Insights

Faced with the tightest labor market in decades, businesses are vigorously competing for employees - particularly those with highly valued skills. Some executives faced with these pressures may be tempted to reach an agreement, or at least an informal understanding,...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) remains focused on disclosure in the municipal securities market. The SEC has stated that disclosure policies and procedures help prevent violations of the federal securities laws. The SEC has also routinely highlighted the...

In the first part of this three part series we considered the impact of President Trump’s decision to re-impose sanctions on Iran’s energy sector with effect from 5 November 2018. However, Iran is not unique. Other nations whose economic strength...

His Highness, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE recently issued Federal Decree-Law No. 19 of 2018 on Foreign Direct Investment (“ FDI Law ”), giving life to one of the most recently anticipated legal developments...

On November 1, 2018 Inframation held its first-ever gathering in New York City of some of the main investors, advisors and funders active in Latin American infrastructure. We commend Inframation for creating a convivial atmosphere, as well as a forum...

CONTENTS Overview Energy Environment Infrastructure Taxes Trade Policy Consumer Product Safety Congressional Oversight Appropriations Financial Services ________________________________________ OVERVIEW 2018 MIDTERMS: The Power of Women, Possibility, and Partisan Rancor By Scott Segal and Dee Martin The 2018 midterm elections showcased the...

First introduced by the tax reform legislation signed into law in late 2017, Opportunity Zones present a new opportunity for taxpayers to defer and/or eliminate tax liability and, at the same time, spur much needed economic development in underserved communities....

-- IRS and Treasury Department Release Proposed Regulations on Opportunity Zones -- Coming out of the Dark: Energy Storage and Renewable Tax Credits

On October 25, 2018, a jury in the Southern District of Texas found oilfield mud engineers were exempt from overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) under the Administrative Exemption. This victory for the employer is unique because...

The IRS recently issued a Private Letter Ruling (the “PLR”) revoking a hospital organization’s section 501(c)(3) status for failing to comply with the section 501(r) requirements. 1 In what may be a sign of things to come, the PLR serves...

The past month has seen interesting developments in the antitrust M&A arena, including the first ever successful private antitrust merger challenge resulting in a divestiture order, and the announcement by the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division of several reforms aimed...

Economic sanctions, in one form or another, have been applied for centuries to effect change in the activities or policies of states, groups or individuals. Sometimes they are perceived as geopolitical economic weaponry, leveraging the intertwined nature of the world’s...

In May 2018, the United States Supreme Court issued an opinion upholding the validity of class-action waivers in employee arbitration agreements. Significant media coverage of that opinion has led many employers to evaluate whether to require employees to arbitrate employment-related...

On October 11, 2018, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published notice of a final rule change adopting the claim construction standard applied by federal courts for use by the Patent Trial and Board (PTAB) in AIA proceedings....