European Commission presents draft Brexit negotiating directives The European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, on Monday 3 February, presented the EU’s draft negotiating directives. The draft mandate will now have to be approved by EU Affairs Ministers on 25 February. On the first full working day since the United Kingdom officially withdrew from the European Union, the European Commission adopted the EU’s draft negotiating directives for the upcoming negotiations on the future EU-UK relationship. Pending any amendments by member...

A growing number of customers choose ING as their primary bank Primary customer base rises by more than 830,000 in FY2019 to 13.3 million; total retail customer base reaches 38.8 million Net core lending grows by €17.2 billion in 2019, €2.0 billion in 4Q2019; net inflow customer deposits €23.4 billion in 2019, €2.5 billion in 4Q2019 Four-quarter rolling net interest margin holding up on continued pricing discipline and tiering ING full-year 2019 underlying pre-tax result 9.2% lower than last year;...

It was not the fault of the crisis or at least not of the crisis alone. But the economic and financial meltdown of 2007/8 and following years made the European investment gap more visible. In late 2014, when the previous President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker took office, it was obvious that the continent had been living off its capital stock for quite some time and that it was in dire need of modernisation. To spur investment and get...

Irish business law firm Mason Hayes & Curran last year recorded a 4 per cent rise in revenue to €85 million. The Dublin-based firm, which is 50 years old, said the main drivers for its “solid” growth were demand in technology and data privacy, energy, financial services and litigation. It appointed 12 new partners, to bring the total to 90. Managing partner Declan Black said the firm was optimistic about this year, with a “positive” outlook for its clients given the strength of the Irish economy. Mr Black, who was recently...

February 3, 2020 | Toy Association staff members traveled to Nuremberg, Germany last week to meet with Spielwarenmesse 2020 exhibitors to track toy and play trends, as well as discuss regulatory issues of international importance with global toy associations. Toy Trends Spielwarenmesse was the latest stop for The Toy Association’s trends team, which travels to trade and consumer events throughout the year, both within the toy industry and beyond, to track new trends, meet with Toy Association members, and preview innovative products impacting...

At a recent U.S. Department of State-arranged meeting at the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Coast Guard and other government agency personnel and stakeholders met in preparation for the seventh session of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR7), to be held at IMO Headquarters in London on Feb. 18-22, 2020. A number of agenda items scheduled to be discussed at the PPR7 meeting will likely impact IMO 2020 regulations...

Portolano Cavallo announces the appointment of Ilaria Curti as counsel. Ilaria will lead the Internal Investigations group, expanding the Firm's offering to white collar crime defense.   “Ilaria assists multinational clients, particularly within the pharmaceutical and automotive sectors, with corporate criminal liability investigations concerning corruption and fraud. She draws praise for being ‘structured, analytical and technical in her advice’." CHAMBERS EUROPE 2019 – WHITE COLLAR CRIME (ITALY)   Ilaria has many years of experience in Internal Investigations and white collar crime, representing individuals and corporations in court and advising...

Today we open our doors as Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, uniting two firms known for exceptional transactional, litigation and regulatory capabilities, and a commitment to service excellence. One Shared Focus We designed Faegre Drinker for you: the client. Our firm has the strength to solve your most complex challenges, offering more than 1,300 experienced attorneys, consultants and professionals to support your business goals. With 22 locations in the United States, United Kingdom and China, we provide on-the ground support wherever you need...