Member News

Member News
17
Feb
PROPERTY TAX IN THE NEWS – FEBRUARY 2026
IPTI’s usual monthly newsletter - the “President’s Message” - contains, inter alia, some summarised news articles from around the world. This IPTI publication - “Property Tax in the News” - contains some of the more interesting news articles concerning property taxes in North America and Europe which is where many of our members have a particular interest. Links to these and more, similarly summarised, articles - from North America, Europe and around...
17
Feb
Dear Littler: I’m a manager at a mid-sized company, and I overheard in the breakroom that two of our employees who were dating appear to have broken up, and another employee announced he is in the process of getting a divorce. Aside from refraining from wishing them a happy Valentine’s Day this year, are there any employment-related things I should keep in mind?
—Not Cupid
Dear Not Cupid,
You do not say whether you have a policy requiring employees to disclose workplace...
17
Feb
In this week’s Roar: U.S. container imports rebound, new rules for electronic export manifest filings, U.S. diesel prices up again, using AI competitively, and a new deal on greenhouse gas emissions.
U.S. container imports reboundedin January to 2.32 million TEUs after the slowdown in December. Port performance was mostly positive, with notable gains in the Houston and Gulf Coast gateways. Imports from China recovered 9.3% month over month but remained well below previous highs, while Southeast Asia continued to grow...
12
Feb
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2027 H‑1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 4 and run through noon Eastern on March 19, 2026.
REGISTRATION PROCESS AND FEE
If an employer wants to apply for an H-1B visa for a foreign worker, there are a few steps to follow. First, employers and their attorneys need to create accounts on myUSCIS.gov to participate in this process. Then the employer must register electronically...
11
Feb
Key Takeaways
Today’s middle market has 125,000 businesses, each with revenue of $30 million to $10 billion.
This cohort represents a critical, upscale and profitable element of the $30 trillion U.S. economy.
As the middle market has matured, its operational complexity has increased significantly.
The transformation of the American middle market over the past 20 years is nothing short of remarkable.
What was once a market of 200,000 businesses, each with revenue of $10 million to $1 billion, has consolidated into...
10
Feb
On Dec. 22, 2025, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) expanded its Covered List, effectively implementing a sweeping ban on the import of new models of drones and critical components produced outside of the United States. The action has a broad scope and applies to all foreign drones and critical components, regardless of country of origin and who seeks to procure them. The FCC subsequently provided clarification on Jan. 7 and 21 regarding the scope of its December decision.
Background
The FCC...
10
Feb
On February 5, 2026, key reforms to the UK’s data protection regime came into force, effectuating a departure from certain aspects of the EU regime and underscoring an emerging divergence between the UK and EU frameworks. These changes introduce new flexibility in areas such as cookie consent, automated decision-making (ADM) and processing of data for scientific research purposes, while raising the bar for compliance in areas such as the handling of data relating to minors.
Key Reforms
As discussed in our...
09
Feb
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) recently announced three major trade and economic initiatives that the administration describes as part of a broader strategy to address large and persistent U.S. trade deficits, concerns about reciprocity in bilateral trade relationships, and other unfair trade practices, while deepening economic and national security cooperation and reinforcing Western Hemisphere supply chains. On January 29, a U.S.-El Salvador Framework for an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade was announced, which includes commitments to improve market access, regulatory...
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