Berlin Data Protection Commissioner imposes €14.5 million fine for GDPR infringement
On 30 October 2019, the Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit) (“Berlin DPA”) issued a €14.5 million administrative fine against the real estate company Deutsche Wohnen SE for infringements of the GDPR.
Swiss Franc-Linked Loans
The well-known policy of selling Swiss Franc-linked loans in the past decade, and in particular during the period 2006 – 2009, has lead bank borrowers, into a deeply troubled situation. The negative impact of their exposure to mortgages denominated on foreign currencies, and in particular the Swiss Franc, has created for the European state institutions …
Luxembourg sustainable and ESG UCITS funds set for subscription tax cut
Luxembourg’s Finance Ministry has placed before the Chamber of Deputies draft law 7433 , which is designed to encourage the establishment in the grand duchy of sustainable investment vehicles and funds that follow environmental, social responsibility and governance strategies. The legislation amends Luxembourg’s UCITS law by reducing the rate of the annual subscription tax on …
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The effect of technological disruption on the legal profession
Technological disruption to the legal profession profoundly reforms the manner in which law firms operate in the legal industry. Client expectations are on the rise and lawyers must stay up to date with the latest technological developments if they want to survive in the competitive legal industry. The application of technological innovation, such as Artificial …
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Does the recent amendment limit the amount of moral damages granted by the Courts?
Under the Maltese Civil Code, damages may be awarded for either tortious liability or contractual liability. In respect to the former, an action for damages will aim to place the individual in the same position before the damage occurred, and in respect to the latter, the action may be brought to either enforce the contract, …
Acquiring Cypriot citizenship due to origin by UK citizens
In the event of a no deal Brexit, UK passport holders will lose their right of free movement within the EU. All valid UK passports will still be useable for international travel to and from the EU after Brexit, even though precise details are yet to be finalised (including on the terms of any travel …
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M&A deals subject to stricter controls
While M&A deals were still booming in Germany in 2018, the trend has since been downward. Apart from the state of the economy, stricter controls may also be responsible for this.
BAG: Notice of collective dismissal and effective termination
In the case of mass dismissals, an employer is allowed to go ahead and sign termination notices before the notice of collective dismissal has been received by Germany’s Federal Employment Agency, the Agentur für Arbeit. That was the verdict of the Bundesarbeitsgericht, Germany’s Federal Labor Court.
EGC: Chinese scooter not in breach of competitor’s intellectual property rights
A Chinese manufacturer of motor scooters is not in breach of an Italian competitor’s intellectual property rights. That was the verdict of the General Court of the European Union (EGC) in a ruling from September 24, 2019 (Az. T-219/18).
Protecting your business from counterfeit goods in Cyprus
As has been previously noted in the “Trade in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods: Mapping the Economic Impact” report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development & European Union Intellectual Property Office, counterfeiting hits almost ½ trillion euros a year. This can be traced from fashion and medicine to the fruits market and entails damage …
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