Firms to collaborate on driving Transatlantic policy and investment Blue Star Strategies, LLC announced that Mathilde Defarges, Partner at Arcturus Group, will serve as strategic advisor for France and Brussels to the firm. Ms. Defarges will work with Blue Star Strategies to drive Transatlantic policy and investment by supporting European clients with interests in the United States and North American clients with interests in France and Brussels. She will continue to serve as partner at Arcturus Group from her Paris and Brussels...

BY MICHELLE WHITE AND JOE CURTIS ON JUNE 13, 2017 The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued a policy memorandum directing USCIS personnel to adopt the Administrative Appeals Office’s (AAO) reasoning in Matter of I-Corp. Specifically, pursuant to Matter of I-Corp., USCIS is directed to deny visa petitions that are based on an illegal or otherwise invalid or unenforceable employment agreement.  Matter of I-Corp. pertained to the denial of a petition for an L-1B visa on the grounds that the evidence...

The Act of 10 August 2016 modernising Luxembourg company law and amending the Act of 10 August 1915 on commercial companies (the "Act") has clarified the rules applicable to the issuance of convertible debt instruments. 1. General rules The issuance of convertible bonds by a Luxembourg-based company is subject to the rules laid down in Articles 84 to 94-8 of the Act. The issue documentation can, however, derogate from these rules, at the company's choosing. These rules can be applied in whole...

Fast application processing, enhanced customer service now available for companies    When companies in Canada can thrive and grow, they create more jobs. The Government of Canada’s new Global Skills Strategy will give employers a faster and more predictable process for attracting top talent and new skills to Canada, creating economic growth and more middle-class jobs for Canadians.  Today, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Ahmed Hussen, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains and Rodger Cuzner, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister...

BY MICHAEL J. LOTITO AND ILYSE SCHUMAN ON JUNE 7, 2017 In a three-sentence press release, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta announced the withdrawal of two Wage and Hour Administrator's Interpretations (AIs) on joint employment and independent contractors. While the AIs were not binding law, they did represent a significant shift in wage and hour law advocated by the prior administration, and served as the Wage and Hour Administration's (WHD) justification for taking certain enforcement actions. While the AIs' rescission is being...