Eversheds Sutherland is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Partner in the fields of data protection and IT law. As an attorney and 2012 certified Senior Project Manager IPMA Level B, Markus Naef advises companies on legal safeguards and ex...

In connection with the spread of Covid-19, extensive crisis measures have been announced in the Czech Republic with a major impact on all business activities nationwide. Below we provide answers to frequently asked questions, especially in the area ...

We are continually updating this guide in response to the gradual publication of official information by public authorities. Latest update: 5 May 2020, 17:00 (Restrictions on movement of persons, Mandatory quarantine when crossing borders, Children&...

The Law Firm Eversheds Saladžius is sharing the updated Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Legal news, which you can find here 

On 28 April 2020, the Russian President issued Decree No. 294 On Prolonging Measures To Ensure Sanitary and Epidemiological Wellbeing of the Population in the Russian Federation due to the Spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The following da...

Commercial Court – a return to action? On 4 May 2020, the Commercial Court Judge in Northern Ireland, the Honourable Mr Justice Horner, circulated an update to legal professionals stating clearly that the Commercial ‘Hub’ is open f...

Please click here to download our insurance summer horizon scanning booklet. The booklet summarises key insurance related legal and regulatory changes expected over the next 18 months to 2 years, as well as providing electronic links t...

Businesses across the world are suffering a variety of different losses as a result of the spread of, and public reaction to, coronavirus.  The answer to the question of whether these losses will be covered by your insurance policies is, as wit...

The global impact of Coronavirus is now undeniable, as one might expect from a highly contagious disease originating from the world’s second largest economy and most populous nation.  Insurance claims are bound to follow and whilst market...

The UK has suffered widespread damage as a result of recent flooding over the winter of 2019/20, with anticipated losses in excess of £400m. If flood-related interruption to a business is significant, property and business interruption (“BI”) polici...

Late last December, the FCA issued a Call for Input (CFI)[1] to explore the opportunities and risks arising from Open Finance. Comments are due by Tuesday 17 March 2020 – don’t miss your chance to ha...

The FCA has published information on its expectations of general insurance firms in relation to their treatment of consumers during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The FCA has also published information for consumers on what they sho...

The FCA has published information on its expectations of general insurance firms in relation to their treatment of consumers during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The FCA has also published information for consumers on what they sho...

Summary In this case certain E&Y entities based in London were ordered to pay USD10.8 million for loss of earnings to a whistleblowing former auditor employed by an E&Y entity that was not based in the UK and not party to the proceedings. Th...

On 1 May, the FCA issued two sets of draft guidance which will be important reading for all firms involved in insurance arrangements and particularly insurers, intermediaries and premium finance lenders. As it considers that the delay involved in co...

By Marcus Noland HONOLULU (August 23, 2019)—For three generations, the United States championed a rules-based multilateral trading system. That stance was overturned by the election of an avowed protectionist, Donald Trump, as president. It would be understandable for Asians to wonder if this shift amounts to a permanent change in U.S. trade policy, and if so, how to proceed. Trump’s presidential campaign was notable in that it emphasized two issues—immigration and trade—that had seldom been in the forefront of U.S. presidential campaigns. But public opinion polls revealed that these issues were of growing importance to a sizeable number of voters whose preferences mirrored Trump’s protectionist positions.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By Tim Brown and Wiwat Peerapatanapokin HONOLULU (September 17, 2019)—In 2018, roughly 6 million people were living with HIV in Asia and the Pacific, and 310,000 were newly infected, according to UNAIDS estimates. Despite these troubling numbers, financial support for the fight against AIDS is stagnant, and international resources for HIV programs in the region are declining. Given the continued HIV infection levels and limited funds for halting the epidemic, it is more important than ever for prevention efforts to achieve maximum impact with the resources available. This means that programs need to target the key populations most at risk of contracting HIV. In Asia, these key populations are female sex workers and their clients, people who inject drugs, and men who have sex with men....

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By East-West Center HONOLULU (October 4, 2019)—President Donald Trump first laid out a vision for a “free and open Indo-Pacific” at the November 2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Vietnam. From the start, statements describing the emerging US Indo-Pacific strategy have recognized the central role of Southeast Asia. The US approach to the Indo-Pacific focuses on three vital areas: enhancing shared prosperity, championing good governance and civil society, and ensuring a peaceful and secure regional order. Two recent visitors to the East-West Center described the potential role of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the US Indo-Pacific strategy and spelled out several steps that the United States needs to take to strengthen US-ASEAN...

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By Abby G. Frazier and Laura Brewington HONOLULU (November 11, 2019)—Of all the earth’s environments, alpine regions are arguably the most vulnerable to climate change. This is especially true for alpine areas on islands. Island ecosystems are also particularly vulnerable to damage from human activity and the invasion of alien species due to their isolated and limited land areas.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

A close look at the evidence suggests that China has not been engaged in “debt-trap diplomacy” in the Pacific, at least not so far. Nonetheless, if future Chinese lending continues on a business-as-usual basis, serious problems of debt sustainability will arise, and concerns about quality and corruption are valid. By Jonathan Pryke HONOLULU (March 2, 2020)—In an atmosphere of heightened geostrategic competition, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has raised questions about the risk of debt problems in less-developed countries. Such risks are especially worrying for the small and fragile economies of the Pacific.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By East-West Center HONOLULU (March 27, 2020)—Population aging is affecting countries all across Asia. This ongoing demographic transition will leave many of the region’s economies increasingly dependent on an aging, and eventually a shrinking, workforce. Economists disagree, however, on whether population aging will necessarily lead to a slowdown in economic growth.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By James H. Spencer, Sumeet Saksena, and Jefferson Fox HONOLULU (1 April 2020)—The current COVID-19 pandemic, which started in Wuhan, China, underscores what the public health community has warned about for more than two decades—the risk of viral diseases capable of spreading from animal to human hosts. The first outbreaks of “bird flu” (highly pathogenic avian influenza―HPAI, subtype H5N1) raised similar concerns 20 years ago―concerns that have persisted with the outbreak of SARS in 2002–2004 and COVID-19 today. New outbreaks of avian influenza are also still occurring in poultry and humans, primarily in Asia but also in other parts of the world.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By Boy Lüthje HONOLULU (6 April 2020)—The development of electric and self-driving vehicles is bringing on a massive restructuring of the global automotive industry. Emerging forms of new and shared mobility undermine the very model of private car ownership that has underpinned the automotive industry since the days of Henry Ford.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By Lora Saalman HONOLULU (14 April 2020)—Artificial intelligence (AI) is an increasingly important component of weapons systems, with both positive and negative implications for nuclear deterrence. Integration of AI into military platforms has the potential to allow weaker nuclear-armed states to reset the imbalance of power, but at the same time it exacerbates fears that stronger states may further solidify their dominance and engage in more provocative actions.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By Rebecca Strating HONOLULU (24 April 2020)—Many argue that China’s increasingly aggressive posture in the South China Sea is an attempt to unilaterally alter the US-led regional order, which includes an emphasis on freedom of navigation. In response, the US has stressed the importance of support from “like-minded” states—including Japan and South Korea—in defending freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and elsewhere. This characterization, however, disguises important differences in attitudes and behavior that could hinder joint efforts to push back against China.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By Andrew Mason, Sang-Hyop Lee, and Donghyun Park HONOLULU (8 May 2020)—Elderly populations in Asia are expanding more quickly than other age groups. Low fertility rates result in fewer children and eventually fewer working-age adults, while elderly populations are living longer.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

Under Gazette number 43258 of 29 April 2020, the Department of Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs has issued regulations (“Regulations”) that repeal Government Notice No. 318 of 18 March 2020, as amended by Government Notice...

In Brief: According to the 2020 budget draft law n°7500, published on 14 October 2019 (the “Bill”), the validity of advance tax agreements (“ATAs”) granted prior to 1 January 2015 should now be limited to five years. Sinc...

  1. Brexit Implications for Social Security Contributions 1.1 If the UK leaves the EU there may be social security implications for UK employers who have employees working in the EU, EEA or Switzerland. If there is a no deal Brexit then action...

With the delivery of the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement on 30 October 2019, updated and amended draft tax bills have been released highlighting the latest proposed amendments to the relevant tax acts.  The amended bills contain the le...

  Summary On 1 November HMRC published its much anticipated guidance on the taxation of cryptoassets for businesses. The guidance sets out HMRC’s view on the taxation of transactions involving cryptoasset exchange tokens (such as Bitcoin)...

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  What’s new? On 20 December 2019, HMRC published an updated version of its guidance on the taxation of cryptoassets for individuals. The guidance was updated to include a new section in respect of the location (situs) of exchange tokens ...

Introduction On 31 January 2020, the OECD issued a further update on its work on the taxation of the digital economy. The catchily titled “Statement by the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS on the Two-Pillar Approach to Address the Tax Chal...

Given the development of the COVID-19 situation, it was anticipated that the UK government Budget would have a very different focus than originally expected. Trailed as the showcase fiscal policy event of the new Conservative government, it was alw...

  German Finance Ministry Offers Protective Shield and Other Special Tax MeasuresMarch 13, 2020 The German Finance Ministry announced an unlimited protective shield for all companies in Germany. Pro...

The UK HMRC Stamp Office has released details of how it will temporarily change its procedures to allow for the submission and payment of stamp duty in respect of transfers of shares in UK companies. The standard requirements of HMRC in order to st...

The UK government announced at the March Budget that they intend to introduce a requirement for large businesses to notify HMRC where they adopt an “uncertain tax treatment”.  The proposal is designed to improve HMRC’s ability...

Corona tax deferrals in the light of the applicable law Since the publication of the guideline from the German Federal Ministry of Finance ("Bundesfinanzministerium", BMF) published 19 March 2020 (cf. our ...

  On 26 March 2020, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak proposed a package of tax measures relevant to UK businesses, large and small to help ease the pressures we face from the impact of COVID-19.  One of the measures in force, is the deferral of ...