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Inflation Reduction Act
Disclosure Training Webinar
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...
UAE Foreign Direct Investment Law
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...
9 Takeaways From Inframation’s Infrastructure Investors Forum Latin America 2018
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...
Post-Election Update 2018
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...
The Rule of Law, Agency Enforcement and the Environment
Over the past two years, officials within President Trump’s administration have invoked the rule of law regarding the administration’s enforcement goals on issues ranging from marijuana production to immigration . Late last month, we saw a glimpse into how the...
How Governments Can Help Put the "Opportunity" in Opportunity Zones
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...
Discussion of the Administration’s Fall 2018 Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions
Ann Navaro and Ryan Eletto of the Environmental Strategies Group will discuss highlights from the Administration’s Fall 2018 Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The Agenda is a forecast of federal agencies’ proposed rulemaking actions with the goals of more...
IRS and Treasury Department Release Proposed Regulations on Opportunity Zones
On October 19, 2018, the IRS and Treasury Department released highly-anticipated proposed regulations (the Proposed Regulations) under Section 1400Z-2 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the OZ Statute). The OZ Statute, which was enacted pursuant to the...
Hospital Loses its Section 501(c)(3) Status Due to Noncompliance with Section 501(r)
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...
FLSA: Oilfield Mud Engineers Found Exempt From Overtime by Jury
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...
Latest Developments to Affect Antitrust M&A
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...
Employment Arbitration: Trends, Developments & Best Practices
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...
Inspector General to Audit LNG Safety Oversight
The Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General within the (DOT OIG) announced recently that it will audit oversight of liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). DOT OIG notes that the “self-initiated”...
International Sanctions and the Energy Sector – Part 1: Iran
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...
Singing the Same Claim Construction Tune: USPTO Adopts Federal Court Claim Construction Standard for AIA Proceedings
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...