Super Tuesday showed us that you should never underestimate the power of endorsements, electability, and momentum on voters, even in this new era of seemingly unlimited targeted advertising, digital outreach, and endless...more
On 5 November 2019 the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued two new general licenses authorizing certain transactions involving the government of Venezuela (GOV) and certain individuals affiliated with the GOV,...more
On 14 October, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 13894, Blocking Property and Suspending Entry of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Syria (EO).
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10/18/2019
/ Blocked Person ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Financial Institutions (FFI) ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
General Licenses ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Syria ,
Trump Administration ,
Turkey ,
Unauthorized Transactions
On 17 September 2019 the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced proposed regulations to "comprehensively implement the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 (FIRRMA)."
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The U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is extending the temporary general license (TGL) for Huawei until 18 November 2019, and adding additional Huawei companies to the Entity List....more
On 2 August the United States announced that it will impose a second round of sanctions on Russia pursuant to the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) (22 U.S.C. § 5601 et...more
On 14 August 2019 the U.S. Department of Commerce published a proposed change to the list of "Schedule 1" chemicals in the "Annex on Chemicals" to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
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On 5 August 2019 the Trump administration issued Executive Order 13884 (the executive order) imposing sweeping sanctions against the government of Venezuela, including its agencies and instrumentalities as well as any...more
Read the latest news on antitrust, competition and economic regulation (ACER) in this Winter's edition of our quarterly ACER newsletter.
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4/3/2019
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Bid Rigging ,
CFIUS ,
Economic Development ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Government Shutdown ,
Hold-Separate Remedies ,
Merger Controls ,
No-Poaching ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Public Procurement Policies ,
Regulatory Standards ,
South Africa ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
On 28 January 2019, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA) as a Specially Designated National (SDN) for operating in the oil sector of the...more
Investing in the life sciences industry without an understanding of the key regulatory factors that could determine a product's success or failure could cost you millions of dollars....more
1/8/2019
/ Biotechnology ,
CFIUS ,
Federal Pilot Programs ,
Filing Requirements ,
Foreign Investment ,
Investment ,
Investment Opportunities ,
Life Sciences ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements
Investing in the life sciences industry without an understanding of the key regulatory factors that could determine a product's success or failure could cost you millions of dollars.
...more
After Congress failed to enact appropriations legislation, the United States federal government partially shut down beginning at midnight on 22 December 2018, impacting several departments, agencies, and interagency...more
1/4/2019
/ CFIUS ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Federal Funding ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FIRRMA ,
Foreign Acquisitions ,
Foreign Investment ,
Government Shutdown ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
National Security ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
Trump Administration
On 19 December 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) submitted a notification to Congress that it plans to terminate sanctions on three major companies originally designated for...more
The Commerce Department is soliciting public input on identification of certain "emerging technologies" for purposes of new export controls and the recently expanded jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the...more
The dust has settled. In the next Congress beginning early 2019, Democrats will take control of the House, and Republicans have expanded their majority in the Senate. The split government undoubtedly will make many...more
On 5 November 2018 the United States re-imposed the remaining nuclear-related secondary sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against Iran that previously had...more
11/8/2018
/ Economic Sanctions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Foreign Policy ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
ITSR ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
Nuclear Weapons ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Oil & Gas ,
SDN List ,
Shipping Cargo ,
Trump Administration
On 30 September, after an intensive, last-minute flurry of negotiations, Canada joined the United States and Mexico in a new trilateral agreement to replace the original North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA 1.0).
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10/26/2018
/ Agricultural Sector ,
Anti-Dumping Duty ,
Automotive Industry ,
Canada ,
Countervailing Duties ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Currency Manipulation ,
Energy Sector ,
Exports ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Foreign Relations ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
Imports ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) ,
Mexico ,
Most-Favored Nations ,
NAFTA ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Trade Relations ,
Trump Administration ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ,
US Trade Policies
The Department of the Treasury has released two new interim rules that (i) update existing regulations regarding the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) pursuant to the Foreign Investment Risk Review...more
After nearly 20 years of promulgation by executive orders, bipartisan export control reform legislation has re-established a permanent statutory basis for the control of commercial and dual-use items licensed by the...more
The United States has begun re-imposing nuclear-related sanctions with respect to Iran in connection with the expiration of the 90-day wind-down period announced alongside the United States' 8 May 2018 withdrawal from the...more
8/13/2018
/ Economic Sanctions ,
Energy Sector ,
Financial Institutions ,
Foreign Investment ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Insurance Industry ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
ITSR ,
Nuclear Weapons ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Shipping
On 8 August, the U.S. Department of State announced that new sanctions would be imposed on Russia pursuant to the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act). The sanctions relate to...more
The Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA), included in the reconciled Conference Report of the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act, substantially expands the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign...more
8/6/2018
/ Acquisitions ,
Amended Rules ,
Carve Out Provisions ,
CFIUS ,
Covered Transactions ,
Defense Production Act ,
FIRRMA ,
Foreign Acquisitions ,
Foreign Investment ,
Hedge Funds ,
Investment Funds ,
Mergers ,
National Security ,
National Security Review Proceedings ,
NDAA ,
Private Equity ,
Venture Capital
Export compliance continues to be complicated for companies involved in business with China. On 1 August 2018, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) expanded the Entity List, restricting...more
Congress has moved closer to expanding the jurisdiction and powers of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the U.S. interagency committee that conducts national security reviews of foreign...more
8/2/2018
/ CFIUS ,
Covered Transactions ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Export Controls ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
FIRRMA ,
Foreign Acquisitions ,
Foreign Investment ,
Legislative Agendas ,
National Security ,
Passive Activity ,
Pending Legislation ,
Trump Administration