Regulation

Many companies remain overwhelmed by the prospect of developing a cybersecurity program. Too many still see cyber crime as an IT issue, and simply defer to that department. Cybersecurity is most definitely an information security issue and it must be treated as such. Failure to recognize this concept almost ensures a weak cybersecurity program that remains highly vulnerable to breaches.

The Department of Labor (DOL) issued regulations that revise the ERISA claims procedure regulations for employee benefit plans that provide disability benefits. The scope of the new regulations are broader than you may realize and apply to any plan, regardless of how it is characterized, that provides benefits or rights that are contingent on whether the plan determines an individual to be disabled.

Data privacy is one of the most important issues facing corporations, and amidst the challenges of protecting customer data, the regulatory landscape that oversees it is shifting on an almost daily basis. With changes occurring at such a rapid pace across all corners of the globe, it's not surprising that organizations are increasingly finding themselves inadequately prepared to deal with these regulations.

While laws such as the FCPA do not necessarily prohibit hiring individuals with criminal records or bad credit records or who are former government officials, they do require employers to identify these individuals and assess whether their hire would pose a threat, violate the laws outright or impose an administratively difficult burden due to the need to monitor their activities.

What powers does the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission have to require a building owner to maintain a mechanical clock located in the interior of a building? In Save America's Clocks, Inc. v. City of New York, New York's Appellate Division, First Department, held that the Commission had power to require maintenance of the clock, and to require public access to it.

For members of a conservative industry that — literally — wrote the rulebook on sexual harassment, law firms need to be ready for a day of reckoning that seems inescapable.

Section 181 of the IRC has provided benefits to both producers of movies and television programs and — under pass-through legal structures such as limited liability companies — to their investors. Now, with the enactment of the sweeping new federal tax law, §181 has been given new life, with a couple of additional benefits and a couple of additional twists.

Part One of a Two-Part Article

Part One of this article examines key actions brought by U.S. regulators against compliance officers in 2017 based on their failures to ensure that their firms maintain effective compliance and AML programs.