News

Duty-Free: The New UK Single Tax on Securities

By EsqSocial Corporation 01/05/25

The replacement of the UK’s paper-based stamp duty (SD), and its electronic cousin stamp duty reserve tax (SDRT), with a unified and modernised single tax on securities transactions re-emerged this week as a Government priority with significant new impetus.

Privacy Commissioner of Canada Releases Privacy Breach Risk Assessment Tool

By EsqSocial Corporation 01/05/25

On March 26, 2025, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) released a privacy breach real risk of significant harm assessment tool (Tool) for organizations....
By: Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Conditional Approval Proposals for FDA: Current Context and Potential Ramifications

By EsqSocial Corporation 01/05/25

Drug approval is unequivocally the linchpin to any drug development effort and, given the role of the US market in the global marketplace, the drug approval standard employed by FDA remains a perennial focus of stakeholders across the industry.

GAO agrees to investigate attempted CFPB firings, other recent bureau actions

By EsqSocial Corporation 01/05/25

The Government Accountability Office has agreed to investigate recent CFPB moves to fire more than 1,400 employees and the impact it and other agency actions have had on the bureau’s ability to operate....
By: Ballard Spahr LLP

Will Hardships go up in 2025? Time will tell

By EsqSocial Corporation 01/05/25

A rising number of plan participants are making early 401(k) hardship withdrawals. A report by Vanguard found that 4.8% of participants initiated a hardship withdrawal in 2024, which us up from 3.6% in 2023....

Climate and Diversity: CSA Stays Neutral on a Moving Train

By EsqSocial Corporation 01/05/25

On April 23, 2025, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) announced that it is pausing its efforts to develop new and enhanced climate and diversity-related disclosure rules for public companies in Canada.

States Build the Next Mile of Artificial Intelligence Regulation

By EsqSocial Corporation 01/05/25

Since the start of 2025, the following states have added to the roadwork on artificial intelligence regulation in insurance by implementing the NAIC’s model bulletin on the use of AI systems by insurers......
By: Carlton Fields

How to Explain Section 16 to a Newbie

By EsqSocial Corporation 01/05/25

Given the hubbub over the SEC’s new EDGAR Next, I thought it would be useful to provide a FAQ explaining the rationale for Section 16 to a new director or officer who is unfamiliar with the concept....
By: Cooley LLP

Executive Order Seeks to Reform Accreditation in Higher Education

By EsqSocial Corporation 01/05/25

On April 23, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order called “Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education” along with a fact sheet about the EO and six other EOs relating to education....

The USPTO Is Issuing Patents Faster — Here’s Why That Matters

By EsqSocial Corporation 01/05/25

Beginning May 13, 2025, the window between paying the issue fee and your patent officially issuing will become much shorter....
By: Seyfarth Shaw LLP

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