The Global Law Firm's Survival Guide to Russia

It is difficult to believe that, in the not-so-
distant past, Russia was one of the hottest legal markets on the planet.

Throughout the mid-2000s, record oil prices drove Russia's energy-dependent economy to dizzying heights. Keen to tap into this veritable economic gusher, cross-border investors poured bucket loads of cash into the market, and law firms scrambled to keep pace with the glut of big-ticket transactional work.

Владимир Путин подписал закон о погашении долгов крымчан в украинских банках

Президент России Владимир Путин подписал федеральный закон «О внесении изменений в отдельные законодательные акты Российской Федерации и о признании утратившими силу отдельных положений законодательных актов Российской Федерации», который уточняет порядок погашения задолженностей физических лиц, проживающих в Крыму или в Севастополе, по кредитным договорам, заключенным с украинскими банками.

Remarks by the Vice President to Enhanced Forward Presence and Estonian Troops

Estonia Defense Force Headquarters
Tallinn, Estonia

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  President Kaljulaid, President Vējonis, and President Grybauskaitė, General Terras, Colonel Ridland, members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America, members of the armed forces of Estonia, the United Kingdom, and France -- it is my great honor to be here at the Defense Forces Headquarters of the great nation of Estonia.

Revisiting old and postponed decisions – Gas (U turn on a U turn?)

Following on seamlessly from the previous entry relating to (the mostly oligarch owned) electricity infrastructure and the proposal for RAB incentive based investment (or probably not when it comes to actual owner investment), the same energy regulator,  the National Commission for Energy Regulation and Utilities (NCRECU), seems set to revisit an old policy suggestion/regulatory plan relating to gas.

PGO suspect Finance Minister Danyliuk of tax evasion

Kyiv's Pechersk District Court ruled that the State Fiscal Service audit Finance Minister of Ukraine Oleksandr Danyliuk for possible tax evasion, as stated in the relevant decision posted in the Unified State Register of Judicial Decisions.

Ukrainian interest. Format’s devaluation, sanctions saga, and principled Moldova

Phone talks of the Normandy Four leaders confirmed that it would be very difficult to revive this format of negotiations. Donald Trump used Ukraine factor in the internal political struggle. The U.S. Congress came up with a new “axis of evil,” including Russia. The Moldovan authorities boosted their principled stance toward the Kremlin.

Romanian official: Russian deputy PM tried to flout EU ban

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Russia's deputy prime minister "deliberately" tried to enter Romanian airspace despite knowing he is on a list of officials banned from the European Union, Romania's foreign minister said Monday.

"In my opinion, it was a deliberate act to create problems between Romania and Russia," the minister, Teodor Melescanu, told the news channel Antena 3.

Die illegalen Siemens-Turbinen auf der Krim

Unter Bruch der EU-Wirtschaftssanktionen setzt Putin Gasturbinen auf der Krim ein. Siemens kann sich nicht mit Unwissenheit herausreden, schreibt der ukrainische Außenminister Pawlo Klimkin im Gastbeitrag.

Financial Aid for Students

Learn About Federal Student Aid

Ukrainian judge released after 9-month captivity in separatist-controlled Luhansk Oblast

Vitaliy Rudenko, a judge of the Luhansk Regional Court of Appeal, was released on July 29 after spending nine months as a captive of the Russian-backed separatists that control a part of Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk Oblast.

Putin’s Bet on a Trump Presidency Backfires Spectacularly

A little more than a year after the Russian effort to interfere in the American presidential election came to light, the diplomatic fallout — an unraveling of the relationship between Moscow and Washington on a scale not seen in decades — is taking its toll.

Prime Minister: Ukraine joins in the 'GO HIGHWAY' project to develop transport corridor connecting the Baltic and the Black Seas

Ukraine engages in the development of the transport corridor connecting the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea through participation in the ‘GO (Gdansk-Odessa) Highway’ and reconstructs sections of the speedway from Lvivto Odesa, Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman wrote at his Facebook page.

Vladimir Poutine contrôle-t-il encore Ramzan Kadyrov?

Non content de faire régner une terreur stalinienne dans sa république, le chef tchétchène étend rapidement son influence dans toute la Russie

Deutliche Mehrheit lehnt neue US-Sanktionen gegen Russland ab

Rückendeckung für die Bundesregierung: Eine klare Mehrheit der Deutschen findet Berlins Protest gegen einseitige Russland-Sanktionen der Vereinigten Staaten richtig - und unterstellt der US-Politik egoistische Motive.

Europe's Eastern Rebels Expose Next Fault Line for EU Leaders

A battle between European Union regulators and the Polish government over its plans to weaken the judiciary’s independence is splitting eastern and western Europe in a way that the euro region erupted along a north-south fault line. As Greece returned to the bond market last week, Poland faced the threat of unprecedented EU penalties from the first-ever probe of a member’s respect for the rule of law.

Putin says US will have to shed 755 from diplomatic staff

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday the United States would have to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755, heightening tensions between Washington and Moscow three days after the U.S. Congress approved sanctions against Russia.

In response, the U.S. State Department deemed it “a regrettable and uncalled for act.”

France offers Italy naval ship deal to resolve STX row: paper

PARIS (Reuters) - France will offer to expand shipbuilding cooperation with Italy into naval vessels, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said, after Paris thwarted a tie-up it is now seeking to renegotiate between the STX France shipyard and Italian rival Fincantieri (FCT.MI).

Greek debt crisis: ‘People can’t see any light at the end of any tunnel’

The Greek government says the country has turned a corner, but that is not the experience of people on the ground

The Workerant

In the unfolding drama of work in the digital age, new circumstance demands new language. Gig economy, on-demand work, the sharing economy, precarious work, automation, zero-hour contracts, outsourcing, workfare. Whilst the entire stage set changes, the central character of the drama remains. The worker. If this indicates both a resilience yet a revisionism of the worker today, there is the need to probe the worker subject of the new economies through new ones. Thus here is the workerant.

Regulating the Internet of Toys

New technologies and the expansion of the Internet of Things have allowed children of this generation to experience seamless interactive technologies through microphones, GPS devices, speech recognition, sensors, cameras and other technological capabilities. These advancements create new markets for entertainment and education alike and, in the process, collect endless amounts of data from children–from their names and locations to their likes/dislikes and innermost thoughts.

Delaware Governor Signs Groundbreaking Blockchain Legislation into Law

On July 21, 2017, following last June’s announcement that the Delaware House of Representatives had passed (with near unanimity) blockchain-related provisions proposing to amend several sections of the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL), the Delaware Governor officially signed the legislation into law.[1]

Russia frees Donbas militant who killed teenager in occupied Kramatorsk in 2014

Russian law enforcement agencies in occupied Crimea have freed Vadim Pogodin, 46, a militant who fought for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic ("DPR") as commander of the Kerch Battalion under the nom de guerre "Kerch" and is accused of torturing and murdering a 16-year-old Ukrainian in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, in 2014, when the town was occupied.

Эксклюзивное интервью Владимира Путина: почему ответ России чувствителен для США

Персонал американских дипмиссий в России сокращается на 755 человек и будет таким же, как и персонал российских дипмисий в Америке — по 455 человек с каждой стороны. Американские дипломаты лишаются права использовать сразу несколько объектов в Москве. В ответ на стремительное одобрение закона об ужесточении антироссийских санкций в Конгрессе Россия восстанавливает дипломатический паритет. 

Reform in Ukraine: Surpassing Expectations and Public Perceptions

Evaluating reform in Ukraine is akin to taking a Rorschach test. For Kremlin propagandists and their witting or unwitting acolytes in the West, Ukraine is an irredeemably corrupt place. To young reformers in Ukraine and some of the country’s well-wishers, progress in transforming the country is agonizingly slow and always in danger of reversal. And to Ukraine’s top leadership and those who worry most about defending the country from Moscow’s aggression, the country has achieved exceptional progress in very difficult circumstances.

How the Calabrian Mafia Discovered Hong Kong

Italian mafia families have begun using Hong Kong as a base for financial crimes.

RAB – The right policy for Oblast Energy?

It appears that the National Commission for Energy Regulation and Utilities (NCRECU), the Ukrainian regulator, is set to introduce Regulatory Asset Base (RAB) tariff incentives for the regional electricity providers.

How very European – in fact RAB is a UK concept employed across much of Europe.

"Everyone thinks he was whacked"

Vladimir Putin’s former media czar was murdered in Washington, DC, on the eve of a planned meeting with the US Justice Department, according to two FBI agents whose assertions cast new doubts on the US government’s official explanation of his death.

IdentityTheft.gov

IdentityTheft.gov can help you report and recover from identity theft.

IdentityTheft.gov is the federal government’s one-stop resource for identity theft victims. The site provides streamlined checklists and sample letters to guide you through the recovery process.

Repeal The CFPB's Anti-Consumer Ban On Mandatory Arbitration Clauses

Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a rule prohibiting banks, credit-card companies, and other financial institutions from including mandatory arbitration clauses in new contracts. The CFPB claims to have struck a blow for consumer rights, but the truth is, this rule will be a boon to frivolous lawsuits—and a drag on our economy.

Healthcare in France: a beginner’s guide

Félicitations! You’ve chosen a life in France – or perhaps life in France has chosen you. Either way, there’s plenty to learn about life in the land of baguettes, cheese and fine wine.

And at the top of any new expat’s list is sorting out healthcare in their adopted country. Figuring out who to call for what – especially in a foreign language – can take longer than expected.

Turkish government steps up attempt to ease economic row with Germany

Turkish economy officials have accelerated efforts to tone down a recent row with Germany, vowing that German investments in Turkey were safe and citing a “communication mistake” for reports about an anti-terror probe against hundreds German companies in the country. 

Klymenko case involves 46 suspects, 9 already arrested

Some 46 persons have been indicted for various crimes, nine arrested and 18 freed on bail in the so-called "tax centers" case, which involves employees of former Tax and Revenues Ministry under ex-Minister Oleksandr Klymenko [who fled to Moscow in early 2014 following the Revolution of Dignity], head of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office Yuriy Lutsenko has said.

Congress Slaps Putin With More Sanctions. Does He Actually Care?

A Q&A with the Defense Department's former Eastern Europe point person, Evelyn Farkas, on the Russian tyrant's real goals in Ukraine, Syria and beyond.

Corporate Social Responsibility: What Your Small Business Needs to Know

Ever wish your small business could do more for the community? Maybe you volunteer as a group or have a favorite cause, but you want to take that work a step further.

A corporate social responsibility (CSR) program could be what your company needs to work toward a community mission alongside your business mission. These programs are increasingly becoming a staple of business transparency efforts; many big companies like Patagonia, Warby Parker, and Ben & Jerry’s have corporate responsibility programs for causes that align with their business missions.

Valuev Circular

The Valuev Circular  of 18 July 1863 was a secret decree (ukaz) of the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Empire Pyotr Valuev (Valuyev) by which a large portion of the publications (religious, and literature used for school training) in the Ukrainian language was forbidden.

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) is a free-trade agreement between Canada and Ukraine. According to the agreement, the signing parties eliminate custom duties on essentially all goods produced in one country and imported to the other. The agreement was signed on 11 July 2016 in Kyiv, Ukraine, and it will come into force on 1 August 2017.

Text of the Canada–Ukraine Free trade agreement 

Hugo Grotius in the Contemporary Memory of International Law: Secularism, Liberalism, and the Politics of Restatement and Denial

Hugo Grotius in the Contemporary Memory of International Law: Secularism, Liberalism, and the Politics of Restatement and Denial (PDF)

Sally Yates: Protect the Justice Department From President Trump

The spectacle of President Trump’s efforts to humiliate the attorney general into resigning has transfixed the country. But while we are busy staring at the wreckage of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ relationship with the man he supported for the presidency, there is something more insidious happening.

Poland Says EU on ‘Road to Nowhere’ Trying to Stop Court Changes

Poland rejected the European Union’s move on Saturday for a possible lawsuit to halt the just-passed overhaul of the country’s lower courts, saying the bloc lacked such authority and would ultimately have to turn back.

The escalation in an almost two-year row over court independence and the government’s respect for the rule of law opens the way for the commission to file suit. 

Ukrainian pilot awarded Order For Courage for landing damaged plane in Istanbul

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has awarded Ukrainian pilot Oleksandr Akopov, who landed a hail-damaged passenger plane at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport in extremely difficult weather conditions, the Order For Courage.

5th Ukrainian-Korean Economic Forum opens in Kyiv

The 5th Ukrainian-Korean Economic Forum 'Economic Cooperation in the Context of Eurasian Integration' has opened in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The opening ceremony was held with the participation of Ukrainian First Vice Prime Minister-Economic Development and Trade Minister Stepan Kubiv, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Ukraine Lee Yang-goo, Rector of National Technical University of Ukraine 'Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute' Mykhailo Zgurovskyi.

DefMin Tutuianu on Rogozin's reaction: Absolutely inappropriate

Minister of National Defence Adrian Tutuianu deemed, on Saturday, as "absolutely inappropriate" the reaction of Russian deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, after Romania denied his plane entry and permission to fly over its airspace.

В Европе создают вторую лигу, Украине нужно быть крайне осторожной – аналитик

Украинская власть ходит по очень тонкому льду. С одной стороны, ей удалось заинтересовать президента США Дональда Трампа. С другой стороны, необходимо выполнять взятые на себя обязательства, в рамках которых нужно принимать непопулярные меры. Одновременно с попытками урегулировать ситуацию между Украиной и Россией Штаты вынуждены искать решения еще двух масштабных кризисов, в которых Россия поддерживает противников США.

Ukrainian Patriarch calls for unity against Russian 'aggressor' – media

Thousands of followers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, led by Ukrainian Patriarch Filaret, performed a traditional cross-bearing procession in Kyiv on July 28 to mark the Day of the Christianization of Kievan Rus, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Brazil Deploys 8,500 Armed Forces in Rio de Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The government announced that the implementation of the National Security Plan in Rio de Janeiro will employ 8,500 members of the Armed Forces, 620 members of the National Security Force and 1,120 of the Federal Highway Police, of whom 380 came from other states.

Exclusive: Congress asks U.S. agencies for Kaspersky Lab cyber documents

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - A U.S. congressional panel this week asked 22 government agencies to share documents on Moscow-based cyber firm Kaspersky Lab, saying its products could be used to carry out "nefarious activities against the United States," according to letters seen by Reuters.

Ivan Aivazovsky

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (29 July 1817 – 2 May 1900) was a Russian Romantic painter who is considered one of the greatest masters of marine art. Baptized as Hovhannes Aivazian, Aivazovsky was born into an Armenian family in the Black Sea port of Feodosia in Crimea and was mostly based there.

Start with security – and stick with it

When it comes to data security, what’s reasonable will depend on the size and nature of your business and the kind of data you deal with. But certain principles apply across the board: Don’t collect sensitive information you don’t need. Protect the information you maintain. And train your staff to carry out your policies.

How AI will influence the workplace

For good or bad, the use of AI is already prevalent and its potential uses are expanding quickly, including to the workplace.  LinkedIn is currently suing a competitor, hiQ Labs, for use of information “scraped” from the social network’s site and used for AI analysis.  

The Five Best Marijuana Business Ideas Killed Off by State Regulations

Though we very much want states (and our clients) to follow the federal government’s “robust regulation” directives in the 2013 Cole Memo, we can’t help but bemoan when “robust” state cannabis regulations take the fun and creativity out of cannabis business operations.

European Commission launches infringement against Poland over measures affecting the judiciary

The European Commission launched an infringement procedure against Poland by sending a Letter of Formal Notice, following the publication in the Polish Official Journal of the Law on the Ordinary Courts Organisation on Friday 28 July.

The Polish authorities have one month to reply to the Letter of Formal Notice.

Supreme Court justice tender means start of renewed judicial system in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that the completed tender for staffing the new Supreme Court is the start of a renewed system of justice. He called on Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine deputies to make the necessary changes to procedural codes during their next week of plenary sessions scheduled for September 2017.

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Week’s balance: Economy sees growth, Groysman vows privatization, and Gazprom fights off fines

The Ministry of Economic Development has reported growth of the national economy, Prime Minister Groysman promised to restart privatization despite the fact that a new State Property Fund chief has not yet been appointed, while Russian energy giant Gazprom easily refuted in Ukrainian courts earlier imposed obligations to pay UAH 80 million worth of fines for the violation of anti-trust legislation  - these are the key economic news of the outgoing week.

KNEU’s Lawyers: Alternative Legal Service Providers in Ukraine

Alternative Legal Service Providers in Ukraine

Kyiv National Economic University
Law Institute
Legal Regulation of Economics Department 

KNEU’s Lawyers provide legal support for foreign business in Ukraine.

e-mail: contact@businesslaw.org.ua

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The Sweet Smell of Post-Soviet Dictatorship

As I read Friday's release from the prosecutor general's office of Uzbekistan, which finally explained what's been happening to the older daughter of the Central Asian country's founding president since 2013, I thought about perfume with ylang ylang as a prominent note. 

'Incredible shrinking airline seat': US court says seat size a safety issue

Passenger group challenged Federal Aviation Administration after agency rejected request for rules on seat size and distance between rows

Washington’s distracted driving law makes coffee illegal?

Efforts around the country to crack down on distracted driving have been accelerating of late (so to speak), especially the use of cell phones for texting. And not a moment too soon: studies have shown that reading the average text message takes a driver’s view away from the road for 5 seconds, enough time to cover the length of a football field—at 55 miles per hour.

The Advent Of ‘Blockchain’ And What It May Mean For Lawyers

The financial world may be headed for a major change. As with any change to society, there will be disputes, and good lawyers need to be ready.

Trade Secrets Litigation: The No-Longer-Forgotten Part of the Tech IP Arsenal

With massive jury rewards and the DTSA encouraging federal litigation, trade secrets litigation is seeing a surge in the tech industry.

8 Signs You Need Contract Automation

Sometimes the things we need to change the most are the things we can see the least. It’s hard to get an objective look at where we stand. Yet the way work gets done, as well as customer expectations, are changing. We need to evolve in order to keep up – and thrive – in an increasingly automated world.

FORGET JEFF BEZOS, PUTIN IS WORLD'S RICHEST MAN, SENATE TOLD

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos made headlines this week when he was declared the richest person in the world with a net worth of $90 billion. But a U.S. financier told senators Thursday that he believed the title belonged to someone else, and it is not Bill Gates. 

According to Bill Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, Russian President Vladimir Putin is richer than both Bezos and Gates combined.

Romania denies transit of plane with sanction-bound Russian Deputy PM Rogozin

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitriy Rogozin's visit to Moldova on Friday failed because the Romanian authorities had refused to give overflight permission for a Russian airline's plane with Russian delegates on board, and the aircraft had to land in Minsk, Belarus, after which the Russian official returned to Moscow, according to the Russian news agency TASS.

A transitional mixed bag – High Qualification of Commission of Judges results

7th December 2016 witnessed the beginning of a vetting process for those wishing to become Supreme Court Judges – be they Civil, Criminal, Economic or Administrative.

From 1436 applicants, 653 were admitted to the competition, from which 625 eventually underwent assessment.

During the evaluation, participants of the competition completed professional and psychological tests, were scrutinised by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, and the Public Council for Integrity,   The Public Council for Integrity had a semi-veto on applicants requiring the Higher Qualification of Judges Commission to vote by 2/3rds to overturn that quasi-veto – and it did on numerous occasions.

«Досвід 45 країн». Експерт пояснила, чим вирізнятиметься новий Верховний суд України

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries concerning restrictive measures in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol

On 19 June 2017, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2017/1087 [1]. 

The Council Decision extends the restrictive measures until 23 June 2018. 

The Candidate Countries Montenegro* and Albania*, and the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and Georgia align themselves with this Declaration. 

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision. 

The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it.

At work on India-based imposter scams

Imposter scams like phony tech support scams and IRS impersonator calls continue to hit computers and phones across the country. And the scammers behind them continue to make it tough to track them down by masking their caller ID information and sending money through obscure and tangled routes. What we do know is that many of these scammers are based in India.

Congratulation by Prime Minister of Ukraine on the Day of Christianization of Kyivan Rus-Ukraine

Fellow Ukrainians!

The Christianization of Kyivan Rus became an epoch-making event that had determined further development of the Ukrainian state and its place among the European nations, as well as foreordained the civilizational and cultural mar of history in our country. By baptizing the Rus, Princes of Kyiv had established stateness being among the most successful in the Europe of those days.

HARVEST FINDER: RIPE HERE, RIPE NOW

Drop it on Harvest Finder free!

We connect your harvests of food, drink, health, beauty, floral, fashion, art, craft, and more, to the public, connoisseurs, and businesses.

Ripe Here Ripe Now

Заявление Министерства иностранных дел Российской Федерации

27 июля Конгресс США завершил процедуру голосования по новому закону, ужесточающему санкции в отношении России. Это еще раз подтверждает крайнюю агрессивность Соединенных Штатов в международных делах. Прикрываясь своей «исключительностью», США высокомерно игнорируют позиции и интересы других государств.

Transatlantic fallout over Russian sanctions is dangerous

It has been over three years since Russia seized Crimea and launched a proxy war in eastern Ukraine. There are few signs that the war will end. Russia-backed forces are either digging in or pushing forward and Europe’s response is not working. Fresh thinking is required to initiate a ceasefire and end the killing.

Farmers vs agriholdings

The opportunity to buy and sell farmland has turned into a key factor of political struggle in Ukraine. Few politicians do not lament the threat of modern latifundists “buying up land for peanuts” in case the sale ban is lifted. This rhetoric has been served the interests if big and giant agribusinesses for two decades now, allowing their owners to appropriate a lion’s share of land-generated revenues and concentrate more and more of the land in their hands.

Crown Agents to save over UAH 124 mln on 2016 procurement

Britain's Crown Agents would save over UAH 124 million on procurement of medicines and medical products using the 2016 national budget funds.

Сенат підтвердив новий пакет санкцій: що саме чекає на Росію

В п'ятницю вночі за українським часом (в четвер ввечері за Вашингтоном) Конгрес США завершив схвалення нових антиросійських санкцій.

Сенатори проголосували за затвердження нового санкційного пакету, який два дні тому сенсаційною більшістю схвалила Палата представників.

Причому в Сенаті голосування також виявилося майже одноголосним: документ підтримали 98 законодавців, 2 проголосували проти.

Germany and Turkey Are at a Breaking Point

Germany and Turkey have deep ties, with millions of ethnic Turks living in Germany, millions of Germans flocking to Turkey’s beaches and historic cities, and almost 7,000 German companies—from giants such as Deutsche Bank, Siemens, and Volkswagen to tiny importers of textiles and food—doing business there. Add it all up, and trade between the two tops $36 billion a year.

Obamacare Repeal Collapses as Senate GOP Blocks Health Bill

A months-long effort by Senate Republicans to pass health legislation collapsed early Friday after GOP Senator John McCain joined two of his colleagues to block a stripped-down Obamacare repeal bill.

Macron's Faux Pas

France's new president, Emmanuel Macron, vowed to attract more foreign investment and to push for greater European integration. His government's decision to block an Italian takeover of France's STX shipyard has broken both promises in one fell swoop.

Why This Ex-President Ended up Stateless

The leader who waged a high-profile fight to set two post-Soviet countries on a Western path has now lost his job and the citizenship of both nations. Mikheil Saakashvili, former president of Georgia and former governor of Odessa in Ukraine, is now stateless. His story shows how difficult it is in the post-Soviet space for even Western darlings such as Georgia and Ukraine to shed their legacy of corruption and authoritarianism.

Pennsylvania Announces Practitioner Registry for Medical Marijuana Program

In a July 26, 2017 Press Release, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced the opening of its Practitioner Registry. This marks the next critical step in implementing Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Program, which the DOH expects to be fully operational by 2018. Physicians can find out more about the Medical Marijuana Program here and complete the Registry here.

Turkish prime minister reassures German investors in Turkey

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has assured German companies in Turkey that his government will not allow tension between Ankara and Berlin to harm their interests in the country. 

“It is very important to us that you are not a part of this tension and do not suffer any damage from the events,” Yıldırım said on July 27 at a meeting with senior representatives of leading German companies in Turkey, including Bosch, Siemens, Mercedes, Metro Group, Frankfurt Messe and Thyssen Krupp.

Symposium: A federal-common-law approach to corporate liability under the Alien Tort Statute

Enacted as part of the Judiciary Act of 1789, the Alien Tort Statute provides: “The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of any civil action by an alien for a tort only, committed in violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States.” Despite its Founding-era provenance, the ATS lay largely dormant until 1980, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit held in Filartiga v. Pena-Irala that the statute authorized a Paraguayan national to bring a civil damages suit against a former Paraguayan police officer based on allegations of torture. The Supreme Court has construed the statute only twice since then – first in 2003 in Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain, and again in 2013 in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. (“Kiobel II”). The court will get its third opportunity this term, when it considers Jesner v. Arab Bank.

Airbnb sued by woman who says she was sexually assaulted by 'superhost'

An Airbnb guest is seeking to hold the company accountable for an alleged sexual assault, claiming in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that she was attacked by a host who was not properly screened.

San Francisco’s Salary History Ban Signed Into Law

Mayor Ed Lee signed the “Parity in Pay Ordinance” (“Ordinance”) on July 19, 2017, prohibiting employers from inquiring about a job applicant’s salary history. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2018 (with attendant penalties to take effect on January 1, 2019).

LP - Your Town [Lyric Video]

Crimea, Chornomorska company, ICTV, Channel 5, Tonis to start broadcasting in Crimea

Television channels UA: Crimea (National Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Company of Ukraine), Chornomorska TV and radio broadcasting company, ICTV, Channel 5 and Tonis have won a tender of the National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine to broadcast digital signal from the tower in Chonhar (Kherson region) reaching the northern part of the occupied Crimea.

"Europe’s values are its best defence" - article by President Donald Tusk

The year 2016 will go down in European history as a time of striving to maintain the political, systemic, and social unity of the European Union as a community of countries, people, and values. It was a time of uncertainty and highly visible failures. But it was also a year marked by real achievements.

Senate slaps new sanctions on Russia, putting Trump in corner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate voted almost unanimously on Thursday to slap new sanctions on Russia, putting President Donald Trump in a tough position by forcing him to take a hard line on Moscow or veto the legislation and infuriate his own Republican Party.

China's Artificial Intelligence Revolution

A new AI development plan calls for China to become the world leader in the field by 2030.

Почему так трудно серьезно относиться к заявлениям демократов о России

Демократов очень раздражает тот факт, что республиканцы не разделяют их негодование по поводу набирающего обороты скандала вокруг связей Трампа и России. Симпатия президента к Владимиру Путину, то рвение, с которым его сын был готов принять потенциальную помощь от России в период предвыборной кампании 2016 года, и вопросы о том, могли ли члены команды Трампа вступить в сговор с Россией, чтобы подорвать позиции Хиллари Клинтон, заставляют демократов говорить об импичменте и даже о государственной измене.

State Property Fund names privatization terms of OPP, Centrenergo

Carrying out privatization of the Odesa Portside Chemical Plant (OPP) is possible at the end of 2017, while the sale of a controlling stake in Ukraine's major power generating company PJSC Centrenergo may take place in the middle of 2018, the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) wrote on Facebook citing Deputy Head of the Fund Yuriy Nikitin.

Implementation of joint energy projects and attraction of investments are promising areas of cooperation between Ukraine and the U.S.

On 26 July Natalia Boyko Deputy Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine on European Integration had a working meeting with Acting Chairman of the Representational Office in Ukraine of the United States Department of Energy Scott Shrum.

Natalia Boyko emphasized that Ukraine highly appreciates the support of the United States on the reforms path, inter alia in the energy sector. «We have a broad energy agenda regarding relations with the United States. Ukraine praises the readiness of the U.S. to be a partner in building a competitive and transparent Ukrainian energy sector», the Deputy Minister stressed.

She briefed the US side on the progress achieved in the context of energy sector reform, as well as on steps towards harmonization of energy legislation in line with the EU norms.

The Most Popular Ways to Funnel Cash to Tax Havens

The road to the world's biggest tax havens goes through Britain and the Netherlands. The countries are the two most popular routes companies use to funnel cash away from the tax man, according to a study from the University of Amsterdam. Together with Switzerland, Singapore and Ireland, they account for 47 percent of transfers to what the researchers called "sink" offshore financial centers.

Insults fly after EU ultimatum to Poland

The Polish government has accused the European Commission of “arrogance” and of “playing God” in a dispute on judicial reform.

Wednesday’s (26 July) barrage of reactions came after the Commission, earlier the same day, gave Poland one month to address concerns on political interference in the judiciary amid threats of an EU voting penalty.

Exclusive: Russia used Facebook to try to spy on Macron campaign - sources

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Russian intelligence agents attempted to spy on President Emmanuel Macron's election campaign earlier this year by creating phony Facebook personas, according to a U.S. congressman and two other people briefed on the effort.

France's Engie intends to obtain license for gas supply in Ukraine

Engie Energy Management Ukraine LLC (Kyiv) has applied for a license to supply natural gas in Ukraine.

The decision to grant a license to the Ukrainian subsidiary of Engie (formerly GDF Suez, France) will be considered at a meeting of the National Commission for Energy, Housing and Utilities Services Regulation (NCER) scheduled for August 1, 2017.

Sideways

Sideways is a 2004 American comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne and written by Jim Taylor and Payne. A film adaptation of Rex Pickett's novel of the same name, Sideways follows two men in their forties, Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti), a depressed teacher and unsuccessful writer and Jack Cole (Thomas Haden Church), a past-his-prime actor, who take a week-long road trip to Santa Barbara County wine country to celebrate Jack's upcoming wedding.

«Сименс» выходит из себя?

Турбинный скандал вынес немецкого гиганта в заголовки новостей. Сейчас все пишут: «Сименс» выходит из России. Ах да, ведь немецкий концерн был жестоко обманут тамошними властями! И партнерами — в лице «Силовых машин», принадлежащих «Северстали». Беги, «Сименс», беги!.. Но можно ли убежать от себя? 

EU turning into Ukraine's main trading partner – media

The closure of the Russian market for Ukrainian goods led to the fact that Ukraine’s major businesses had already reoriented their sales to the West, and today in terms of money, they are much more dependent on the EU than on the Russian Federation, with steelmaking industry being a perfect example, according to the Novoe Vremya weekly.

Rosneft claims against Sistema risk souring investment climate

Even by Igor Sechin’s standards, his po-faced retort was extraordinary. Asked whether a high-profile lawsuit in which Rosneft demanded $3bn from a rival businessman had contributed to a souring of Russia’s investment sentiment, the state-controlled oil company’s powerful chief executive turned the question on its head. “This improves the investment climate, because it makes management and shareholders more transparent and accountable,” he said.

San Francisco-Peculiarities: The City’s Ultra-Unique Employment Landscape

Seyfarth Synopsis:  As if high rent and California’s peculiar laws were not enough to worry about, San Francisco employers must also comply with City-specific ordinances. Trailblazing City requirements often exceed state laws and have sometimes been harbingers of state-level enactments. One might say that San Francisco, with its distinctive laws, is to California what California is to the rest of the country. We highlight the Big Eight SFO peculiarities, below.

What Might Be The First Trade Issues Under The Canada-EU CETA?

The Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (the “Canada-EU CETA”) will come into provisional effect on September 21, 2017.  Sometimes, disputes that have arisen prior to the implementation of a free trade agreement, which are left unresolved at the time of implementation, turn into full disputes between the parties. 

Disrupting the Disrupters: Shareholder Activism @ Tech Companies, Part I

The technology sector is obsessed with disruption. And for good reason: so-called disruptive technologies have completely revolutionized industries ranging from transportation and hospitality to finance and advanced genomics. But publicly traded technology companies around the world have also become the subject of a very different type of disruption: shareholder activism.

Charging Orders

A “charging order” allows a judgment creditor to receive a debtor’s share of distributions from a limited liability company (LLC) or a partnership. With the proliferation of LLCs in the last 20 years, understanding “charging order” concepts has taken on increased importance.