By Ignacio E. Sanchez | Christine Daya Congress has released the final version of the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 (FIRRMA) – a bill to modernize and strengthen the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to more effectively guard against the risk to US national security posed by certain types of foreign investments. FIRRMA is incorporated into the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act for FY19, which Congress expects to pass this week. The House and Senate passed...

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Currently studying? Want to learn more about a future career in corporate finance? We’re looking for women to help us build a better working world. The EY Corporate Finance Woman of the Year competition recognizes talented young women with the potential to have a fulfilling career in EY Transaction Advisory Services (TAS). EY TAS helps companies drive inclusive growth by focusing on their capital and transaction strategy through to execution. In an environment of unprecedented disruption we support the flow of capital across...

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By Elco van Groningen | Neil Pattie | Jordi Manrique People on the Canary Islands will get an even better view of the stars thanks to new astronomy-friendly street lighting from Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting. In Puerto de la Cruz, a city on the north coast of Tenerife, the company is installing smart LED street lights that can be dimmed remotely and which use special optics to reduce light spillage that could interfere with nearby observatories. "The project is an example...

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Last May 2018, the European Commission proposed to amend Regulation (EC) no. 469/2009 on complementary protection certificates (CPC). If adopted, such amendment will affect European patent rights in the pharmaceutical sector. More specifically, the Commission proposed the introduction of Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) to boost investment in the development and manufacture of biosimilars and generics (“the Proposal”). Medicinal products can be marketed in Europe after obtaining an authorization from the competent administrative authority (in Italy, AIFA). Since such authorization generally...

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By Melissa Manna | Ogletree Deakins Effective September 11, 2018, adjudicators for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will have the authority to deny any application or petition that is incomplete or lacks sufficient evidence without first issuing a request for evidence (RFE) or notice of intent to deny (NOID). The new guidelines are a reversal of the current policy, which requires that an RFE be issued unless there is “no possibility” that the deficiency can be remedied. Depending on the vigor with which it...

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By Steve Pasierb | President & CEO | The Toy Association Member concerns about IP infringement and resulting potential risks to toy safety via online platforms are real and mounting. We’ve been working alongside our IP Protection Committee with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Senate Finance Committee staff, and representatives from leading e-commerce platforms, like Alibaba and Amazon, to raise member concerns and explore solutions, with the goal of ensuring that only safe, compliant...

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By Dr. Thomas Griebe |Matthias Pallentin Whistleblowers: some consider them traitors; others see them as modern heroes. By issuing a recent proposal, the EU Commission has at least taken a position on improving (minimum) protections for whistleblowers and, above all, ensuring these protections are uniform throughout Europe. Originally developed by the Council of Europe, the principles should protect not only whistleblowers acting with good intentions but also those who suffer harm as a result of false or malicious reports. As such, they will...

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