On August 16th, 2017, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China published the Notice of the State Council on Several Measures for Promoting the Growth of Foreign Investment (Guo Fa [2007] No. 39)1 1 http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2017-08/16/content_5218057.htm (last login on August 23th, (hereinafter “Notice”), which includes 22 measures intending to encourage foreign investment.
By Laurie B. Kazenoff, Esq., Moritt, Hock & Hamroff LLP
The United States Internal Revenue Service will soon begin implementing a new tactic for collecting delinquent taxes. Although the IRS has not yet begun certifying tax debt to the State Department, they have stated implementation will begin in 2017.
By Prof Dr Renate Dendorfer-Ditges, DITGES Rechtsanwälte Wirtschaftsprüfer Steuerberater
Social Media, Web 2.0, Facebook or Twitter – even during working hours, employees make use of various internet applications. Under German labour law, the employer solely decides on the scope of media usage. If the employer does not permit the usage of social media, or if the employee exceeds the time allocated for private “surfing” (e.g. breaks, before and after working hours), such behaviour is regarded as a violation of obligations.
On February 14, 2017, David G. Feinberg, a participant in T. Rowe Price’s 401(k) plan, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Baltimore against T. Rowe Price (“TRP”), certain TRP affiliates and Plan Trustees. The charge: The Plan and its Trustees engaged in self-dealing and reaped windfall profits in violation of their fiduciary duties under ERISA, the federal statute that regulates employer-sponsored pension plans.
Labour law in France is currently marked by a positive wave of new reforms aimed at simplifying and generally making both the individual contractual relation and the collective dialogue with staff representatives or trade unions easier.
By Jane Marsden and Ryan Lynch, Memery Crystal LLP
In February, it was announced that Rolls-Royce had agreed to pay GBP 671 million to escape prosecution in the UK, US and Brazil for bribery offences committed in 12 jurisdictions around the world including Indonesia, Thailand and India.
By Merrill April, Sarah Martin and Emily Parker, Memery Crystal
In February the government released a list of 360 businesses which have failed to pay their workers either the National Living Wage (NLW) or the National Minimum Wage (NMW). Debenhams’ name as a prominent retailer hit the headlines, with other big offenders being those in the hairdressing, hospitality and retail industries. Only last week Tesco needed to send an apology to staff for underpayment of wages, having paid some staff less than the NLW.
When faced with a trademark dispute in the United States, the first and most critical decision a litigant needs to make is the forum in which to proceed. While there are many factors to consider when deciding whether to proceed before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) or a federal district court, there are two dispositive questions to bear in mind.
By Prof Dr Renate Dendorfer-Ditges, DITGES PartGmbB
Clients frequently ask for legal advice regarding post-contractual noncompetition agreements included in employment contracts. There are strict regulations which must be considered according to German law.
By María Eugenia Paoppi and Gustavo Traversoni, Traversoni & Bengolea Abogados
Since its launch in Argentina in 1996, the occupational accident legal system has significantly reduced the accident rate to such an extent that fatal accidents in the workplace have fallen by 69% and workers who suffer serious accidents can now be reintegrated into the labour market without major problems.
