With the economic recovery unfolding and an increasing focus upon procuring good quality residential and commercial developments, the services of architects are now very much ‘in demand’ again. The concern for architects is that, between new Regulations and recent developments in case law, they also face increasingly difficult challenges in terms of risk management and mitigation.
Earlier this year, the Environment Protection Agency (“EPA”) adopted a final rule imposing new standards for the management of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals (“HWPs”)[1] that goes into effect on August 21, 2019 (“Final Rule”).[2] This comprehensive overhaul of rules governing the treatment and discarding of HWPs under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) is largely intended to provide regulatory clarity and national consistency. However, many of the Final Rule’s core provisions must first be adopted at the state level within the next two to three years, meaning that inconsistencies could arise based upon each state’s interpretation and adoption of these provisions. This implementation process will therefore be critical to affected pharmaceutical supply chain entities, which will need to proactively engage state lawmakers to ensure efficient management operations.
Texas has amended its data breach notification law to create new reporting requirements and deadlines.
The amendments, effective Jan. 1, 2020, require an entity that experiences a data breach to notify impacted individuals within 60 days of discovery. Previously, the law only required notice to impacted residents “as quickly as possible.” Additionally, the new law requires notification to the Texas Attorney General, also within 60 days of discovery, if a breach impacts more than 250 Texas residents. The Attorney General notification must include a detailed description of the nature and circumstances of the breach or the use of the sensitive information acquired as a result of the breach; the number of Texas residents impacted by the breach; measures taken or intended to be taken in response to the breach; and information concerning whether law enforcement is investigating the breach. The law previously did not require notice to be made to the Texas Attorney General.
Howard & Howard is pleased to announce that Joseph E. Silvia has joined the Firm. He will practice out of the Chicago, Illinois office.
It has been a busy six months in our latest corporate social responsibility endeavours in the community, marketplace and workplace.
Robert Kennedy is the 2019 President of Limerick Solicitors Bar Association (LSBA) and is committed to providing solicitor training in Limerick together with philanthropical LSBA fundraising and donations to various charities in the region.
In other news we supported and sponsored the Insurance Institute Dinner in Adare and sponsored UL Bohs Blackrock for whom our very own Ed Kelly, Solicitor, is Captain. Shane Costelloe took part in the Grant Thornton 5K in Cork. Our team once again helped out with Team Limerick Clean Up 5 (TLC5) on Good Friday. The twice annual Transition Year Programme was again a popular week with students, most recently, this April. We were also pleased to continue with our Leaders at LIT Student Scholarship this year.
Tender documents often specify that proportionate unit prices must be included in the bids submitted. This requirement allows the client to compare proposals with more accuracy. Can a bidder ignore these specifications and rely solely on the total price of its bid to assert its competitive position?
Howard & Howard has donated $12,500 to the Tyler Robinson Foundation. The donation was made in support of the Battle for Vegas charity softball game played June 15 in front of a sold-out crowd at Las Vegas Ballpark, which included attorneys from Howard & Howard’s Las Vegas office. The game featured players from the Golden Knights, Oakland Raiders, and other athletes and celebrities. In total, more than $136,000 was raised at the event.
Joe Silvia, a partner at the Howard & Howard law firm, will be a presenter at the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) Legal Seminar on July 22, 2019 at the Westin Michigan Avenue Hotel in Chicago.
The recently passed Act to Promote Keeping Workers in Maine is poised to dramatically alter the status of restrictive covenants in Maine. The Act accomplishes this by: (1) prohibiting employers from entering into no-poach agreements with one another; (2) barring employers from entering into noncompetes with lower wage employees; (3) limiting employers’ ability to enforce noncompetes; (4) mandating advanced disclosure of noncompete obligations; and (5) imposing a time delay between when an employee agrees to the terms of a noncompete and when the noncompete obligations actually go into effect. In addition to barring the enforcement of noncompliant noncompetes, the Act authorizes the Maine Department of Labor to impose monetary civil fines of “not less than $5,000” on employers who enter into non-complaint agreements. The Act apples to contracts entered into or renewed after September 18, 2019, so Maine employers should not waste time in revising their agreements to comply with the Act.
Investments soar in the Build-to-Rent sector in Ireland in line with the major increase in demand for rental accommodation. Sandra Egan, Partner, accommodates the pros and cons.
Welcome to ILN-terviews, a series of profiles of ILN member firm attorneys, designed to give a unique insight into the lawyers who make up our Network. For our latest interview, we chose ILN member, Arthur Li of our member firm Lee and Li in Taiwan, China. In one sentence, how would you describe your practice?...… Continue Reading
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