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

Oxford launches new storytelling competition with management and production company, 42

The Oxford/42 New Writing Prize is looking for talented new voices in storytelling, and is open to aspiring novelists, playwrights, and screenwriters. The judges are interested in experimental writing as well as work that would appeal to a broad audience.The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18 living, working or studying in the UK and Ireland at the closing date for submissions. The winner will receive £1500…

Continue ReadingOxford launches new storytelling competition with management and production company, 42

Cell therapy fights lethal childhood brain cancer in Stanford Medicine trial

An immune-cell therapy shrank children’s brain tumors, restored neurologic function and – for one participant in a Stanford Medicine clinical trial – erased all detectable traces of a brain cancer typically considered incurable.The trial, among the first successes against solid tumors for engineered immune cells known as CAR-T cells, offers hope for children with a group of deadly brain and spinal cord tumors, including a cancer called diffuse intrinsic pontine…

Continue ReadingCell therapy fights lethal childhood brain cancer in Stanford Medicine trial

INSEAD Insights: November 2024 Research Picks

Diverse research findings by INSEAD faculty this month include a new strategy that could help improve tax collection and a way of improving the safety and reliability of AI in healthcare. Other research looks at how taking part in standard-setting organisations (SSOs) can help technology companies get better at forecasting.Another study examines why IPOs featuring at least one female director might have been underpriced. Finally, new research explores how CEOs might be…

  • Post category:INSEAD Knowledge
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingINSEAD Insights: November 2024 Research Picks

Bridging Business and Government for a Better World

Wheelan was recently named faculty director of Tuck’s Center for Business, Government, and Society whose mission is to “empower business leaders to navigate immediate stakeholder interests and the broader, deeply intertwined interests of both governments and society to help build a more sustainable global economy and contribute to the common good.” With a background that spans academia, journalism, and public policy, Wheelan brings a unique perspective to his role at…

Continue ReadingBridging Business and Government for a Better World

Guidance Issued on Contraception and Other Medical Services Under Health Plans

Hush Naidoo Jade Photography, Unsplash Seyfarth Synopsis: The IRS recently published two notices which describe the tax treatment of amounts paid for condoms and expand the list of preventive care benefits permitted to be provided by a high deductible health plan (HDHP) without payment of a deductible. Notice 2024-71 – This notice provides that amounts paid for condoms will be treated as an expense for medical care under section 213(d) of…

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingGuidance Issued on Contraception and Other Medical Services Under Health Plans

Can AI improve plant-based meats?

Cutting back on animal protein in our diets can save on resources and greenhouse gas emissions. But convincing meat-loving consumers to switch up their menu is a challenge. Looking at this problem from a mechanical engineering angle, Stanford engineers are pioneering a new approach to food texture testing that could pave the way for faux filets that fool even committed carnivores. In a new paper in Science of Food, the…

Continue ReadingCan AI improve plant-based meats?

More accessible yet less personal: The two sides of digital banking

As a PhD student studying finance at Columbia University, Naz Koont learned how the personal relationships bankers develop with their clients build trust and help sell products. At the same time, walking around her Morningside Heights neighborhood and throughout Manhattan, she noticed most of the bank branches she passed were empty. She wondered: Where were the customers and signs of these pivotal in-person relationships?Meanwhile, Koont watched classmates, friends, and other…

Continue ReadingMore accessible yet less personal: The two sides of digital banking

New center unites Stanford’s robotics expertise under one roof

The basement beneath the Packard Electrical Engineering Building, once a hallway with researchers working behind closed doors, is now a bustling hub for collaboration. After many years of planning, fundraising, and development, the all-new Stanford Robotics Center officially opened its doors with a reception Nov. 1.The new facility is a bright, open, and vibrant space with a number of research bays arranged side-by-side. In one corner, a dancer pirouettes as…

Continue ReadingNew center unites Stanford’s robotics expertise under one roof

The NYC Safe Hotels Act Creates More Challenges For Non-Union Hotels

By: Paul Galligan On November 4, 2024, Mayor Adams signed Intro 0991-2024, also known as the Safe Hotels Act.  The Act will become effective 180 days after November 4th.  Initially proposed at the NYC Assembly in July 2024, the Safe Hotels Act created a lot of controversy with several hotel associations opposed to it, particularly because of the requirement that hotels in NYC directly employ hotel employees in “core” parts…

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingThe NYC Safe Hotels Act Creates More Challenges For Non-Union Hotels

Do employers have to let emotional support animals come to work?

Deborah Cullingford, who worked as a bailiff in Leeds for over 10 years, brought a claim against the Ministry of Justice for disability discrimination and harassment after being prohibited from bringing her dog, Bella, to work. Cullingford adopted Bella in 2020, finding companionship in her during the Covid pandemic. She told the tribunal that Bella had been the reason she “did not end her life when she felt depressed and…

Continue ReadingDo employers have to let emotional support animals come to work?

Delivering the strategy: The COO agenda

We’ve all heard someone say that something is “on” or “part of” the COO agenda. But all too often, what that means is unclear. Indeed, in a recent roundtable discussion, few COOs said that they had taken the time to think through and define their agenda. Part of the reason lies in how people become COOs. Most move into the role from a closely related operations position, making the transition…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:23 mins read
Continue ReadingDelivering the strategy: The COO agenda

Harnessing AI to reshape consumer experiences in healthcare

In the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, AI has the potential to reshape how consumers engage with medical services. Today, consumers in the United States can struggle with everything from finding the right insurance coverage to understanding when they should see a doctor, what it will cost, and how to manage their health. Many spend hours researching, conferring with friends and family, and calling providers and payers to find answers to…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:9 mins read
Continue ReadingHarnessing AI to reshape consumer experiences in healthcare

Massachusetts PFML Update: DFML Releases New 2025 Rate Sheets, Poster and Employee Notices

Seyfarth Synopsis: Employers must provide current employees with written notice of the 2025 contribution rates for the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. Employees must receive notice of the 2025 contribution rates on or before December 2, 2024. The Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) has published updated Rate Sheets that includes the required information. The DFML has also issued an updated poster, as well as updated…

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingMassachusetts PFML Update: DFML Releases New 2025 Rate Sheets, Poster and Employee Notices

Texas Federal Judge Strikes Down DOL’s New Overtime Rule

Quick Hits A federal judge in Texas struck down the DOL’s April 2024 overtime rule that sought to raise the minimum salary levels for the FLSA’s white-collar overtime exemption. The ruling comes in a challenge by the state of Texas and a group of more than a dozen business organizations. The DOL rule had raised the minimum salary level on July 1, 2024, to the equivalent of $43,888 per year,…

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:5 mins read
Continue ReadingTexas Federal Judge Strikes Down DOL’s New Overtime Rule

China Brief: China Consumption – Momentum Amid Uncertainty

Since my last China Brief, consumption has gained momentum, particularly with the unveiling of a series of economic stimulus measures since September 24. The highly anticipated annual Double 11 Shopping Festival, which ended on November 11, well exceeded industry expectations, further fueling excitement among industry executives around the pickup in consumption.Despite this momentum, the uncertainty that has hovered over the Chinese economy and consumption over the past year, driven by…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:6 mins read
Continue ReadingChina Brief: China Consumption – Momentum Amid Uncertainty

Outlook Post Trump Victory

The extent of the victory by former President Trump was not expected but financial markets have been discounting a Trump victory since the end of September. Some of the rise in US 10-year bond yields last month (from 3.79% to 4.28%) were a reflection of that trend. Trump’s policies, including tariffs on imports and the likelihood of lax fiscal policy, are seen as potentially inflationary. The dominant narrative in markets…

Continue ReadingOutlook Post Trump Victory

Mexico’s Federal Government Initiates Process to Eliminate Autonomous Data Privacy Authority

Quick Hits The Mexican government is eliminating the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI). The access to public information and the protection of personal data will no longer be overseen by an autonomous institution but by an agency within the executive branch of the federal government. There are many uncertainties that the government has not addressed, including how a ministry of the executive…

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:3 mins read
Continue ReadingMexico’s Federal Government Initiates Process to Eliminate Autonomous Data Privacy Authority

Robert Chatwani on product-led sales, a new growth frontier

In this episode of McKinsey on Building Products, a podcast dedicated to the exploration of software product management and engineering, McKinsey partner Rikki Singh speaks with Robert Chatwani, president of growth at Docusign. Chatwani’s decades-long career has focused on the marriage of the marketing and growth functions to create more-compelling products. This discussion explores how to drive sustainable revenue growth and brand love through product-led sales. Singh and Chatwani explore…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:16 mins read
Continue ReadingRobert Chatwani on product-led sales, a new growth frontier

Is your organization healthy? Find out with this quiz

Organizational health is crucial to long-term performance, yet it is a moving target. For more than 20 years, McKinsey’s Organizational Health Index (OHI) has examined the practices and outcomes that lead to better health (exhibit). Through extensive research that yielded our latest OHI insights, we identified emerging and evolving trends in technology, worker motivation, talent strategies, and leadership styles, among other critical health factors. Test your knowledge below. Authoritative leadership…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingIs your organization healthy? Find out with this quiz

New York Legislature to Consider Amendment to the New York Retail Worker Safety Act

Quick Hits The New York governor’s office is discussing with the state legislature a possible amendment to the New York Retail Worker Safety Act, and it is anticipated that the legislature will vote on potential amendments in January 2025. Anticipated amendments include reducing the frequency of workplace violence training for employers with fewer than fifty employees, issuing training templates in English and the twelve most common non-English languages in New…

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:3 mins read
Continue ReadingNew York Legislature to Consider Amendment to the New York Retail Worker Safety Act

Study uncovers earliest evidence of humans using fire to shape the landscape of Tasmania

A team of researchers from the UK and Australia analysed charcoal and pollen contained in ancient mud to determine how Aboriginal Tasmanians shaped their surroundings. This is the earliest record of humans using fire to shape the Tasmanian environment.Early human migrations from Africa to the southern part of the globe were well underway during the early part of the last ice age – humans reached northern Australia by around 65,000…

Continue ReadingStudy uncovers earliest evidence of humans using fire to shape the landscape of Tasmania

Four Oxford academics receive ERC Synergy Grants to address complex scientific problems

Four Oxford University academics are to co-lead ambitious new research projects backed by European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grants, part of the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. Synergy Grants foster interdisciplinary and international collaboration between outstanding researchers, enabling them to combine their expertise, knowledge, and resources to push the boundaries of scientific discovery. This year, 57 research projects were awarded a Synergy Grant out of 548 submitted proposals,…

Continue ReadingFour Oxford academics receive ERC Synergy Grants to address complex scientific problems

The Myth of the Sustainable Consumer

Tania Yakunova/Ikon Images Sustainability has become a powerful driver of consumer behavior. People are changing what they consume, how they consume, and how they lead their day-to-day lives, motivated by a concern for sustainability. Our research has identified a consumer-driven megatrend that holds tremendous strategic opportunity for companies if they change how they think of consumer preferences for sustainable options.The belief that there is only one type of sustainable consumer…

Continue ReadingThe Myth of the Sustainable Consumer

PAGA Paraphrased — Rodriguez v. Lawrence Equip., Inc.

Seyfarth Synopsis: The Second District again held that issue preclusion barred plaintiff’s PAGA claim because he failed to establish any violation of the Labor Code and arbitral findings have a preclusive effect on a plaintiff’s standing in a stayed PAGA claim.    The Second District again grappled with the issue of whether an arbitrator’s previous adjudication of Labor Code violations preclude a plaintiff from asserting a PAGA claim based on…

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:2 mins read
Continue ReadingPAGA Paraphrased — Rodriguez v. Lawrence Equip., Inc.

Prospective Employees May Sign Louisiana Noncompete Agreements if They Contain an Effective Date During Employment

Quick Hits In 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Rouses Enterprises, L.L.C. v. Clapp, held that Louisiana law does not allow an employer to enforce a noncompete agreement signed by a prospective employee. In Gallagher & Co. v. Annison, the Louisiana Court of Appeal, First Circuit, distinguished Rouses and held that noncompete agreements signed by prospective employees are enforceable where the agreements contain an effective…

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:3 mins read
Continue ReadingProspective Employees May Sign Louisiana Noncompete Agreements if They Contain an Effective Date During Employment

OSC short-selling prosecution dismissed

The Ontario Capital Markets Tribunal (the CMT) dismissed the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) prosecution in Re Cormark Securities Inc. The CMT held that the OSC “failed to prove any of its allegations”, that the transactions in issue were not an illegal distribution, and that the respondents’ conduct did not engage the CMT’s public interest jurisdiction. The CMT’s decision contains helpful guidance for market participants on a number of issues. BLG…

  • Post category:BLG law firm
  • Reading time:6 mins read
Continue ReadingOSC short-selling prosecution dismissed

Your CEO thinks HR is operational, not strategic?

Do these comments resonate with you?  Owners don’t understand that we’re not just paperwork. HR is a punching bag expected to resolve everyone’s mess. There’s no HR budget, no support, and a team of 2 for 300+ employees. Even after a workforce survey, leadership still won’t listen to me!   It’s been 15 years of delivering webinars to an HR audience totalling hundreds of thousands of people. And I hear…

  • Post category:Civility Partners
  • Reading time:3 mins read
Continue ReadingYour CEO thinks HR is operational, not strategic?

Relations between Russia and South Africa at the Current Stage

On the other hand, the current partners of the ANC in the ruling coalition embrace, as noted above, pro-Western and/or right-wing political views. In order to maintain unity within the coalition, certain compromises between the ANC and its partners in the government cannot be ruled out, including on foreign policy issues.In this regard, the question of whether it is possible to adjust the foreign policy of South Africa after the…

Continue ReadingRelations between Russia and South Africa at the Current Stage

The cybersecurity provider’s next opportunity: Making AI safer

The rapid advancement of AI and generative AI (gen AI) is fundamentally transforming the cybersecurity landscape, presenting both opportunities and challenges for cybersecurity providers. As more organizations in both the private and public sectors use AI to enhance their operations, they risk inadvertently introducing new cyber-related threats. This is creating a significant and growing demand for advanced cybersecurity solutions. AI is also being used by bad actors as a tool…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:13 mins read
Continue ReadingThe cybersecurity provider’s next opportunity: Making AI safer

Five Tips on Avoiding ‘Terminal Niceness’: Former Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst

Topics Culture Champions Building a healthy culture is one of the most important — and hardest — leadership jobs. These articles, based on a webinar series and research by Donald Sull and CultureX, share actionable advice from leaders whose cultures produced exceptional business results and a world-class employee experience. More in this series Aleksandar Savic As the chief operating officer responsible for leading Delta Airlines through bankruptcy in 2005, Jim…

Continue ReadingFive Tips on Avoiding ‘Terminal Niceness’: Former Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst

Top Six Q&As for Government Contractors on Procurement Fraud and Compliance Risks

In celebration of the recent release of the 6th Edition of the Government Contracts Compliance Handbook (authored by the Seyfarth Government Contracts Group), we’re sharing six essential questions and answers that every government contractor should be prepared to address regarding procurement fraud. This milestone edition dives into the complexities of compliance, criminal and civil penalties, and the administrative sanctions contractors may face. With procurement fraud risks continually evolving, these six…

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:5 mins read
Continue ReadingTop Six Q&As for Government Contractors on Procurement Fraud and Compliance Risks

Ontario’s newly proposed pilot program for automated commercial vehicle testing

Ontario has a new proposed pilot program for testing automated vehicles on Ontario’s public roads. While the initial program commenced in 2016 was restricted to non-commercial automated vehicles (such as passenger vehicles, light-duty delivery trucks/vans, and small shuttles), the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) announced on Oct. 16, 2024 a 10-year pilot project called Framework for an Automated Commercial Motor Vehicles (ACMV). The new ACMV project is designed for…

  • Post category:BLG law firm
  • Reading time:3 mins read
Continue ReadingOntario’s newly proposed pilot program for automated commercial vehicle testing

What are AI guardrails?

A pair of red and white concrete road barriers aligned on a street against a light blue background. You know about guardrails on the highway: barriers along the edge of the road that protect vehicles from veering off course and into danger. With the advent of generative AI (gen AI), the concept of guardrails also applies to systems designed to ensure that a company’s AI tools, especially large language models (LLMs),…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:10 mins read
Continue ReadingWhat are AI guardrails?

Five Ways Predictive AI Can Improve Sales Performance Management

Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images When it comes to maximizing growth and revenue, you may be missing something — something big. It’s the harnessing of predictive AI to enhance and deploy sales performance management (SPM). Companies with sizable sales forces — whether in the technology, medical device, pharmaceutical, industrial, or consumer goods industry or some other sector — must consider adopting AI-driven SPM. Consider the example of NovaMed, a…

Continue ReadingFive Ways Predictive AI Can Improve Sales Performance Management

FTC Amends Pre-Merger Notification Rules Affecting Use of Restrictive Covenants

Rock Staar, Unsplash As we previously reported, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced that it is amending and reorganizing the document requirements for pre-merger notifications under the Hart Scott Rodino Act (“HSR Act”), 15 U.S.C. 18a, which also includes a requirement for buyers to indicate the existence of non-compete and non-solicit agreements among the businesses involved.  The HSR Act and the associated rules require parties to specified mergers and acquisitions…

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingFTC Amends Pre-Merger Notification Rules Affecting Use of Restrictive Covenants

Canadian product liability class actions – Case highlights

*This article was originally published on the American Bar Association website There have been several significant new developments in product-related class actions in Canada in the past two years. These decisions, arising from Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia provide important insights into how courts are deciding product liability class actions, particularly at the certification motion, and the court’s authority to dismiss putative class actions for delay. This article highlights key…

  • Post category:BLG law firm
  • Reading time:10 mins read
Continue ReadingCanadian product liability class actions – Case highlights

Could More Human-Like AI Undermine Trust?

From virtual assistants to self-driving cars to medical imaging analysis, the use of modern AI technologies based on deep-learning architectures has increased dramatically in recent years. But what makes us put our faith in such technologies to, say, get us safely to our destination without running off the road? And why do we perceive some forms of AI to be more trustworthy than others?It may depend on how much agency…

  • Post category:INSEAD Knowledge
  • Reading time:5 mins read
Continue ReadingCould More Human-Like AI Undermine Trust?

Adding a powerful new tool to the field mechanic’s toolbelt: AI

On this page: Opportunity | Solution | Impact 0Kdocumentseasily searchable in database$0K+per hourestimated saved via recouped downtime0%improvement inapprox. 1st-time resolution rates The Opportunity Enhancing field service support with generative AI Ascendum is a Portugal-based global provider of machinery and equipment for the construction, infrastructure, haulage, and agriculture sectors. The company distributes and maintains over 25 different brands of construction machinery, industrial and infrastructure equipment, trucks, agricultural machinery, and specialized gear…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:5 mins read
Continue ReadingAdding a powerful new tool to the field mechanic’s toolbelt: AI

Valdai Club to Discuss Relations Between Russia and Africa

On November 18 at 12:00 noon Moscow time, the Valdai Club will host a presentation of the Valdai Paper "Russia-Africa: Overcoming Challenges". Today, Russia is pursuing an active policy of expanding cooperation with African countries. The first ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was held in Sochi on November 9-10. Its participants defined the tasks for the coming years and summed up the first results of the second Russia-Africa…

Continue ReadingValdai Club to Discuss Relations Between Russia and Africa