When one instructs a painter to draw a portrait (no matter how detailed the instructions may be) the painter will always have discretion in executing the final product. Likewise, in investment funds, the investment manager is instructed to invest according to various rules and timeframes which are detailed in the investment strategy as approved by the competent financial regulator, but there will still remain investment discretion on how the investment strategy is executed ...
The MFSA commenced a consultation process on its proposed amendments to the Insurance Distribution Rules (hereinafter referred to as the “IDR”). The consultation process began on the 26th of January 2023 and closes on the 8th of March 2023 ...
The impact that Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) is making on investment services has been the subject of a recent publication, dated 1st February 2023, which was issued by the European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA”) ...
SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce (“Peirce”) recently delivered an address on digital assets regulation at the Digital Assets at Duke Conference. The two-day meeting brought together regulators, academics, experts, policymakers, and other key stakeholders in the industry to discuss and debate the future of digital assets and distributed ledger technology (“DLT”) ...
In Case C-633/20 of the European Court of Justice (the ‘Court’) delivered on the 29th September 2022, the First Chamber of the Court produced a judgment (the ‘Judgment’) in response to a reference for a preliminary ruling concerning the definition of ‘insurance intermediary’ in the context of Directive 2016/97 (the ‘Insurance Distribution Directive’ or the ‘IDD’) and Directive 2002/92 (the ‘Insurance Mediatio
1. Background and Rationale The Thai financial market has been revolutionized by rapid changes in technology, particularly, with the advent of distributed ledger technology (“DLT”) and digital assets in recent years. This has led to a surge of interest from traditional investors and corporate entities, both small and large, eager to participate in this dynamic market. These technologies have been driving financial innovation and progress ...
Your biometric data tells the tale of who you are in intricate detail. Often, your biometric data is used to verify your identity at work or school. Currently, Illinois has the most comprehensive biometric privacy law in the country with the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. Maryland and Mississippi look to join Illinois in protecting their citizens’ biometric data ...
With cybersecurity risks increasing and evolving moving into 2023, the federal government is taking steps to help secure our cyber infrastructure. The recent passing of the 2023 omnibus spending agreement included additional funds for a variety of federal agencies in order to strengthen our cybersecurity apparatus. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (“CISA”) received $1.3 billion for its cybersecurity programs. This is a $230 million increase over last year ...
The U.S. does not have a federal data privacy law. In the absence of an all-encompassing data privacy law, the U.S. has a myriad of individual state privacy laws. The significant state data privacy laws that are often used as models are the California Privacy Rights Act (which amends that California Consumer Privacy Act), the Virginia Consumer Data Privacy Act, the Colorado Privacy Act, and the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act ...
On January 20, 2023, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) plans to invest $35 billion by 2040 to establish multiple data center campuses across Virginia, pending legislative approval. Numerous localities in the Commonwealth are under consideration, and although none have been selected, residents in Northern Virginia have voiced concerns ...
On October 24, 2022, the Department of Labor and Employment ("DOLE") issued Labor Advisory No. 20, series of 2022, which sets out the process for the issuance of the certification required from non-Philippine nationals intending to engage in business in the Philippines ...
On January 31, 2020, the Department of Labor and Employment (“DOLE”) issued Labor Advisory No. 6, series of 2020, which prescribes the period for: [a] the payment and/or the release of the final pay; and [b] the issuance of Certificate of Employment to employees who are terminated from their employment ...
FinTech is important to the financial services sector in both India and the UK. A trade agreement could facilitate FinTech growth and deepen trade between the two countries. Kiran Desai, Head of Shoosmiths Brussels is joined by colleague Prakash Kerai to host Prashanth Ramdas of Khaitan & Co ...
In early 2022, the Autorité des marchés financiers (the AMF) conducted specific consultations on financial products offered on the Internet. Further to these consultations, the AMF published explanations on the Regulation respecting Alternative Distribution Methods (the RADM) in late December 2022 ...
On 16 January 2023, the Financial Market Commission ("CMF") published in its web site and invited to submit comments to a regulatory proposal involving the issuance of two rules: (i) the general rule that will regulate the requirements and procedures for registration in the Registry of Financial Services Providers (the "RPSF") and (ii) the general rule that will regulate the authorization to provide investment advisory services by persons registered in the RPSF (the "Proposed Rule") ...
The MFSA issued a Circular on the 22nd of December 2022 in which it proposed amendments to the Companies Act (Cell Companies carrying on business of Insurance) Regulations, Subsidiary Legislation 386.10 (“the PCC Regulations”). The PCC Regulations provide for the creation and regulation of cell companies ...
HUD-insured debt may be a narrow field within the broader realm of commercial real estate finance, but it never ceases to amaze me the variety of issues that I encounter within the relatively small HUD sandbox. Dinsmore’s work as lender’s counsel on a recent multifamily 223(f) loan had me grappling with issues related to sovereign immunity, a legal concept that had barely entered my consciousness since graduating from law school ...
On 22 December 2022, the Commissariat aux Assurances (the CAA) released Circular Letter 22/22 on the takeover of intermediation in certain types of life insurance contracts (Circular 22/22).This circular provides guidelines on issues that may arise in the context of a takeover of insurance intermediation (reprise d’intermédiation). 1 ...
In the world of privacy and data, after another whirlwind year, what are the safe bets and the long shots for change in 2023? Like the technology driving it, privacy and data law moves fast, and covers many territories, so it’s not always easy to keep track of developments. Long-awaited rulemaking - such as an overarching US federal data protection law – can get stuck in the weeds, while unexpected developments in technology and politics can serve up some complete surprises ...
Cyber criminals, the twenty-first century equivalent to the highwaymen of yesteryear, don’t offer charities the stark alternative of “their money or their life”, but instead their money or their data, the lifeblood of many charities. Ransomware attacks present a critical risk of their services grinding to a halt for weeks if not months – even if data is restored - as well as swingeing fines for personal data breaches in multiple jurisdictions ...
