Pirelli -Almost by definition, cities have always been hubs for innovation. Keeping large numbers of citizens alive, healthy and commercially prosperous inevitably requires a certain level of technological advancement. From the Romans’ highly innovative water infrastructure to the earthquake-proof buildings of Tokyo and the urban mass-transit systems of London and New York, new technology has made the growth and development of very large cities possible. And as the wealth-creating engines of the global economy move relentlessly towards our urban...

Loyens & Loeff - February brought the following interesting data protection developments: Update home market: The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg Update on data transfers outside of the EEA (Privacy Shield, Model clauses) 1. Update home market  Please find a brief summary of the relevant developments in three of our home markets these being The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. 1.1. Netherlands Education Executive Agency permitted to obtain travel data of students On February 5, 2018, the Dutch Central Board of Appeal (Centrale Raad van Beroep, CRB) ruled that travel data indeed...

Ernst & Young - EY today announced that it is the first organization to achieve the highest recognition in both delivery and capability in implementing robotic process automation (RPA) at scale and speed from Blue Prism, a leading RPA software provider. This recognition means EY is the first organization to build out Blue Prism’s transformational automation capabilities at scale using the company’s Robotic Operating Model (ROM). The Platinum-level Blue Prism Delivery Provider Certification sets stringent quality standards in delivery of transformational...

Ernst & Young - 2017 saw a 57% year-on-year rise in renewables deal value to US$42.8b globally Renewable energy deal value went up 71% in the US compared with 2016 Investors continue to look to yield investments for long-term stable returns Global power and utilities transactions reached an eight-year peak in both value (US$200.2b) and volume (516 deals) in 2017, according to the EY report Power transactions and trends: 2017 review and 2018 outlook. Transmission and distribution (T&D) together with integrated...

Ernst & Young - Making capital allocation decisions in light of US tax reform The recent Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Act) will have immediate and long-term implications on capital structure, capital allocation and performance measurement and forecasting. These implications are primarily driven by a much lower nominal corporate tax rate, changes to credits and deductions for businesses and individuals, and a modified territorial system for overseas earnings. In this article we explore the questions finance executives should be asking...

Cozen O'Connor - On February 12, the president released his highly-anticipated infrastructure proposal, a “Legislative Outline for Rebuilding Infrastructure in America.” Unlike prior federal infrastructure development strategies, which rarely discussed the need for maritime infrastructure investment, the proposal places maritime infrastructure on equal footing with other surface transportation modes in terms of potential funding opportunities. As explained below, the outline contains proposals that would create three new major programs, expand the availability of existing programs, and apply reforms aimed at improving...

Ogletree Deakins - The final version of the bill ratifying the Macron ordinances (Article 3 Ter) provides employers the option of unilaterally deciding, after having consulted the representative bodies concerned, to reduce the duration of current employee representative mandates if they expire between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019. The reduction cannot exceed one year. The first draft of the ordinance had restricted this option to mandates expiring in 2018, thus limiting the time during which an employer could establish...

Stibbe - On 1 February 2018, the European Court of Justice dismissed the appeals by several freight forwarders for their participation in various infringements in the sector for international air freight forwarding services. Freight forwarding services involve a number of services relating to international logistics, such as packaging, transportation, warehousing, handling and customs and fiscal formalities. In 2012, the European Commission fined several freight forwarders for collusion relating to four pricing mechanisms. These pricing mechanisms primarily related to various surcharges charged...