Experts' contributions

Since its implementation on May 25, 2019, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”) has become one of the primary references in matters of privacy protection and digital trust. While it is true that an adequacy decision rendered by the European Commission recognizes that Canada’s Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”) ensures an “adequate” level of protection of personal data, it was rendered pursuant to EU Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC, which has since been replaced by the GDPR.

There are many advantages to doing business in Ireland, including an attractive and stable corporate tax regime and a skilled workforce. While it is not essential, the most common vehicle for carrying on business in Ireland is through the incorporation of a company. An application to incorporate a company is made to the Companies Registration Office (CRO), signed by the first director(s), first secretary and the first shareholder(s). This is usually processed by the CRO between five and twenty days of receipt, depending on the company type. Before submitting an application to incorporate a company, a number of matters should be considered.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA or the Agency) and the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) 2018 policy and regulatory activities have set the foundation for a robust 2019 policy agenda — once the partial shutdown of the US government ends. While we await the resolution of the shutdown — which has suspended all but the most urgent food regulatory tasks — and issuance of FDA’s strategic plan for 2019, there are key FDA, USDA and legislative developments that occurred towards the end of 2018 that should be on the radar of every company that manufactures, sells or markets conventional food or dietary supplement products in the United States.

Finnish trademark law will undergo a major reform at the beginning of 2019 when the new Finnish Trademarks Act enters into force. The government proposal for the new Act was introduced to parliament on 18 October 2018. The new legislation replaces the previous, fairly inconsistent and outdated Trademarks Act from the 1960s, implements the revised Trademark Directive and enforces the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks. The new Act aims to achieve a major shift towards a more coherent and uniform national legal framework in compliance with European Union laws.

Economic sanctions, when imposed by a regime, have the purposes of advancing national security, foreign policy or economic goals. Sanctions can take multiple forms, including restrictions on investment, restrictions on trade, restrictions on travel, and economic or financial sanctions intended to freeze the assets of the sanctioned subject or to block access to capital markets and financial services.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is currently going through major social and economic reforms as part of Saudi Vision 2030 and the associated National Transformation Programme. The Saudi Arabian government is introducing a number of laws and policy changes aimed at simplifying business and increasing foreign investment in the Kingdom.