On 15 December 2015, the European Council, the EU Commission and the EU Parliament reached an agreement on a reform of the European data protection law within the framework of the so-called “trialogue negotiations”. The package consists of the General Data Protection Regulation and a Data Protection Directive. The General Data Protection Regulation is aimed at providing EU citizens with better control over their personal data. Important points are: • Explicit consent of the customers to the use of their data •...

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Friday, April 1, 2016 marks the opening of the filing period for new H-1B petitions to be counted against the annual H-1B quota for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. H-1B petitions subject to the annual quota, commonly known as the “H-1B cap,” can be submitted on this date for an employment start date of October 1, 2016 or later. To prepare for the FY 2017 H-1B filing period, employers should identify current and future employees who will need H-1B visa...

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Financial regulation is constantly evolving with ever more byzantine, copious and intrusive rules, whose reach is ever-widening. This environment, alongside the competitive nature of the globalised economy and the current focus on emerging forms of trading and financing in the "shadow" economy, creates a difficult and complex world for financial services firms and transactions. Typical regulatory issues for corporate deals Below are a few examples of areas where early-stage regulatory input is key to an effective corporate deal: Financial promotion: The "financial...

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Did you know that you can use EU and national competition rules to your advantage by intervening in merger investigations or bringing a complaint against competitors, customers or suppliers allegedly involved in anti-competitive or abusive practices? You can get the European Commission (Commission) or other relevant national competition authorities on your side to help tackle anti-competitive behaviour by players in your industry. Let’s take a look at mergers… Occasionally a deal is announced that will result in competitive and commercial risks...

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Application Deadline: January 25, 2016 IIE is pleased to announce the 2016 call for applications for the IIE Generation Study Abroad Scholarship Program. Through this program IIE will provide incentive grants of $7,500 to campuses to be used for study abroad scholarships for their students (including internships and service learning opportunities) that take place between Fall 2016 through Summer 2017. These grants are in support of pledged efforts by U.S. colleges and universities who are Generation Study Abroad partners. They...

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Global Professional Search is Meeting the Rising Demand for Global Talent WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2016 -- Over the last few years, Washington D.C. has made great strides to attract entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, incubators, and accelerators in an attempt to build its startup bona fides and place itself among the serious east coast centers of innovation. 2016 will be no exception. According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers and National Venture Capital Association MoneyTree™ Report, Washington D.C. ranked 10th in 2015 for VC funding–receiving $786...

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On Jan. 6, 2016, the staff of the SEC's Division of Investment Management released long-awaited guidance on mutual fund payments to intermediaries for services to omnibus and networked shareholder accounts. The guidance reflects the IM staff's views on a range of payments to financial intermediaries for non-distribution-related services, including sub-transfer agent, administration, sub-accounting and other shareholder servicing fees (the staff call these, collectively, the "sub-accounting fees"). The guidance reaffirms that directors bear a substantial responsibility in approving these arrangements, expands the...

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This article was originally published in The Daily Deal and is published here with permission. Cross-border transactions demand cultural sensitivity, patience and understanding. Valuations can be tricky. Due diligence is, almost by definition, harder and more time consuming than domestic planning, with different regulatory regimes, tax codes and legal systems. In the end, however, with strategic focus leading the way, these deals across can be hugely successful. Those are some of the insights provided by a panel in the Deal Economy...

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