The “Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity” is an international agreement which aims at sharing the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way. It entered into force on 12
May 2018
GDPR Applies From Today
By Dan Cooper
The much discussed and long-awaited General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) applies from today, May 25, 2018. It will update and harmonize data protection laws across the EU, and sets out comprehensive rules in relation to personal data handling, as well as the rights of individuals over their personal data.
It is unclear how aggressively the…
The UK Adopts Data Protection Act 2018
By Dan Cooper
Having received Royal Assent on May 23, 2018, the UK Data Protection Bill is now an Act of Parliament.
The Data Protection Act 2018 (the “Act”) implements the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and replaces the UK Data Protection Act 1998.
Notable provisions that make use of the ability of Member States to implement…
SCOTUS Upholds Employee Class Action Waivers in Epic Systems
By Tom Plotkin & Lindsay Burke
The Supreme Court put to rest years of uncertainty regarding the enforceability of class action waivers for employees when it decided Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, 582 U.S. ___ (2018) on May 21. In a 5-4 decision, the majority held that employers do not violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) or the Federal…
DOJ Announces Planned Release of FARA Advisory Opinions
The Department of Justice has begun informing persons who obtained Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”) advisory opinions that it will “soon” publish on its website copies of advisory opinions issued since January 1, 2010. The opinions apparently will be redacted to remove the identities of the requesters and their clients. For years, the Department has…
Higher Fines for Gun Jumping in Mergers – The European Commission’s Continued Emphasis on Procedural Merger Compliance
By Johan Ysewyn
Last month’s Commission decision to impose a fine of €124.5 million on Altice for gun jumping is a stark reminder of the need to establish processes to ensure against conduct that can be characterized by the merger control authorities as violating the “hold-separate” obligation of the EU Merger Regulation (“EUMR”). That obligation prohibits parties to…
4 Considerations For Gov’t Contractor Carveout Deals
[This article was originally published in Law360.]
A steady flow of M&A activity in the government contracts industry continues. Indeed, last year we saw over 100 publicly reported deals involving government contractors, and this pace has continued into 2018. This M&A activity has taken a variety of forms, including a number of “carveout” transactions,…
Covington Publishes Detailed Guide To The Revolving Door Rules
The scenario is all too common: After months of searching for the right candidate and weeks negotiating duties and compensation, a company finally hires a new employee to a position that will entail work on certain government policy issues. The employee seems to be a perfect fit, but after a few days on the job,…
5 Questions You Should Ask About Your Global Equity Awards
[This article was originally published in Law360.]
As U.S. companies expand internationally, they often wish to compensate their non-U.S. employees with stock options, restricted stock, phantom stock and other forms of equity compensation. But offering equity compensation to non-U.S. employees is not as straightforward as it may sound, and is often more complicated than…
The Week Ahead in the European Parliament – May 18, 2018
Summary
Next week is a political group week in the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will hold meetings with their respective political party to prepare the plenary session, to be held in Strasbourg from May 28 to 31. However, there will also be a few interesting (committee) meetings. The upcoming week also…