This month’s Chambers Newsletter covers the latest Global Practice Guides, articles, podcasts, and videos from Expert Focus, as well as all our upcoming events.
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Chambers Global Practice Guides and Chambers Expert Focus
Our Global Practice Guides are yearly online guides that include articles written by legal experts around the world in many areas of business law. The articles in our guides are in-depth commentaries from the best in their field, and because they come from lawyers on every continent, they allow the reader to compare the legislation and procedures described in these articles across different jurisdictions.
Chambers Expert Focus provides multimedia content (articles, videos, and podcasts) featuring legal professionals who offer fresh and concise insight into international legal practices.
Trending in Global Practice Guides
Acquisition Finance 2024
Published 23 May 2024
Occasionally, a company can benefit from acquiring another business, as this may increase its size or capital. Acquisition financing refers to the capital obtained specifically for this purchase and provides immediate resources that buyers can utilise for the transaction. Once again, we are delighted to have Nicholas A Dorsey and Johannes Tieves from Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP and Hengeler Mueller as contributing editors to our Acquisition Finance 2024 e-guide. The two lawyers share the knowledge and market intelligence they have acquired from countless transactions in acquisition finance to open this publication, providing useful facts and figures from the market instability of the last year. The e-guide hopes to help readers understand the opportunities and pitfalls that legislators in about 30 jurisdictions may encounter with the legal aspects of acquisition financing; our contributing editors also hope to receive suggestions and feedback to make this publication an improved and more informative guide.
What’s new in Global Practice Guides
Artificial Intelligence 2024
Published 28 May 2024
With the diffusion of popular applications such as ChatGPT on the WorldWideWeb, it has become essential for practitioners to prepare legal frameworks to regulate AI and automation while it helps us humans perform a variety of tasks. When it comes to the best approach to AI regulation, it seems that there is no one universal rule that fits all, and every context in which AI is applied should be treated individually, provided some general but fundamental principles are covered: transparency, risk of human error, privacy, ethics and co-operation among the governments. With its commentaries from jurisdictions across the world, our Artificial Intelligence 2024 e-guide describes recent developments concerning AI, its applications and data protection, while it also reports on future plans of investment and the recent papers drafted to legislate this very complex and rapidly evolving technology. A bonus is that every chapter in this e-guide was written without the use of any AI but merely as a result of the very human, in-depth knowledge and creative ability of our contributing counsels – happy reading!
Medical Cannabis & Cannabinoid Regulation 2024
Published 30 May
There is certainly more to cannabinoid, usually known as cannabis, than being a herb mainly consumed for recreational purposes; in recent years, it has mostly been recognised as a Class B drug or as part of medication used to relieve chronic pain, albeit many other properties of the plant have now put it at the centre of a multi-billion dollar global industry that covers anything from life-saving medical treatments to the production of widely used commodities. For instance, the author of the newsletter did not know that industrial hemp – part of thebotanical Cannabis family –is grown specifically to make a wide range of commonly used goods including paper, rope, textiles, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel and cattle food. If you are willing to learn more about this plant’s secret properties and how international laws are legislating its wide potential, our Cannabis Regulation 2024 e-guide is the right book for you. Among its collection of 15 commentaries from industry-specific lawyers, you will read about how Cannabis-related law has had to differentiate between commercial use and criminal practices; in Great Britain, for instance, the private possession and consumption of cannabis can carry a prison sentence, but lately, it has been noticed a more relaxed approach by the UK government as it values the many social and commercial opportunities that the cannabinoid derivatives can offer. Watch this space.
Coming Soon
Construction Law 2024
To be published on 6 June 2024
When we think about our personal assets, there is nothing more important than our own home, which can be undoubtedly seen as the most significant purchase of our lives – and as we look for the house or flat of our dreams, we come into contact with the industry responsible for the building and repairing of those real estate projects in which, one day, we might choose to live. Like other markets in recent years, the construction sector has suffered much uncertainty brought on by technological developments, having to cope with COVID-19 and the current international conflicts that have disrupted supply chains for steel, cement and timber. Inflation, interest hikes, and rising materials costs are also responsible for this turmoil. More in-depth information and predictions on what lies ahead for this industry can be provided by our Construction 2024 e-guide, which has been compiled by a group of international law firms with considerable expertise in this sector. As we await for more stability to ensue, we are reliably assured that the general look for the future is certainly optimistic; governments are introducing reforms to sustain distressed real estate companies, are encouraging the building of more affordable and modular housing, and are drafting new policies involving solar, wind and green energy with most countries aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
What’s new in Expert Focus
A Private Investigator Can Serve as an Asset in Business Litigation | USA
Thanks to this fascinating podcast by John G Schmidt Jr and Mitchell P Snyder from Phillips Lytle LLP, we have discovered how occasionally litigation lawyers in the USA might rely on the assistance of private investigators to help with the examination of a case involving fraud, trade business disclosure or cybercrime; just imagine Perry Mason hiring Magnum PI! Deciding on such a course of action should be treated on a case-by-case basis, but the podcast reveals that a private investigator can indeed be an asset in identifying whether a client’s suspicions are legitimate. The private eye, the lawyers advise, should be reliable, responsive, trustworthy, and capable of maintaining confidentiality, which is paramount to helping the firm avoid unnecessary media exposure and reputation damage. The podcast also offers a testimonial from an investigative agency explaining how they operate during routine background and surveillance checks, putting into action their unique set of skills.
Employer Duties on Election Day: A Global Comparison
The right to vote is perhaps the most important privilege we have – both a right and a civic duty – to express our voice and influence our future and the future of our community. In her detailed article, Dafna Shmuelevich – a founding partner at Dafna Shmuelevich and Co. Labor and Employment Law Office – tells us how legislators are working to ensure that employers in Israel do everything in their power to protect workers as they access the voting booths. Studies have shown that many factors influence voter turnout, including the existence or absence of mandatory voting, accessibility to polling stations and social norms. In Israel, for instance, election day is a mandatory paid holiday for most employees (regardless of whether they are voting or able to vote), and citizens can take time off from their workplace in order to express their vote. Unfortunately, research also shows that minimum wage employees, particularly in retail, often prefer working on election day holidays as they can earn commissions on top of their double pay. These and many other interesting facts can be read in the article, which also provides comparisons between the Israeli model and other work arrangements worldwide. Ultimately, Dafnia stresses that it is essential that employers encourage and facilitate the voting process for their workforce, as this is arguably the most powerful tool at their disposal to make a significant change in their society.
Solar Plants in Switzerland – A Legal Overview
Knowing that in 1982 Switzerland became the first country in Europe to connect a photovoltaic plant to the national electricity network and that only ten years later it had inaugurated the largest solar power station in Europe, it is hard to believe that this country full of unforgettable clean and natural landscapes is not yet totally ‘covered up’ in mirror-like shining solar panels. In their instructive article, Dr Sibylle Schnyder and Helena Loretan from CMS Switzerland reveal that the Swiss building sector is playing a key role in achieving the country’s target of ‘net-zero emission’ by 2050, which from January 1st, 2024, will become law as part of the Swiss Climate and Innovation Act. The Swiss Federal Office of Energy has predicted that in the future, electricity consumption will increase significantly in most households and businesses due to the use of heat pumps and electromobility; therefore, in order to achieve their ambitious goal, they intend to rely heavily on a country-wide spread of photovoltaic systems and solar plants, expecting almost half of the future’s electricity demands to be met by photovoltaic equipment by 2050. Naturally, there are a few ground rules to be observed, the authors explain, primarily the drafting of clear contractual rights and obligations for the parties involved in the installation of a solar plant. On the other hand, an extensive list of local incentives (subsidies, tax discounts, cancellation of some costs and duties, regional promotional programmes) are certain to push up the number of applications for the environmental-friendly photovoltaic panes, making the national green target easier to reach.
Chambers Expert Focus Podcast
Listen to our informative Chambers Expert Focus podcasts, which include legal experts sharing their knowledge and analysing key themes and market trends.
Chambers Events
Chambers Foro: Chile 2024 – Desafíos jurídicos en Chile: Transformando el escenario empresarial
Thank you to all attendees, speakers, and sponsors for this year’s Chile forum on Thursday, May 9th. The event featured a keynote address by Ximena Rincón González, Senadora de la República de Chile, and a fantastic line-up of speakers. Photos from the event are availablehere.
Thank you to our sponsors:Albagli Zaliasnik,Estudio Colombara,Magliona Abogados
Chambers USA Awards 2024
On Thursday, June 13th, we will be virtually hosting our #ChambersUSAAwards, where we will announce the winners in our 14 practice area awards and 8 DEI Categories. Our Chambers USA Research team will host the ceremony. You can view the shortlisted nominees and registerhere.
Thank you to our event sponsors:CravathandSelendy Gay
Chambers High Net Worth Awards 2024
We are pleased to announce that this year’s #ChambersHighNetWorthAwards will be held at the National Gallery on Thursday, 11 July. The ceremony will be hosted by Simon Christian, Global Research Director, and features 13 practice area categories.
Tables are available at the early bird rate until 31 May 2024. To secure your discounted price, completethisform and return it to[emailprotected]. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the ceremony – to learn more about our packages, clickhere.
Chambers UK Bar Awards 2024
This year’s #ChambersUKBarAwards will be hosted on Thursday, November 14th, at Old Billingsgate in London. We have 20+ practice area categories and 3 DEI categories. Tables are currently available to purchase at the Super Early Bird rate until Friday, July 26th. To secure your discounted table, fill outthisform and return it to[emailprotected].
