Business, Management, Marketing, Money, Tax, Law, People

2024 Life Sciences Industry Trends

  Against the backdrop of both global challenges and innovative opportunities – ranging from ongoing geopolitical instability and economic uncertainties to the accelerating pace of technological innovation and R&D – life sciences companies are continuing to navigate a complex and rapidly evolving landscape. In this trends report, we outline the key trends driving this growth and acceleration in the life sciences industry, focusing on how companies are responding, adapting, and…

Continue Reading2024 Life Sciences Industry Trends

The Middle East as a Prototype for Polycentricity

The modern world is the most mobile that it has been in the last 30 years. For many years, the relatively stable situation in Europe seemed exemplary to many, and its security complex was perceived as a prototype for other regions to emulate, including the Middle East. However, we see that the tectonic plates of the leading powers’ interests are now in motion. When they clash, the sparks can lead…

Continue ReadingThe Middle East as a Prototype for Polycentricity

What is prompt engineering?

An old fashioned type writer with a sheet of paper advancing from it. The paper has the pattern of a brain made of recently typed letters imprinted upon it. Let’s say you’re making spaghetti marinara for dinner. Sauce from a jar is perfectly fine. But what if you buy your tomatoes and basil from the farmers market to make your own sauce? Chances are it will taste a lot better.…

Continue ReadingWhat is prompt engineering?

To make the best choice, listen to your gut

Rational, analytical thinking is often seen as the gold standard when it comes to decision-making. Yet according to Professor Baba Shiv, cool, level-headed intellect isn’t the only game in town. “Is a good decision based on reason?” he asks. “Or is it based on emotion?” Shiv is the Sanwa Bank, Limited, Professor of Marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Throughout his career, he’s researched how brain structures related to…

Continue ReadingTo make the best choice, listen to your gut

Faith in Focus: Protected Belief vs Business Reputation

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has dismissed a discrimination claim from Seyi Omooba, a Christian actress, who was dismissed from her position as the lead role in a theatrical production of The Colour Purple, and dropped by her agency, over historical comments on social media regarding her belief that homosexuality was sinful. Her agents, Michael Garrett Associates, and the theatre were found to not have dismissed Ms Omooba from her…

Continue ReadingFaith in Focus: Protected Belief vs Business Reputation

A Four-Day Workweek? What Employers Can Expect from Congress’ Newest Fight for a 32-Hour Workweek

By: Bradley D. Doucette, Scott P. Mallery, & Noah A. Finkel Seyfarth Synopsis: A new piece of legislation introduced in Congress, if enacted, would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to establish 32-hour workweek for non-exempt employees, with no loss in pay. While the bill is unlikely to gain steam, it might trigger movement throughout the country to revisit what a “standard” workweek means for American employees. We are posting…

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:3 mins read
Continue ReadingA Four-Day Workweek? What Employers Can Expect from Congress’ Newest Fight for a 32-Hour Workweek

Cal/OSHA Standards Board Makes Last-Minute Change and the Proposed Indoor Heat Regulation Is Approved With Questionable Vote

Quick Hits On December 22, 2023, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board published additional modifications of the draft indoor heat illness prevention standard. The Standards Board’s agenda items showed that the Standards Board had planned to consider a version of the regulation that was essentially unchanged from a December 22, 2023, draft. The Cal/OSHA Standards Board announced at the start of the meeting that the agenda item was pulled. After protests by…

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:2 mins read
Continue ReadingCal/OSHA Standards Board Makes Last-Minute Change and the Proposed Indoor Heat Regulation Is Approved With Questionable Vote

China: Two Sessions, one growth target and a whole lot of questions

Li Qiang, appointed to the premiership in 2023, thus had the daunting task of delivering the general policy speech and presenting the government’s most recent priorities as well as announcing key economic objectives for 2024. Unsurprisingly, an ambitious growth target of 5% was set The first announcement was no small thing: just like in 2023, the official growth target has been set as “around 5%”. This time, though, China can…

  • Post category:Credit Agricole
  • Reading time:7 mins read
Continue ReadingChina: Two Sessions, one growth target and a whole lot of questions

After a Long Warm-Up, OSHA’s Proposed ‘Walkaround Rule’ Gets OIRA’s Final Approval to Run (in the Federal Register)

Quick Hits OSHA’s “walkaround rule” has been approved by OIRA for finalization. The rule allows third parties, potentially not connected with the workplace, to accompany a CSHO during the inspection process/facility walkaround, if the CSHO considers such parties “reasonably necessary to the conduct of an effective and thorough physical inspection of the workplace.” The rule will take effect thirty days after its publication in the Federal Register. The rule (more…

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingAfter a Long Warm-Up, OSHA’s Proposed ‘Walkaround Rule’ Gets OIRA’s Final Approval to Run (in the Federal Register)

More than 1 million investors are expected to pay Dividend Tax for the first time in 2024/25

More than 1 million investors will be hit with a Dividend Tax bill for the first time in the 2024/25 tax year, according to an AJ Bell report. Read on to find out if you could be affected and discover some of the steps you could take to mitigate a tax charge. A dividend is a way of distributing a company’s earnings to shareholders. Usually, dividends are issued quarterly, but…

Continue ReadingMore than 1 million investors are expected to pay Dividend Tax for the first time in 2024/25

California Releases Workplace Violence Prevention Guidance

California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) recently published guidance to assist employers in complying with Senate Bill 553 ahead of the law’s employer compliance date of July 1, 2024. As we reported in November 2023, SB 553 requires virtually all employers to develop, implement, and maintain an “effective” written workplace violence prevention plan (WVPP), as well as train employees, and create and maintain extensive records regarding workplace violence.…

  • Post category:Cooley Law Firm
  • Reading time:7 mins read
Continue ReadingCalifornia Releases Workplace Violence Prevention Guidance

White Employee Fired Amidst Corporate Diversity Initiative Wins Discrimination Claim But Loses Multi-Million Dollar Punitive Damage Award

By Alex J. Reganata and Barry J. Miller Seyfarth Synopsis: Plaintiff, a white man, was a strong performer in his role before he was fired and replaced by three women, two of whom were racial minorities, amid a Diversity and Inclusion initiative that included a call to restructure the workforce to reflect a different racial and gender makeup. The Fourth Circuit upheld the jury’s finding that the Plaintiff’s race was…

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:5 mins read
Continue ReadingWhite Employee Fired Amidst Corporate Diversity Initiative Wins Discrimination Claim But Loses Multi-Million Dollar Punitive Damage Award

DOJ Increases Civil Monetary Penalties for Immigration-Related Violations to Adjust for Inflation

Quick Hits Effective February 13, 2024, the DOJ increased civil monetary penalties, including those related to immigration-related violations. While these increases are not as substantial as the immigration benefit request fees increase announced in January 2024, employers may still want to be aware of them. The increase adjusts for inflation, in accordance with the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. U.S. employers that employ a foreign worker or workforce are subject…

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingDOJ Increases Civil Monetary Penalties for Immigration-Related Violations to Adjust for Inflation

Prompt like a pro: Prepare for your week with Microsoft Copilot in Teams

Do the number of meetings and tasks you have to juggle every week feel overwhelming? When your week ahead is full of meetings, emails to respond to, and content to review, it can be hard to know the best place to focus first and how to prioritize your time. Now there is a smart and easy way to plan and prioritize your time – just head to Microsoft Copilot in…

  • Post category:Microsoft
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingPrompt like a pro: Prepare for your week with Microsoft Copilot in Teams

Open Source Software: The $9 Trillion Resource Companies Take for Granted

What does it take to put a price tag on open source software (OSS), a resource so critical to the global economy that some 96 percent of commercial programs include some code created, tinkered with, or distributed for free by public-facing tech forums?A new paper presents an eyebrow-raising figure. Without open source software and their ubiquitous code-creation networks, firms would pay an estimated 3.5 times more to build the software…

Continue ReadingOpen Source Software: The $9 Trillion Resource Companies Take for Granted

As rental growth slowed in 2023, is buy-to-let still profitable?

As property prices and rental yields have steadily increased in recent years, buy-to-let property has often been seen as a useful way to invest your money. However, figures suggest the pace of growth is slowing and landlords face increasing regulation that might mean it’s not as attractive as it once was. For some people, buy-to-let investments could still be a valuable way to grow their wealth. However, it’s important to…

Continue ReadingAs rental growth slowed in 2023, is buy-to-let still profitable?

Mediation: We Can Work It Out

Any relationship breakdown can be an emotionally and financially difficult time for families, especially when there are children involved. If you are looking to find the best way to resolve your disagreement or dispute without involving the Court, family mediation is a dignified and cost-effective way of reaching an agreement between parties. What is mediation? Family mediators are accustomed to dealing with any relationship breakdown, most often between divorcing or…

Continue ReadingMediation: We Can Work It Out

Better Sanctions Can Weaken Russia

This commentary originally appeared in Fortune. In the first few months following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, we documented how the voluntary exits of over 1,000+ global companies from Russia (that we helped catalyze), paired with government sanctions such as the G7 oil price cap (that we helped the U.S. Treasury design), had a crippling initial impact on the Russian economy—building on our research on how economic pressure…

Continue ReadingBetter Sanctions Can Weaken Russia

Top tips for inspiring inclusion in the workplace

Earlier this month, we celebrated International Women’s Day by taking some time to reflect on why inclusion is such a key value at Clarasys. For us, inclusion is a golden thread running through our business where everyone, regardless of their background or identity, has an equal opportunity to thrive. This means more than just having a diverse team. It involves actively engaging with all employees to ensure they feel valued…

  • Post category:Clarasys
  • Reading time:3 mins read
Continue ReadingTop tips for inspiring inclusion in the workplace

Important UK Immigration Work Visa Changes

UK Skilled Worker Visa – Significant Changes A major update to the UK immigration rules was published on 14 March 2024.  The new rules will become effective on 4 April 2024. Notably, these new rules will affect a large number of employers and their employees who need UK work visa sponsorship. Transitional arrangements apply until 3 April 2030 for Skilled Workers whose Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned before 4 April…

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:10 mins read
Continue ReadingImportant UK Immigration Work Visa Changes

Planet v plastic: How you can embrace Earth Day 2024

Humanity is becoming increasingly aware of how we treat our planet. With more people experiencing the effects of climate change and global warming than ever before, the campaigns to protect the Earth are becoming more urgent. Earth Day has advocated for permanent, global change to save our planet for over 50 years. Named the planet’s largest civic movement, Earth Day has inspired several policies since the charity’s creation in 1970.…

Continue ReadingPlanet v plastic: How you can embrace Earth Day 2024

What is artificial general intelligence (AGI)?

A profile of a 3d head made of concrete that is sliced in half creating two separate parts. Pink neon binary numbers travel from one half of the a head to the other by a stone bridge that connects the two parts.You’ve read the think pieces. AI—in particular, the generative AI (gen AI) breakthroughs achieved in the past year or so—is poised to revolutionize not just the way we create…

Continue ReadingWhat is artificial general intelligence (AGI)?

Memory vs Oblivion: On the 25th Anniversary of the NATO Aggression Against Yugoslavia

In January 2023, Christopher Hill, the US Ambassador to Belgrade, was interviewed by the Serbian media; he stated that for him “the biggest disappointment was that things that I thought were decided a long time ago are still fresh in people's memory. When I came here last March, I was surprised that every day they remembered 1999. States, like people, need sustainability, but also they need to complete some things…

Continue ReadingMemory vs Oblivion: On the 25th Anniversary of the NATO Aggression Against Yugoslavia

Success for Sugar, Hope for Salt

Noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease account for two-thirds of all deaths in Switzerland. The risk factors for developing these diseases are manifold, and include consumption of foods high in sugar, salt, and fat. By means of industry agreements, the private sector can play an important role in reducing excessive consumption and thus contribute to prevention efforts. In Switzerland, initiatives have been launched with manufacturers to combat…

  • Post category:Avenir Suisse
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingSuccess for Sugar, Hope for Salt

Novel proteins: Consumer appetite for sustainably made ingredients

Ingredients made with biotechnology could play an important role in the future of food—and they’re beginning to come to market. Over the past five years, $4 billion has been invested to develop novel ingredients ranging from mycelium proteins to animal-free eggs. These ingredients are made through fermentation to create proteins and fats that can function like conventional proteins, but they are animal-free and can be more sustainable. Novel ingredients offer…

Continue ReadingNovel proteins: Consumer appetite for sustainably made ingredients

Who buys bonds now? How markets deal with a smaller Eurosystem balance sheet

22 March 2024Federico Maria Ferrara, Tom Hudepohl, Pamina Karl, Tobias Linzert, Benoit Nguyen, Lia Vaz Cruz[1]The Eurosystem is shrinking its balance sheet, which makes more government bonds available for purchase. The ECB Blog looks at how markets are adjusting to this new situation with regard to bond price volatility, liquidity and the impact on repo markets. Since mid-2022 the Eurosystem’s balance sheet declined by around €2,000 billion, or more than…

Continue ReadingWho buys bonds now? How markets deal with a smaller Eurosystem balance sheet

Seyfarth Bolsters White-Collar and Investigations Capabilities with Addition of Partner Matthew Banham in London

LONDON (March 21, 2024) - Seyfarth Shaw LLP announced today the arrival of partner Matthew Banham to the firm’s litigation department, further expanding the firm’s globally recognized white-collar and investigations practice. Banham joins Seyfarth from Dechert, where his practice focused on multi-agency and complex cross-border investigations and prosecutions with an emphasis on financial crime and contentious regulatory matters. "There is a tremendous need right now among our clients for expertise…

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:3 mins read
Continue ReadingSeyfarth Bolsters White-Collar and Investigations Capabilities with Addition of Partner Matthew Banham in London

Advancing the new era of work with Copilot, Windows and Surface

At a digital event for commercial customers and partners, we shared an update on how we’re empowering organizations to advance in the new era of work with Microsoft Copilot, Windows, and two new Surface devices that will start to become available in April.    It’s been one year since we first introduced the world to Copilot for Microsoft 365, and data from our Work Trend Index research shows it’s already making…

  • Post category:Microsoft
  • Reading time:6 mins read
Continue ReadingAdvancing the new era of work with Copilot, Windows and Surface

7 historic houses to visit during Easter

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend time with your loved ones over Easter, why not explore one of Britain’s many impressive country houses? Discover the beautiful landscapes and incredible stories while enjoying brilliant Easter activities at these seven historical homes. 1. Dunham Massey, Cheshire Step into the 17th century in this gorgeous Georgian home and investigate their extensive collection of fascinating antiques, which reveal the history of…

Continue Reading7 historic houses to visit during Easter

Investing in Espresso

Ethereum’s scalability end-game is all about rollups—potentially thousands or even millions of rollups, each one a mini-ecosystem or an application that is built on top of Ethereum’s bedrock of security. The ideas behind how this can work were first laid out by Vitalik a few years back in his now-famous rollup-centric roadmap post. Since then, other ecosystem players like zkSync, Optimism, and Polygon have extended that vision with roadmaps for…

Continue ReadingInvesting in Espresso

Shaping tomorrow’s talent agenda for the public sector

Globally, we face major demographic shifts that offer both daunting challenges and transformational opportunities for the future. There are specific ramifications for workforce composition and service delivery in the public sector. In particular, communities are better served when organizations reflect their constituents, paying special attention to the changing needs and preferences of citizens. In the coming years, we will see a very differently shaped public sector. Long-term trends such as…

Continue ReadingShaping tomorrow’s talent agenda for the public sector

Zack Cooper: High Healthcare Costs: Who Pays, Who Benefits

Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale health economist Zack Cooper to discuss his work on surprise medical bills and the impact of high healthcare costs on households, wages, and the economy. Harlan reports on Hippocratic AI’s efforts to develop AI nurses. Howie looks at the global effort to eradicate tuberculosis. Links: “Hippocratic AI banks $53M backed by General Catalyst, a16z, Memorial Hermann, UHS and other health systems” “Polaris: A…

Continue ReadingZack Cooper: High Healthcare Costs: Who Pays, Who Benefits

Azerbaijan – Armenia: Can the South Caucasus Become a Region of Peace?

The multidirectional geopolitical interests of regional and external players, which directly influence the difficult socio-political transformations in the region, keep us from being optimistic about the rapid transformation of the South Caucasus into a zone of peace – even if some document on the normalisation of relations between Baku and Yerevan has formally acquired legal status, Andrei Areshev writes. In September 2023, Azerbaijan restored military and administrative control over the…

Continue ReadingAzerbaijan – Armenia: Can the South Caucasus Become a Region of Peace?

AI data drop: The 11-by-11 tipping point

Since we first introduced Copilot to our earliest customers, we’ve been closely studying how people are using AI at work—what’s going well, where there are challenges, and what early behaviors can teach us about adopting and rolling out AI broadly. And we want to share what we’re learning with leaders who are looking to drive AI adoption with their own people. Up first: the findings we call “the 11-by-11 tipping…

  • Post category:Microsoft
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingAI data drop: The 11-by-11 tipping point

Investment market update: February 2024

While many economies are still struggling with high inflation there are signs that the pace is starting to slow, which could pave the way for interest rate cuts later this year. To reflect this, the OECD has lifted its 2024 global growth forecast by 0.3%, when compared to the end of 2023, to 2.9%. However, the international organisation warned that central banks should ensure underlying price pressures were “fully contained”…

Continue ReadingInvestment market update: February 2024

Hope and optimism on the rise among young people

Overall, this year’s #BeeWell survey results, which analysed data on young people from across all 14 Local Authorities in Greater Manchester, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton, found that young people are generally satisfied with their lives. However, there are noteworthy inequalities in life satisfaction, mental wellbeing and emotional difficulties across gender and sexuality. 41.2% of young people who identify as lesbian or gay reported a high level of…

Continue ReadingHope and optimism on the rise among young people

Clinical trial underway to treat ultra-rare genetic disease with possible link to leader of mutiny on the Bounty

A clinical trial to look at repurposing the UK-licensed medicine deferiprone for patients with the ultra-rare genetic disease neuroferritinopathy has launched today at the University of Cambridge.Neuroferritinopathy is a progressive and incurable brain disorder caused by changes in a gene that produces a specific protein - ferritin light chain protein. This change leads to the build-up of iron in the brain. The disease usually appears in middle-aged adults and causes…

Continue ReadingClinical trial underway to treat ultra-rare genetic disease with possible link to leader of mutiny on the Bounty

Why it’s Getting Harder for Some Women to Report Harassment

The United Nations Women found that about 1 in every 3 women has been sexually harassed at work. 3 out of 4 of them never report it to a manager, HR or anyone else. Imagine a world where every woman is treated with the respect and dignity she deserves. Unfortunately, our reality falls short of this ideal.  Instead, women face a multitude of challenges, ranging from verbal abuse to physical…

  • Post category:Civility Partners
  • Reading time:3 mins read
Continue ReadingWhy it’s Getting Harder for Some Women to Report Harassment

Dead Ends of Madness

Alas, the world is on fire. And this fire is only growing. For some reason, it seems that we don’t have enough firefighters. But there are plenty of arsonists. When we look at what is happening in the modern world and reflect on the behaviour of its various elites, it seems that a significant proportion of them are in a state of permanent madness or hysteria, leading to the inability…

Continue ReadingDead Ends of Madness

Global Economics Intelligence executive summary, February 2024

Consumers remain upbeat as retail sales in the main economies show steady growth, despite elevated prices (Exhibit 1). Growing sentiment in the US saw the Consumer Confidence Index (Conference Board) rise to 114.8 in January, up from a revised 108.0 in December. By contrast, consumer confidence in Brazil dropped to its lowest level since May 2023 but is still 5.0 points higher than in January 2023. US retail and food…

Continue ReadingGlobal Economics Intelligence executive summary, February 2024