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Priorities for International Cooperation in Greater Eurasia: An Indian Perspective

Eurasia, a region of immense geopolitical significance due to its strategic location and abundant natural resources, has always been a focus of global interest. The Russia-Ukraine conflict that erupted in February 2022 has further underscored the evolving dynamics of Eurasian geopolitics. A key driver of these changes is the growing influence of China. As Beijing expands its economic and political reach, it is increasingly shaping the geopolitics of Eurasia. However,…

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Global Farmer Insights 2024

Farmers worldwide are navigating challenges such as increased input prices, extreme weather events, and commodity price volatility. Given the current macroeconomic environment, the priority for farmers today is improving productivity, whether through agriculture technologies (agtech) for improving operations, biological products, or sustainable practices. This report offers insights for organizations collaborating with growers, outlining strategies that could deliver more-personalized products and services to boost productivity and seize emerging opportunities. Since 2018,…

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Know Your Data to Harness Federated Machine Learning

Sam Falconer/theispot.com Nowadays, deploying artificial intelligence no longer guarantees a competitive edge. What truly sets companies apart is access to diverse, extensive, high-quality data that enhances their AI system’s performance compared with that of their competitors. But concerns over data privacy can limit the use of unique, relevant data for analysis. This problem can be alleviated by means of privacy-preserving federated learning. This technique, in combination with a special type…

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Pioneers and Pathfinders Virtual Roundtable Series: Understanding the Legal and Commercial Challenges of Disinformation and Deepfakes

Thursday, November 7, 20242:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. CDT12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. MDT11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PDT About the Program Seyfarth’s Pioneers and Pathfinders virtual roundtable series has tackled critical topics intended to help our clients navigate the implications of generative AI and natural language processing models in the legal industry. Next up in our series—Seyfarth is pleased to bring together an expert…

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Azure Cobalt 100-based Virtual Machines are now generally available

We are excited to announce the general availability of the new Azure Cobalt 100 Virtual Machines (VMs). These VMs run on Microsoft’s first fully custom Arm-based Cobalt 100 CPU and represent a significant milestone in our end-to-end approach to building cloud infrastructure. Today we are announcing the general availability of the new Azure Cobalt 100-based Virtual Machines (VMs). These VMs run on Microsoft’s first 64-bit Arm-based Azure Cobalt 100 CPU,…

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Risks posed by holding cash as interest rates fall

By Shadrack Kwasa | 15 Oct, 2024 For profesionnal investors INTRODUCTION Inflation has weighed heavily on investment markets for a prolonged period. Central Banks have waged a war against inflation and victory appears imminent as we have seen the most recent inflation readings signalling inflation is coming under control. This is an inflexion point for investment markets as we are now moving from a period where high interest rates have…

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Value creation priorities shaping medtech

Medtech value creation has been a story of haves and have-nots in recent years. Since 2019, the top value creators have outpaced the S&P 500, while the rest of the industry has struggled (Exhibit 1). Industry and capital market volatility during the COVID-19 pandemic masked the differences in performance between the top medtech companies and their peers. In the years since, investor behavior has revealed just how wide of a…

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UK Labor Law – Legislation For Proposed Significant Reforms Unveiled

The UK’s new Labour government published its highly anticipated Employment Rights Bill last week. In total, the draft Bill contains 28 stand-alone employment law reforms (including many of the changes that we outlined in our blog post earlier this year - see Significant UK Labor Law Reforms on the Horizon). The key measures in the Employment Rights Bill are:   Removing the two-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection (meaning…

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Construction Chronicles: OFCCP’s Updated Scheduling Letter Brings New Compliance Challenges

Construction contractors undergoing compliance reviews after October 1, 2024, will be required to comply with expanded initial data and document requests contained in the revised letter. Contractors on a recent Corporate Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL)—a courtesy notification from OFCCP listing contractors selected for compliance evaluation—that have not yet been scheduled for compliance reviews may want to ensure they can produce the information requested. Quick Hits The letter imposes additional data…

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What Sequoia Capital Can Teach Leaders About Sustaining Long-Term Growth

Brian Kenny: In her 2013 blog post titled, “Welcome to the Unicorn Club,” venture capitalist, Aileen Lee, coined a term that has come to define the benchmark for investors the world over. Unicorns, that is privately held startups that are valued at $1 billion or more, are more common today than they were in 2013 when there were just 39 firms that met that definition. Today, the number is closer…

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Non-dom tax reforms and pre-budget planning

By Ed Johnson | 16 Oct, 2024 INTRODUCTION Labour has proposed that changes to the taxation of non-UK domiciled individuals will likely take effect from 6 April 2025. While we await further details on the Budget to be delivered on 30 October 2024, affected clients are understandably anxious. Abolishing non-dom status represents a significant change for international families in the UK and their financial affairs. Each client will be impacted…

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Data Protection Compliance Is Not Just for Big Tech

When we think about data protection and GDPR compliance, it’s easy to focus on Big Tech giants like Google and Meta. However, the GDPR applies to all organisations, regardless of size or industry. Businesses across sectors – from healthcare providers to energy firms – are increasingly subject to investigations and penalties. Here, we explore five recent cases where companies outside of Big Tech were fined for breaches of GDPR, showing…

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We Have Better Ways to Break Habits Than Willpower. Why Don’t We Use Them?

The deadline on an important work project is looming, but you keep getting distracted by news stories and silly cat videos online. Even though installing an Internet-blocking app might help you stay focused, you resist the idea, telling yourself you should have the willpower to white-knuckle your way through that critical project.But first, just one more cat video … Research has shown that people are more likely to follow through…

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Do Social Media Platforms Suspend Conservatives More?

Conservatives often say that social media platforms are biased against their point of view. What did your research into the 2020 election find about whether that was true? Our research found that accounts sharing pro-Trump or conservative hashtags were suspended at a significantly higher rate than those sharing pro-Biden or liberal hashtags—they were about 4.4 times more likely to be suspended. At face value, this pattern could be interpreted as…

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From Idea to Reality: Our Early-Stage Playbook for Generative AI Companies Serving the Enterprise

Despite all the hype around generative AI—including some giant, headline-grabbing funding rounds announced recently—there’s still an ongoing debate in the market about whether smaller startups trying to build real businesses around AI are actually finding product-market fit. How many are actually finding paying, business customers for new tools and products solving real enterprise problems? As investors with a long-term, bullish outlook on generative AI, we’re excited to back early-stage companies…

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What the real estate industry needs to know about data centers

Data center real estate is such a hot topic that some have wondered whether it’s overhyped. But the digital and cloud revolutions—and the scale-up of AI—are fueling truly enormous demand for data centers. In turn, there are a variety of ways that real estate companies can participate in the growth of the industry. McKinsey senior partner Pankaj Sachdeva talks with McKinsey Global Publishing’s Katy McLaughlin about what these companies should…

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Can We Do Business in Space?

Current Topics menu All Topics menu Departments menu Collection No. 9 Two decades into the era of private space flight, companies are establishing ventures in low-earth orbit, sending private citizens into space, and pursuing exploration and development on the moon and beyond. We talked to Yale alumni and other leaders about how finance, law, and other day-to-day details of business get translated into space. Published October 15, 2024 Assembling an…

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Russia’s BRICS Presidency: Life on the Eve of the Kazan Summit

BRICS today leaves no one indifferent; its polarising influence extends to  the remote corners of the world. For some, it is definitely a “bone in the throat”, while for others - the only beacon of hope in the raging ocean of our world. For still others, it is a complete working tool for reforming the existing world order. Regardless of the polarity of the assessments, no one ignores or denies…

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A nanoscientist explains why tiny tech matters

Big things are happening on a minute – or nano – scale. The Stanford community and the public can learn about this cutting-edge research during the nano@stanford open house on Oct. 9. Visitors can take tours featuring high-resolution microscope demonstrations and handle (with tweezers) silicon wafers used in semiconductors. Stanford’s shared resource platforms, C-ShaRP, will also host a series of brief research talks. Nanotechnology, the manipulation and visualization of matter…

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Travelling to the UK Using an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)

Quick Hits The UK’s electronic travel authorisation (ETA) will soon apply to all nationals who do not currently require a visa to travel to the UK and who do not hold any other UK immigration status. From 27 November 2024, the scheme will initially be applicable to a number of non-European travellers, including those from the United States, Singapore, and Canada. On 5 March 2025, ETAs will be rolled out…

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Microsoft’s guidance to help mitigate Kerberoasting cyberattacks

As cyberthreats continue to evolve, it’s essential for security professionals to stay informed about the latest attack vectors and defense mechanisms. Kerberoasting is a well-known Active Directory (AD) attack vector whose effectiveness is growing because of the use of GPUs to accelerate password cracking techniques.  Because Kerberoasting enables cyberthreat actors to steal credentials and quickly navigate through devices and networks, it’s essential for administrators to take steps to reduce potential cyberattack…

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China in the face of protectionism

How much leeway does China have? China’s initial response was swift: it announced that importers of brandy – which includes cognac – would have to put down security deposits with the Chinese customs authorities. However, charges will only be levied if the government approves a hike in import tariffs – potentially to as high as 35% – on these products. In reality, the only European country affected by this move is…

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Investing in insurance: The value imperative

Across private markets globally, there is persistent pressure to effectively deploy capital, generate higher-than-average returns, and exit investments profitably. Yet challenges remain daunting, including inflation and interest rate volatility in the macroenvironment and intense competition for assets resulting from investors holding significant dry powder aimed at a scarce number of targets offering sustainable sources of competitive advantage. It’s thus unsurprising that deal volumes and value for the global private equity…

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Cancer Research UK makes unprecedented £173m investment in University of Cambridge

The significant funding commitment will enable world-class discovery science, unlocking new insights into how cancers develop, grow and spread, as well as examining how the immune system can be harnessed to combat the disease.  Research at the CRUK Cambridge Institute focuses on understanding every stage of the cancer life cycle – how tumours grow and spread and how this is impacted by the characteristics of each individual patient.  By studying how…

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Accelerating chemical revenues in the era of gen AI

Chemical players tend to have strong, ingrained sales functions. Over the past 18 months, however, a combination of long-standing internal issues and external shocks—such as the effects of inflation on chemical manufacturing and customer destocking—has caused revenues to plateau or even decline. In fact, our research shows that diversified chemical players saw year-over-year volume drop by as much as 10 percent in the first quarter of 2023, and specialty players…

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What You Still Can’t Say at Work

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Here are some things I bet you can’t say at work, no matter how much you believe them and how much they affect your own motivation, engagement, or ability to make good strategic decisions: “I’m not motivated to work harder…

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What Critics of Pfizer Are Getting Wrong

The brewing proxy fight between activist Starboard Value and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has already taken a hostile turn. Anonymous sources have been disparagingly suggesting that Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla should be removed. After news reports suggested they initially sided with the activists, former Pfizer CEO Ian Read and former CFO Frank D’Amelio switched sides, abandoning their erstwhile Starboard allies and expressing their support for Bourla. Then, Starboard Value founder…

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How to Lay People Off with Humanity

As we transition from “The Great Resignation” of 2022 to what might be called “The Great Layoff” of 2024, many companies are grappling with the challenge of reducing their workforce. While no layoff process can fully eliminate the associated pain, there are strategies to handle it with greater compassion and respect. Take Airbnb’s approach in 2020, for instance. Faced with the pandemic’s impact on the travel industry, CEO Brian Chesky…

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Rewiring for the era of gen AI

Do the math on generative AI (gen AI), and the numbers can seem heady. But according to recent research, only a small percentage of companies are beginning to deliver meaningfully on its promise—and many have succumbed to “death by a thousand pilots,” in the words of Rodney Zemmel, global leader of McKinsey Digital. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Rodney and fellow senior partners and coauthors Eric Lamarre and Kate…

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Secondary Sanctions Against Russia’s Partners Abroad: From Definition to Facts

Secondary sanctions have now become one of the key political risks facing the foreign partners of Russian businesses. Attention to them has increased significantly since the start of the Special Military Operation and the use of large-scale economic sanctions against Russia by the United States and other Western countries. Russia has quickly adapted to the restrictive measures. Moscow has built a new system of relations with the states and associations…

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Real Estate Negotiations: A Value Win-Win Approach

Be it making deals for multimillion-dollar penthouses, corporate office suites or cosy suburban homes, negotiations often involve multiple stakeholders, long-term engagements and high stakes. This requires professionals to navigate incompatible interests in a conflict-prone environment.In the first part of our practice briefing published in the Journal of Property Investment & Finance, we elaborated on the industry’s challenges and made a case for professionals to depart from entrenched win-lose strategies and embrace more…

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Apple debuts the first scripted film captured in Apple Immersive Video

  Apple debuts the first scripted film captured in Apple Immersive Video and reveals new immersive films for Apple Vision Pro New episodes, films, series, and concerts captured in Apple Immersive Video are set to debut later this year, with more coming early next year Today, Apple revealed new episodes, films, series, and music performances captured in Apple Immersive Video that will debut on Apple Vision Pro for free. Apple Immersive Video is a…

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Italian Supreme Court clarifies the requirements for exclusive licences

In a judgment published on 19 April 2024, the Italian Supreme Court (“SC”), provided some interesting guidance about exclusive licences granted by joint owners of a trade mark.  The case concerned a long-standing Italian company, Legea S.r.l., and its founding family (Acanfora).  Legea S.r.l. has operated in Italy since 1966, and is involved in the manufacture, production and marketing of sportswear, sports apparel and related articles under the following trade…

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AI: Be by Your Side

Half of the world’s population will experience a mental health disorder — but the median number of mental health workers per 100,000 people is just 13, according to the World Health Organization. To help tackle this disparity — which can vary by over 40x between high-income and low-income countries — a Madrid-based startup is offering therapists AI tools to improve the delivery of mental health services. Therapyside, a member of…

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Samsung Starts Mass Production of Industry’s Most Powerful PC SSD Optimal for AI Applications

Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced it has begun mass producing PM9E1, a PCle 5.0 SSD with the industry’s highest performance and largest capacity. Built on its in-house 5-nanometer (nm)-based controller and eighth-generation V-NAND (V8) technology, the PM9E1 will provide powerful performance and enhanced power efficiency, making it an optimal solution for on-device AI PCs. Key attributes in SSDs, including performance, storage capacity, power efficiency…

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Effecting The EFAA: California Appellate Courts Make It Harder To Enforce Arbitration Agreements In Cases Alleging Sexual Assault Or Sexual Harassment

By Romtin Parvaresh and Daniel C. Whang Seyfarth Synopsis:  In line with recent anti-arbitration trends, the California Court of Appeal recently decided two cases – Doe v. Second Street Corp. and Liu v. Miniso Depot CA, Inc. – that apply the federal Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act to limit the enforceability of arbitration agreements in cases alleging sexual assault and sexual harassment. Second Street Corp.…

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Hillary Clinton – Take the long view in life

Hillary Rodham Clinton has spent a lot of time thinking about life’s setbacks as well as its opportunities. She shared some of those reflections – and the lessons learned from overcoming challenges – to students in the Continuing Studies course POL 68: Election 2024: Democracy on the Ballot on Oct. 6. “Have a longer perspective, both on your life and on the history of your country,” Clinton urged. “There are so…

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Delta Air Lines announces September quarter 2024 financial results

Delta Air Lines today reported financial results for the September quarter and provided its outlook for the December quarter. Delivering industry-leading operational and financial performance year-to-date Expect record December quarter revenue and an 11% - 13% operating margin, expanding over prior year Generating strong Return on Invested Capital, exceeding cost of capital by 5 points Upgraded to investment grade credit rating by Fitch, recognizing continued progression on debt reduction Delta…

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DOD Proposes Regulatory Changes To Streamline Cost Or Pricing Data Requirements

On September 26, 2024, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued a proposed rule to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement sections of the National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) for Fiscal Years 2018, 2021, and 2022 that update requirements for contractors to submit cost or pricing data. This proposed rule looks to create uniformity for the Truth In Negotiations Act (TINA) threshold for submission of certified cost…

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