Will COP28 achieve a commitment to phase-out fossil fuels? The 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) is currently taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It will bring together parties worldwide to refocus the global climate agenda as the deadline for climate targets for 2030 get closer. This year's conference includes the first global stock take of the Paris Agreement that will assess how successful its implementation has been so far. Based on the results, the participating parties will create...

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Year end is a good time to explore strategies to unlock potential tax saving opportunities. This is especially true in 2023, when high interest rates and the upcoming expiration of certain tax benefits make some strategies particularly beneficial. What tax strategies businesses should consider before year end 2023, including changing your accounting method, the timing of fixed asset purchases, and business succession planning? Weigh accounting method changes considering high interest rates There are pros and cons to changing accounting methods, which can...

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Under the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) new cybersecurity disclosure regulations, public companies will be required to file an “Item 1.05 Material Cybersecurity Incidents” Form 8-K to report any material “cybersecurity incidents,” which are defined as “an unauthorized occurrence, or a series of related unauthorized occurrences, on or conducted through a information systems that jeopardizes the confidentiality, integrity or availability of a information systems or any information residing therein.” Accordingly, the SEC’s broad definition of a “cybersecurity incident” may...

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Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK), a leading global commercial real estate services firm, proudly announces that it received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. “Cushman & Wakefield is proud to receive the Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion. Being recognized for this award is a testament to our commitment to diversity, equity...

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On November 29, 2023, a Ninth Circuit panel affirmed the lower court’s decision in Briskin v. Shopify, limiting the court’s jurisdictional reach against e-commerce platforms alleged to have violated privacy and unfair competition laws. In a case of first impression, the court was asked to decide whether defendant Shopify’s data collection and tracking practices exposed it to personal jurisdiction in California. The court decisively held that “hen a company operates a nationally available e-commerce payment platform and is indifferent to the...

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In November, $79.2 million across 10 loans were resolved with $36.4 million in losses total, carrying an average loss severity of 45.92% for the month. This was a decrease in loan loss volume from October where losses totaled $155.6 million. The 12-month average disposed balance moved to $194.0, down from the $209.3 million that was seen last month, while the 12-month moving average loss severity stood at 53.99% in November, slightly up from the 53.21% seen in the prior month. This...

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In 2004, Alberta's Transmission Regulation established the framework for the planning and development of Alberta’s electricity transmission infrastructure. Its intent was to attract new generation, increase competition and serve expected increases in load. The regulation has remained largely unchanged since 2004. Meanwhile, the electricity system has experienced significant changes—in part due to the dramatic increase in the amount of intermittent renewable power generation facilities connecting to the grid. As a result, Alberta has embarked on a consultation process to modernize the...

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EU co-legislators reach agreement on gas market reform This week, Members of the European Parliament and the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU reached a provisional deal on the ongoing reform of the EU’s gas market. The main objectives of the new reform are to address climate change and energy security. It aims to help decarbonise the EU by supporting increasing renewable gas and hydrogen production and integrating them into the EU's energy networks. It will also help secure the energy...

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This time last year there was optimism that a 2022 year-end fix would be passed by Congress and Section 174 research capitalization would be deferred or eliminated altogether. Instead, Congress failed to act and tax year 2022 proved to be one of the most challenging for taxpayers subject to Section 174. Aside from the increases to taxable income that plagued taxpayers, the glaring lack of guidance under Section 174’s new capitalization regime made navigating the law change exceedingly difficult. In...

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In this week’s Roar: a new Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure, confused shippers in the EU, air operators flying high, a shrinking pool of container boxes, and benchmark diesel prices continue to fall. Cyber Monday brought some upgrades to the Department of Transportation—a new Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy. With $2m in funding for the current fiscal year and a request for $7.3m for the next, the aim is to maintain and improve U.S. supply chains. Announced by...

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