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United Kingdom: Facilitation (Or "Grease") Payments (UK Bribery Act: Current Enforcement Trends) - Bingham

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:33:44 GMT

As under the previous UK bribery laws, facilitation payments, i.e. small bribes to facilitate routine government action, remain illegal (unless the foreign official is permitted or required to be influenced by such payments under the written law applicable in the relevant country).

United Kingdom: Subconscious Copying And Copyright: Court Gives Helpful Guidance - Goodman Derrick LLP

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:33:30 GMT

The story goes as follows: the creator of a set of characters for a children's TV programme sends his ideas to a broadcaster hoping to spark some interest.

United Kingdom: Corporate Hospitality (UK Bribery Act: Current Enforcement Trends) - Bingham

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:33:02 GMT

In response to calls from UK businesses to take a more commercial approach to corporate hospitality so as not to put UK businesses at a disadvantage

United Kingdom: Extra-Territorial Reach (UK Bribery Act: Current Enforcement Trends) - Bingham

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:32:23 GMT

Each of the offences has the potential for extra-territorial application, although the Guidance purports to narrow the Act’s reach over non-UK corporations.

United Kingdom: Key Offences Under The Act (UK Bribery Act: Current Enforcement Trends) - Bingham

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:27:29 GMT

The Act contains four main criminal offences

United Kingdom: I Now Pronounce You Husband And Wife… - Goodman Derrick LLP

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:24:58 GMT

The prohibition against marital discrimination was initially introduced many years ago to protect women from being treated less favourably simply because of the fact that they were married or because of an employer’s fear that they would be soon leaving their employment to have children after marriage.

United Kingdom: New Definition Of A Charity Is Set To Determine The Availability Of Tax Reliefs - Goodman Derrick LLP

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:22:03 GMT

We take a look at HMRC’s new definition of a charity and in particular what the ‘management condition’ means for charitable organisations.

United States: FTC Warns Marketers to "Shape Up Or Tone Down" - Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:21:32 GMT

"Shape up your substantiation or tone down your claims" was the message delivered by the FTC last week with its much publicized settlement with Skechers, the leading maker of toning fitness shoes.

United States: Managing A Down Economy—The Older Worker Benefit Protection Act: How To Avoid Litigation When Firing Employees Who Are 40 Or Older - Godfrey & Kahn S.C.

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:20:05 GMT

Given the general demographic of today’s workforce, any effort to reduce labor costs through layoffs or other means will likely impact at least one or two individuals age 40 or older.

United States: "2013 Federal Income Tax Update" - Godfrey & Kahn S.C.

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:17:59 GMT

This may be the final year that the so-called Bush tax cuts remain in effect, unless Congress acts to further extend them.

United Kingdom: Documenting Receivables Financings In Leverages Finance And High Yield Transactions - Latham & Watkins

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:16:50 GMT

Including a receivables securitisation tranche when financing (and refinancing) highly leveraged businesses that generate trade receivables has become popular for several reasons.

United States: Advocates Seek Human Rights Commitments From Telecommunications Companies - Foley Hoag LLP

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:15:56 GMT

Access, an advocacy organization that promotes open and secure access to the Internet, recently released its Telco Action Plan, a document that sets forth ten steps and implementation objectives for telecommunications companies ("telcos") seeking to operate with respect for human rights.

United States: Shape-Up Or Ship-Out: FTC Sends Tough Message To Marketers Of Toning Shoes But Fails To Clarify Murky Standard - Foley Hoag LLP

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:14:28 GMT

After much hype on Twitter regarding an action against a "major marketer of consumer goods," the Federal Trade Commission today announced that it has settled with Skechers USA, Inc. over allegedly deceptive claims that the company made concerning its Shape-ups and other "toning shoes."

United States: Capitol Health Record - Blog News & Notes – 5/16/12 - Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:14:11 GMT

The 2012 Milliman Medical Index finds that the average family of four now pays $20,728 for a preferred provider plan, an increase of 6.9% from 2011.

United States: DOL Issues Field Assistance Bulletin Clarifying Participant Fee Disclosure Rules - Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:12:39 GMT

On October 10, 2010, the Department of Labor (DOL) published final rules requiring plan administrators to disclose certain fee and investment related information to participants and beneficiaries in participant-directed individual account plans (generally, 401(k) plans) (the Participant-Level Disclosure Rules).

Canada: Ontario Releases More Draft Pension Regulations: Disclosure Requirements - Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:12:04 GMT

Late last week, the Ontario government released another round of draft regulations.

United States: Federal District Court Rules NLRB Too "Quick" In Voting - Thompson Coburn LLP

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:11:39 GMT

On Monday, May 14, 2012, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia held that the National Labor Relations Board's rule changes that went into effect on April 30, 2012.

United States: CFTC Update: Eligible Contract Participant Definition And Retail Forex Pools - Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:11:14 GMT

On April 18th, 2012, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") and the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC", and together with the CFTC, the "Commissions") adopted joint final rules further defining the terms "swap dealer" ("SD"), "security-based swap dealer" ("SBSD"), "major swap participant" ("MSP"), "major security-based swap participant" ("MSBSP"), and "eligible contract participant" ("ECP") (the "Final Rules").

United States: Watch Out For Trademark Scams - Godfrey & Kahn S.C.

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:08:13 GMT

Recently, many of our clients have received "official looking" papers from an outfit calling itself the "United States Trademark Registration Office." At first glance, it looks like a bill from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for fees required to maintain your trademark registration. This is a scam. Do not send any money.

United States: California Wage Theft Prevention Act: Revised Template And New FAQ's Still Leave Some Open Questions - Jones Day

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:07:14 GMT

California's Wage Theft Prevention Act (AB 469) became effective on January 1, 2012.

United States: UK Department Of Energy And Climate Change Consults On Simplified CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme - Jones Day

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:06:14 GMT

The United Kingdom's CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is a UK-only mandatory "cap and trade" emissions trading scheme for large non-energy-intensive organizations in the private and public sectors.

United States: Georgia's New False Claims Act: It's Not Just For Health Care Anymore - Jones Day

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:04:38 GMT

In April, Governor Nathan Deal signed into law the Georgia Taxpayer Protection False Claims Act, H.B. 822, which vastly alters the landscape for those who conduct business with Georgia's state and local governments.

United States: EU Aviation Directive Triggers Thunderstorm In Otherwise "Open Skies" - Jones Day

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:02:48 GMT

On December 21, 2011, the Court of Justice of the European Union ("CJEU") returned a ruling in the matter "Air Transport Association of America, et al. vs. Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change" (C-366/10).

United States: D.C. Federal Judge Grants Motions To Intervene In Climate Change "Public Trust" Lawsuit - Jones Day

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:02:31 GMT

As reported in the last edition of "The Climate Report", a number of youth-oriented nonprofit advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit in the name of minor children against the federal government alleging breach of the government's fiduciary duty under the "public trust doctrine" to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

United States: Environmental Groups Challenge California's "Cap And Trade" Regulations - Jones Day

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:02:16 GMT

On March 27, 2012, two public interest groups filed suit in San Francisco Superior Court against the California Air Resources Board ("CARB"), challenging the offset credits allowed under California's "cap and trade" regulations.