The long-awaited joint statement on the U.S.-EU trade deal was finally published. “The United States and the European Union intend this Framework Agreement to be a first step in a process that can be further expanded over time to cover additional areas and continue to improve market access and increase their trade and investment relationship,” the U.S. and EU said in the joint statement. Here are some key highlights: 1. The EU intends to eliminate tariffs on all U.S. industrial goods and to provide...

By Daniel N. Anziska, Megan Conway Rahman, Charlene C. Goldfield, Troutman Pepper Locke On August 6, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) released the unclassified version of its Annual Report to Congress for Calendar Year (CY) 2024 (Report), depicting trends in the number of filings through CY 2024, distribution of foreign acquirer home countries, and updates on compliance and enforcement activity. Key Findings of the Report  CFIUS is required to publish an annual report under Section 721(m) of the Defense Production...

By Bryan Erdheim, Principal, The Medical Link Expanding business operations into the US market is a strategic move that presents both exciting opportunities and daunting challenges. Each state in the US has their own rules and regulations adding to the complexity of beginning US operations. Managing payroll, benefits, HR, and compliance becomes an immediate difficulty for an organisation not versed in such regulations. Fortunately, there exists a solution called PEO which is tailored to alleviate these burdens so companies can...

By H. Straat Tenney and Emma Bennett, Troutman Pepper Locke Businesses invest an immense amount of time, effort, and financial resources into building their brand identity and overall cultivating a strong foundation of consumer trust. This trust is not only a cornerstone of a brand’s reputation but is also a critical component of its long-term success in the marketplace. However, with the rise of phishing attacks, a brand’s trust can be quickly weaponized against unsuspecting customers when bad actors create...

By Isabelle Bart, Caliteam Many companies, whether they are startups or already well established, think that market research can be done “offline” and remotely. Customer discovery has been proven by many renowned experts such as Steve Blank as a great methodology to build a strong foundation to launch a product/innovation/technology. Customer discovery consists of understanding customer needs through speaking to customers directly and creating true value as a fundamental principle for success. Customer discovery revolves around interviewing customers about their objective and...

By Shin-I Lowe, Shareholder, Littler With the enactment of H.R. 1, also known as One Big Beautiful Bill Act, there are some noteworthy changes to USCIS fees applicable to some immigration benefits that have traditionally been free or of lower cost. Applicants must submit the new fees with benefit requests postmarked on or after July 22, 2025. USCIS will reject any form postmarked on or after Aug. 21, 2025, without the proper fees.  Notably, • There is a new fee for applications for asylum –...

In the current business climate holding on to employees is harder than ever; and holding on to great employees is even harder than that. The mainstay of attracting and keeping employees is (increased) salary of course, but over time companies have found many other benefits and perks. For the purposes of this article, benefits are things like various insurances, retirement plans, and vacation time, whereas perks are other less visible things like discounts to local retailers, on-site gyms, or...