To go with today’s JD Supra Corporate Brief, we’d recommend a nice, full-bodied 2013 Arabica-Robusta blend from Brazil… How are companies responding to workplace harassment, discrimination and retaliation? Read this benchmark survey… (NAVEX Global) The European Union is on the cusp of implementing new rules that will require greater transparency on payments made in the… Read more »
Busy morning? You probably deserve a break. A JD Supra Corporate Brief break, that is. And a blueberry scone… Check your mailbox – the FTC is sending out COPPA compliance letters… (Mintz Levin) In the market for a municipal regulated gas division? (Saul Ewing) Appeals court reverses an $11 million False Claims Act judgment with… Read more »
How to get a head start on the day’s business law news at the click of a button? Sign up for email delivery of the JD Supra Corporate Brief: Want to know how your company’s internal compliance reporting compares to that of corporations around the globe? Read this 19-page report… (NAVEX Global) Hey look –… Read more »
Today’s forecast: partly cloudy with a chance of law news: Will California lawmakers succeed in keeping fracking out of the state? (LXBN) Could President Obama’s proposed new cap on tax-favored retirement benefits do a lot more harm than good? (Osler) According to FINRA, employee social media privacy laws may conflict with securities regulations and threaten… Read more »
Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that Marcellus shale gas is not a “mineral,” and that subsequently private deeds in the state that make reference to mineral rights do not encompass natural gas rights. Levi Jones of law firm Schnader explains: “The Court reaffirmed the ‘Dunham Rule,’ which applies the common, layperson understanding… Read more »
“The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 extended the eligibility of these [energy tax] credits for projects that begin construction before January 1, 2014. The types of projects included in this extension are wind, open-loop biomass, closed-loop biomass, geothermal, landfill gas, trash, qualified hydropower, and marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy facilities.” (Leonard, Street and Deinard)… Read more »
“While EPA got the result that it wanted here, the decision may come back to haunt it in the long run…” (Foley Hoag) Environmental regulation, like politics, makes strange bedfellows… In late March, the US Supreme Court handed a victory to both the country’s logging industry and the federal agency charged with protecting the environment… Read more »
The net of international sanctions on Iran and entities that do business with the Iranian regime continues to tighten. For your reference, here’s a roundup of latest commentary and analysis on sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe: U.S. Activity New Iran Sanctions Enacted (BakerHostetler): “The [latest] law, which comes just shy of five… Read more »
The business community as a whole can expect President Obama’s second term to be one of most intense periods of regulatory activity in nearly 40 years. But the health care, energy, and financial services industries will be the hardest hit. From law firm Venable: “Several themes will shape the regulatory process over the next four… Read more »
“At the same time the government approved [the Progress Energy Resources and Nexen] acquisitions of control by Asian-based SOEs, the Prime Minister announced important changes to Canada’s policy for reviewing investments in Canada by state-owned enterprises which clearly indicate that the rules of the game for SOE investment have changed.” (Osler) Earlier this month, Canada’s… Read more »
What’s new at the Environmental Protection Agency? A temporary suspension of contracts with BP Exploration and Production, Superfund guidance, an NSR settlement, and more. For your reference, a roundup of EPA-related law news and updates: EPA’s Temporary Suspension of BP Contracts with the U.S. Government–The Other Shoe to Drop (Warner Norcross & Judd): “On Wednesday,… Read more »
Allen Matkins’ Eileen Nottoli on why businesses that sell consumer products in California need to be aware of – and act on – the state’s new Safer Consumer Product regulations. [Link: New Consumer Product Regulations: Manufacturers, Importers and Retailers Need to Prepare] For your reference, a JD Supra roundup of commentary on a range of… Read more »
Earlier this week, a DC court of appeals judicial panel struck down the Environmental Protection Agency’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), also known as the Transport Rule. From law firm Butler Snow: “In a 2-1 sharply divided decision, the Court didn’t just remand the rule to EPA for ‘reworking,’ it vacated the rule in toto… Read more »
The Army Corps of Engineers is going on an alternative energy shopping spree. From law firm Wilson Sonsini: “On August 8, 2012, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, through its Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, issued a Multiple-Award Task Order Request for Proposal (RFP) for $7 billion in total contract capacity to procure renewable energy… Read more »
“You win some, you lose some,” might be the motto these days at the Environmental Protection Agency, which has recently seen a legal win in Texas, a loss in the DC District Court, and an unfortunate data breach exposing the personal financial information of nearly 8,000 employees: “The Washington Business Journal published a report of… Read more »
