On August 14, 2018, after eight years of debates and drafting in the National Congress, Brazilian President Michel Temer sanctioned Law No. 13.709/2018, which regulates the General Data Protection in Public and Private Sectors. The General Data Protection Law is the first legislation in the country that provides for the data protection of individuals and … Continue Reading
Earlier this year Squire Patton Boggs hosted the International Institute of Communications’ (IIC) Telecommunications and Media Forum (TMF), which took place in Miami. The IIC is an international non-profit organization that brings together regulators, policy-makers and industry representatives to promote open dialogue and shape the public policy agenda in the telecommunications, media and technology sector. … Continue Reading
The left-leaning 64-year old Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador “known as AMLO,” who represents the MORENA Party, won the Mexican presidential election on July 1, 2018. This victory comes after two unsuccessful presidential campaigns in 2006 and 2012. AMLO’s pledge to end corruption, reduce violence and decrease poverty resonated this time with Mexican voters. He will … Continue Reading
Like the United States, Colombia has similarly become very polarized over the past few years. Simply put, this dichotomy involves (1) those who support the former two-term President, and now senator, Álvaro Uribe Vélez (“Uribe”) and his political polices, and (2) those who do not support him or his policies. Colombia’s newest President-elect, Iván Duque … Continue Reading
The Mexican Government announced a series of retaliatory tariffs on a diverse group of U.S. products in reaction to tariffs imposed by the United States on imports of steel and aluminum. The response from Mexico comes after more than a year of developments in the bilateral trade relationship. In April 2017, the Trump Administration self-initiated … Continue Reading
Protecting the personal data of individuals has become a major concern worldwide. As a result, several countries have adopted new regulations that aim to provide or enhance such protection. Here, we will briefly present some of the most relevant features of the data protection regulations recently adopted by the European Union (“EU”) and Mexico, two … Continue Reading
There were 13 candidates in the running for the presidency in Costa Rica until last Sunday, when Costa Ricans narrowed the pool two candidates. Among the 13 presidential candidates were several lawyers who are also politicians, including: Antonio Álvarez (National Liberation Party) – Lawyer, businessman and veteran legislator who twice served as President of the … Continue Reading
The ICC’s Expedited Procedure found under Article 30 and Appendix VI of the ICC Rules of Arbitration generally applies to arbitration agreements concluded after March 1, 2017; where the amount in dispute does not exceed US $ 2 million; and where the parties have not formally opted-out. However, parties are also allowed to opt-in, regardless … Continue Reading
Since the enactment of Law No. 57-07 on incentives for the development of renewable sources of energy on May 2007 (“Law No. 57-07”), the Dominican Republic has experienced a significant surge of investments in the renewable energy sector. For example, from 2011 to 2016, the country’s National Interconnected Electric System (“SENI”) added1,018 megawatts (“MW”) of … Continue Reading
The salary under Dominican law is not limited to the financial compensation regularly paid to employees for their services. Instead, under Dominican law, the salary also includes all fixed benefits that employees recurrently receive from their employer (e.g. cost of living, diet, telephone, gas and others). Moreover, under Dominican law, upon termination of a labor … Continue Reading
Agency, distribution and sales representation agreements are commonly used means for a business to expand its geographical reach without setting up a permanent establishment in a foreign country. While there are many elements to creating a successful commercial relationship, from a legal standpoint, knowledge of the legal framework in each target jurisdiction is essential to … Continue Reading
Several factors must be considered prior to filing a trademark application in Mexico. These factors include: a) prior use of the trademark; b) prior trademark registrations or applications in other countries; c) searches of identical or similar trademark registrations or applications; and, the d) accurate determination of the goods and services to be protected by … Continue Reading
Last week, a group of Ecuadorian government officials and business stakeholders traveled to Washington, DC, to encourage increased trade and investment ties between the United States and Ecuador. The delegation, which was led by Foreign Trade Minister Pablo Campana Sáenz, is seeking to revive US trade with, tourism to, and investment in Ecuador. During his … Continue Reading
September 19, 2017 – Paula Galhardo, Of Counsels at Squire Patton Boggs, will participate on a panel discussion on “Key Issues in International Agency and Distribution Agreements: Focus on Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and U.S.” at the Houston Bar Association’s Corporate Counsel Section Luncheon. Panelists will review the areas that most directly affect distribution and agency agreements: anti-corruption, termination, penalties, … Continue Reading
On August 20, trade officials from the United States, Mexico, and Canada concluded the first round of negotiations to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In a joint statement released following five days of talks, trade officials reiterated their commitment to updating the deal, continuing domestic consultations, and working on draft text. They … Continue Reading
The Brazilian Senate has recently approved Law No. 13,467/2017 (the “New Law”) to amend the Brazilian Labor Code (Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho – CLT) and related regulations. The purpose of the labor reform is to lead to the creation of new jobs and reduce unemployment rates, through the implementation of less restrictive rules, which are consistent … Continue Reading
On July 21, the presidents and other high-level officials of Mercosur’s member nations – Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay – met in Mendoza, Argentina to discuss the trade bloc’s next steps for increasing free trade with other regions. Top priorities on the agenda were the finalization of the trade negotiations with the European Union, as … Continue Reading
Since President Mauricio Macri’s election in 2015, the global community has been closely watching South America’s second largest economy for signs of stability and economic growth. Positive signs persist in this first half of 2017. The OECD June 2017 economic forecast indicates that Argentina has exited recession and points to wide-ranging structural reforms as a … Continue Reading
In an effort to bring the Dominican legal framework up to date with new international standards, on June 1, 2017, the Executive Power of the Dominican Republic promulgated the new Anti-money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act 155-17 (“New Law”). The New Law overhauls the Anti-money Laundering Act 72-02 of June 7, 2002, to allow for … Continue Reading
Squire Patton Boggs previously reported on the growing fear that the Trump Administration would roll back President Barack Obama’s plan to normalize relations with Cuba. Then-candidate Donald Trump was calling President Obama’s deals with Cuba “one-sided” and beneficial “only [to] the Castro regime.” Last week Friday, at an event at the Manuel Artime Theater in … Continue Reading
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to the White House on Thursday, May 18, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations, including efforts to combat illegal narcotics. Entering the final year of his presidency with strong political headwinds, President Santos brought attention to this growing partnership, including in trade, saying during their joint … Continue Reading
On February 4, 2010, after more than a decade of negotiations, government officials from the United States and Chile executed the first bilateral income tax treaty (“Tax Treaty”) between the two countries. This event marked an important next step in economic cooperation; the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force on January 1, … Continue Reading
Brazilian President Michel Temer will submit a bill to modify the Brazilian Aviation Code and allow foreign capital to own 100 percent of any Brazilian airline. If approved by Congress, the new ruling will end the existing 20 percent limitation. The measure comes as part of the Government’s strategy to boost tourism industry in the … Continue Reading
On April 2, 2017, Ecuador held its second round of presidential elections, in which the governing party, Alianza País’s (AP) candidate, former Vice President Lenin Moreno, has been declared the winner. According to the National Electoral Council of Ecuador (CNE), AP obtained 51.16 percent of the vote, as compared to 48.84 percent that went to … Continue Reading
