We are happy to announce that Claude Kremer, one of the founding partners of Arendt & Medernach, was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Investment Funds Association (IIFA) at their annual meeting in Canberra on 21 October 2014. Claude has dedicated his professional life to investment funds and is one of the top specialists in the European fund industry. In 2005, he was a member of the EU Commission expert group on market efficiency for the asset...

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The filing period for “new” H-1B petitions to be counted against the annual H-1B quota (the “H-1B cap”) for FY 2016 will begin on Wednesday, April 1, 2015. Cap-subject H-1B petitions will have an employment start date of October 1, 2015, or later. In preparation for the opening of the FY 2016 H-1B filing period, employers are strongly encouraged to begin identifying current and future employees who will need H-1B visa status to be legally employed in the United...

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Earlier this month we wrote about how the borrower for 400 Atlantic Street in Stamford, Connecticut was expecting to lose its top three tenants, including UBS (50% of the space in that building). Yesterday, Connecticut publication The Day reported that a second Stamford building owner has hired a real estate firm to assess the market in the event UBS leaves its space. Cushman & Wakefield is the process of reviewing the market for 677 Washington Boulevard. The 400 Atlantic Street CMBS loan is bigger than the one backed by 677 Washington Boulevard,...

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As part of its commitment to the Partnership for a Healthier America, Nutri Ventures presents the Nutri-Guardians project to make nutrition education more fun and effective. NEW YORK CITY (Oct 21, 2014) – From now on, education and health professionals worldwide will have innovative tools, available for free, to introduce children aged 4 to 10 to the subject of healthy lifestyles and nutrition in a fun and exciting way. Under the agreement announced during the Partnership for a Healthier America’s (PHA)...

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Optimizing the use of energy is an ongoing challenge for industrial companies, also for the beverage industry. The Dutch brewery group Heineken is integrating large solar power facilities featuring an area of 7,850 m² of solar collectors based on know-how supplied by the Austrian company AEE for sites in Austria, Spain and Portugal. Large amounts of thermal and electrical energy are required to produce beer. At present this energy is primarily derived from fossil fuels, says Matthäus Hubmann of the...

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Unrestricted use of email, social media and file hosting services can have damaging effects on employers’ reputation and business. Bullying, discrimination, defamation, virus exposure, lost productivity and transferring confidential information and trade secrets are just some of the issues that can arise from misuse of telephone, email and Internet at work. Monitoring workers’ use of communication systems or their surveillance by CCTV may seem like a good way to protect business interests. However, this must be balanced with, and not...

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ATLANTA – September 18, 2014 – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to announce that the firm received the most “mentions” of any firm in Corporate Counsel magazine’s “Who Represents America’s Biggest Companies 2014” survey. This is the second consecutive year that Ogletree Deakins has earned the top ranking in Corporate Counsel’s annual survey. In addition to its ranking as the top firm...

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• airberlin strengthens long-haul network • Tourism is a key pillar of the network strategy • New opportunities in Italy due to codeshare with Alitalia • New sunshine destinations from Austria and Switzerland • Cancellation of loss-making routes airberlin will continue to adapt its route network by focusing on increased efficiency and further reducing seasonal effects. This strategic focus on increased efficiency is accompanied by a focus on our core markets Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The network changes see an increase in flights on further routes, such as the...

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Given the rocky nature of the markets on Wednesday, we thought we'd start TreppWire with a little chicken soup for the CMBS soul. The servicer for the $3 billion Stuyvesant Town/ Peter Cooper Village loan increased the appraised value of the property according to data received this week. Previously valued at $3.4 billion as of September 2013, the loan's appraisal was bumped up to $3.5 billion this month. As a result, the appraisal reduction assigned to the note was lowered. The lowest reported...

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The European Commission has commenced investigations into so called 'tax rulings' issued by several Member States. These rulings include comfort letters issued by (national) tax authorities giving a specific company clarity on how its corporate tax will be calculated or on the use of special tax provisions applicable to their specific situation. In general, tax rulings may involve state aid within the meaning of EU rules if they are used to provide selective advantages to a specific company or...

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