the Italian Authority for the Accidents at Work, along with other similar authorities across EU member States, has launched their offer to give financial grants to companies with operational units in Italy, relating to health and safety in the workplace. Funds provided can be invested either in the adoption of Organizational and Control Models pursuant to...

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 The year 2016 was rife with turbulence and turmoil: Brexit spawned a wave of uncertainty across Europe, pressure in capital markets caused considerable strain for many businesses, and the unexpected result of the U.S. presidential election ushered in fears of a global trade war.   These events exposed public divisiveness unlike anything seen in modern times. In turn, these divisions contributed to unprecedented levels of conflict in businesses both public and private:  It was dubbed the “Year of the Activist...

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