On March 28, 2024, the Department of Finance Canada announced a one-year extension to the 15% Mineral Exploration Tax Credit (?METC?) available to investors in flow-through shares. The extension means that the METC will be effective until March 31, 2025. This announcement came at a time when uncertainty loomed over the industry and some stakeholders feared that the government would not renew the METC. Over time, this tax credit has become a key component of flow-through share financings ...
SyCipLaw's Tax Department has prepared Tax Issues and Practical Solutions (T.I.P.S.) for February. The February 2024 issue covers the following tax issues: 1. What is Republic Act No. 11976 and why is it relevant to tax?2. Are cross-border services provided by non-resident foreign corporations now subject to income tax and VAT under Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 5-2024? Please read the full texthereor via thislink ...
Krogerus Disputes Day was held on 19 March at Little Finlandia. The popular event gathered dispute resolution and compliance experts to discuss about business disputes with distressed parties. We would like to thank all our speakers and guests for a great Disputes Day and interesting discussions! This year, Disputes Day's theme was Disputes and Distressed parties ...
I. Introduction and overview of the issues Many lawsuits involve both covered and uncovered losses. In nearly every state, if a complaint alleges both covered and uncovered claims, the insurer is obligated to defend the entire suit. E.g., Liberty Mut. Fire Ins. Co. v. Copart of Conn., Inc., 75 F.4th 522, 529 (5th Cir. 2023) (Texas law); Buss v. Superior Court, 16 Cal.4th 35, 48, 939 P.2d 766 (1997); General Agents Ins. Co. of America, Inc. v. Midwest Sporting Goods Co., 215 Ill ...
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on March 13 issued a highly consequential decision in U.S. Securities andExchange Commission v. Rashid, interpreting and applying the mental state for liability of investment advisers under the Investment Advisers Act. Over a strong dissent, the court reversed a finding of liability of the defendant investment adviser under basic principles of negligence law, and in doing so, provided a road map for future enforcement actions under the act ...
Last week, a trial court in Buffalo ruled that a group of personal injury plaintiffs’ strict liability claims against a who’s-who of social media companies, arising out of the tragic 2022 Tops Friendly Markets mass shooting, could proceed to discovery, rejecting the argument that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act barred such claims from the get-go. Patterson, Diona Et Al v. Meta Platforms, Et Al, 0805896/2023 (NYSCEF Doc No. 409) ...
Artificial intelligence (?AI?) is becoming increasingly sophisticated, and the fact that this human invention can now generate its own inventions opens the door to new ways of conceptualizing the notion of ?inventor? in patent law. In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (?UK Supreme Court?) however found that an artificial intelligence system cannot be the author of an invention within the meaning of the applicable regulations under which patents are granted ...
In its traditional form, the advice of counsel defense can validate conduct that might otherwise be considered criminal. But invocation carries a steep cost: The defendant must waive his privilege with the lawyer who gave the advice in question. An additional prerequisite complicates utilization: The defendant must demonstrate good faith reliance on the advice he sought and received ...
March 25, 2024 By: Daniel C. Silva and Ross Garrett In March 2024, the Northern District of Alabama held that Congress exceeded its Constitutional authority by enacting the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”). The CTA requires variety corporate entities—everything from LLCs to trusts—to disclose beneficial ownership information to the U.S. Treasury Department ...
British Virgin Islands Economic Substance - frequently asked questions Who has to comply with the Substance Legislation? All companies and limited partnerships that are registered or incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (“Entities”) must comply with the Substance Legislation. The Substance Legislation does not apply to trusts or general partnerships ...
Significant increases to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) filing fees are set to go into effect on April 1, 2024. However, a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado may delay that implementation ...
On January 1, 2024, regulations implementing the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) became effective, triggering new reporting obligations for many entities conducting business within the United States ...
New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez (D), his wife, Nadine, and two businessmen are scheduled to face trial on bribery charges on May 6. They’ll become the latest example where the dual intent, or mixed motive, concept turns the reasonable doubt standard on its head by essentially requiring defendants to prove their innocence ...
“Public service is a noble calling” that requires great sacrifice, often requiring public officials to surrender personal conveniences in favor of public business ...
Although it is not often well-understood in business and tax circles, the Indian Act (the ?Act?), coupled with federal and provincial tax laws, provides several tax planning opportunities for Indigenous taxpayers. These laws provide various tax exemptions for people who qualify as ?Indians? under the Act, as well as for ?bands? and other ?councils ...
The Ohio Supreme Court upheld a temporary Ohio law providing that income earned by remote workers would be taxed by the municipality that was their principal place of work, rather than the municipality where they actually performed remote work during the COVID-19 emergency period. The 5-2 decision in Schaad v. Alder, Slip Opinion No. 2024-Ohio-525, came on February 14, 2024 ...
Norwich Pharmacal applications against BVI registered agents: BVI Commercial Court provides new guidance In its recent judgment, the BVI Commercial Court has provided clarification and guidance on Norwich Pharmacal applications against BVI registered agents ...
SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan (SyCipLaw) senior partner Carina "Caren" Laforteza and special counsel Catherina "Kate" Fernandez discuss the taxation of AI in light of recent developments concerning the concept of situs of taxation as interpreted by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the local tax authority in the Philippines ...
Muted voices: can beneficiaries of a STAR trust be empowered to play "devil's advocate" In In the Matter of the G Trust[1] the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands was asked by the trustee of a Cayman STAR trust to give directions in relation to the question of who should participate, and in what capacity, in an application for rectification of a deed supplemental to the trust (the "rectification application") ...
On March 8, 2024, just days before it was set to take effect, U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker of the Eastern District of Texas vacated the National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB’s”) recent rule on determining the standard for joint-employer status. The NLRB issued the rule on October 26, 2023. It established a seven-factor analysis, under a two-step test, for determining joint employer status ...
Last month, special counsel Robert Hur issued a report detailing his reasons for declining to charge President Joe Biden for retaining classified documents from Biden's time as vice president. Regardless of one's views on its conclusions and underlying rationale, at least some of the report's significance results from the rare glimpse it provides into prosecutorial decision making. The report was delivered pursuant to special counsel regulations, but the U.S ...
Many founders are familiar with tax-exempt charitable organizations. These nonprofit entities—which are commonly known by reference to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code—are operated exclusively for a broad range of charitable purposes. 501(c)(3) organizations come in a wide range of flavors, including private foundations, donor-advised funds, and public charities ...
On February 12, 2024, the Court of Appeal of Quebec handed down its decision in Société d?assurance Beneva inc. c. Bordeleau,1 dealing in particular with the burden of proof incumbent on an insurer when it denies coverage on the basis of an insured?s intentional fault, and an award of damages against an insurer for breach of its duty of good faith. The facts This decision was rendered further to a dispute between Société d?assurance Beneva inc ...
