UK to Formally Leave EU on Friday 31 January 2020

By Gillian Sproul and Aonghus Heatley on Posted in Global

On Friday 24 January, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed, on behalf of the UK, the Withdrawal Agreement – the agreement setting out the terms of the UK’s exit from the European Union (“Brexit”). This followed the successful passing of the UK domestic legislation necessary to implement the Withdrawal Agreement, the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020, on 23 January.

All that now remains is for the Withdrawal Agreement to be ratified by the European Parliament (expected to occur on Wednesday 29 January) and for the European Council, which represents the governments of the EU’s member states, to approve the agreement (expected to occur on Thursday 30 January).

Read the full GT Alert.

The FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act’s Substantial Impact On Federal Procurement Law

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in Government Contracts

Michael Schaengold, Melissa Prusock, and Danielle Muenzfeld co-authored an article in The Government Contractor titled “FEATURE COMMENT: The FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act’s Substantial Impact On Federal Procurement Law.” The article comprehensively examines the significant Federal procurement law changes in the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, many of which apply to Federal civilian agencies, and is available on Westlaw.

Click here to read the full article “FEATURE COMMENT: The FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act’s Substantial Impact On Federal Procurement Law.”

Outlook 2020: Gambling Legislation and Enforcement in the Netherlands

By Marijn Bodelier, Jacomijn Christ and Jan Herfkens on Posted in Gaming, Global

The Dutch government is updating its legislation and policy on both online gambling and land-based gambling. In GT Alert, we briefly describe the most relevant legal developments of 2019 in this area, and also look forward to 2020.

Online gambling’s illegality in the Netherlands notwithstanding, the number of people in the Netherlands who participate in online gambling has increased steadily over the last few years. According to research of Motivaction (link in Dutch), 1.8 million Dutch people admitted to having participated in an online gambling game (at least) once. Most gambling websites operate in other countries (such as Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Malta) and are accessible to Dutch gamblers from these locations. To regulate and control online gambling, the Dutch Senate (Eerste Kamer) approved the Remote Gambling Act (Wet kansspelen op afstand) in February 2019. This new legislation legalizes online gambling for providers that have obtained a permit.

Read the full GT Alert.

Are Employment Agreements Necessary for US Employees?

By Meira Ferziger on Posted in Israel, Labor & Employment

At the request of the Guberman Group, which provides accounting and financial management services to Israeli companies, including those operating in the United States, attorney Meira Ferziger has prepared an article addressing the commonly considered question of whether United States-based employees should have written employment agreements.

Read the article in English.

Read the article in Hebrew.

Federal Communications Commission Rules Require Communications in Video Games to Be Accessible and Usable

By Debra McGuire Mercer and David Schulman on Posted in Gaming, Technology, telecommunications, Video Games and Esports

Advanced Communications Services (ACS) that are available in video games, such as instant messaging, enable players to interact with other players and offer an enhanced gaming experience. The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA) updated accessibility laws to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to modern technologies used in communications. In 2012, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules implementing CVAA that required ACS services and equipment used for ACS to be accessible to persons with disabilities.

To learn more about the accessibility objectives that must be met by video games, read the full GT Alert “Federal Communications Commission Rules Require Communications in Video Games to Be Accessible and Usable.”

Announcing Riskified’s $165 Million Funding Round

By Joey Shabot on Posted in Cybersecurity, Israel, Retail, Risk Management, Startup Nation, Startups, Technology, Tel Aviv, Venture Capital

Congratulations to Riskified on their Series E funding round of $165 million! Greenberg Traurig is proud to have represented an institutional investor in this transaction, and excited to have been part of this incredible achievement.

For more details, please click here.

The Israel Hotel Investment Summit: Take Five!

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in Event, Global, Hospitality, Israel, Real Estate, Startups, Tel Aviv, Venture Capital

On Nov. 20-21, 2019, Greenberg Traurig participated in and sponsored the Israel Hotel Investment Summit in Tel Aviv, Israel. Washington, D.C. office Shareholder and Hospitality Practice Co-Chair Nelson Migdal joined a panel, together with representatives of leading international hotel brands, on the benefits of international brand penetration into the Israel hotel market, as well as legal structuring and operational models for hotels in Israel. Attended by more than 200 professionals from Europe, the United States, and Israel, the conference demonstrated Israel’s status as a major international hospitality destination. Tel Aviv office Managing Shareholder Joey Shabot (M&A), Shareholder Lawrence Sternthal (Real Estate), and Associate Saar Warner-Lipton (Real Estate) also attended the summit.

Here are the top five highlights: Continue Reading

Adam Snukal Discusses Effects of Privacy Laws on Israeli-Based Call Center Technology Providers

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in compliance, Cybersecurity, Data protection, Israel, Privacy and Data Security, Technology, Tel Aviv, telecommunications

On Nov. 25, 2019, GT Shareholder Adam Snukal participated in a fire-side chat at NICE’s Annual Personal Connections Elevated Israel Conference. The discussion focused on the effects of the GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy laws on Israeli-based call center technology providers that operate in an increasingly global arena. Continue Reading

Amadeus leads a $9.8M investment round in Refundit to digitalize VAT refunds for travelers worldwide

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in Firm News, Israel, Startup Nation, Startups, Venture Capital

Congratulations to our long-standing client Amadeus upon its investment in Refundit, an Israeli startup which is developing a mobile solution to make it easier for travelers to get their VAT money back.

For more details, please click here.

LexBlog