|
The current era of technology and reachable-everywhere-and-anytime lawyers imposed its rules. This wide adoption of instant messaging in some of the Middle East jurisdictions, including the UAE, has been encouraged and regularized by legislation and court decisions that afforded validity and evidentiary weight to instant messaging and electronic communications on equal footing with conventional means of communication and written documentation.
IBA Annual Conference Paris 2023
Jun 12, 2024
The new Foreign State Immunity Law 2023 of the People’s Republic of China came into force on 1 January 2024. This shifts the country (as well as its special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau) away from absolute state immunity to restrictive state immunity, bringing it more in line with the relatively prevalent practice among the international community. This article discusses the status of state immunity in public international law, analyses the new law’s provisions and examines practical challenges that will be faced by those seeking to utilise this law to enforce judgments or awards against foreign states and state entities, and the new law’s innovations that go beyond the United Nations Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and Their Property of 2004 and the UK State Immunity Act 1978.
By Yi-An (Ann) Lai. Alipay and the impact of e-payment systems resulting in new regulations in China and other jurisdictions.
Feb 17, 2023
This article will outline the development of China’s restrictions on the cross-border transfer of personal information (PI export), detailing PI export mechanisms provided by the Personal Information Protection Law. It will also explain the practical implications of the restrictions.

Sep 27, 2023
The rise in popularity of generative artificial intelligence (‘generative AI’) has ignited the discussion on whether junior employees can be replaced by it. Some have gone to the extent of questioning whether professionals, such as lawyers, can also be replaced by generative AI. Is it wise to replace junior employees or lawyers with generative AI? What factors should be considered before deploying generative AI tools in your business? To consider these questions, we first need to understand the basic workings of generative AI and what it can offer. Fundamentally, AI is intelligence that is not biological. The general understanding is that machines will be ascribed with this intelligence. These machines have the ability to interpret, learn from and process external data in a way that is similar to the capabilities of the human mind. Generative AI is a type of AI program that generates content from a data set. It uses deep learning, a type of machine learning system that behaves like a neural network to simulate the functions of a human brain. In other words, it can mimic human intelligence by exhibiting analytical skills to create new content. Not only can generative AI be utilised in chatbot programs to create text, but it can also be used in programs that can create images, sound or videos. This article will consider two major forms of generative AI, in the context of risks to businesses: chatbots using generative pre-trained transformer technology programs; and image generating programs.
In 2016, the Hungarian Competition Authority initiated a procedure against Apple Inc to review whether its commercial communication concerning the launch of the ‘Wi-Fi Assist’ feature (as incorporated into Apple’s operating system ‘iOS 9’) was in line with Hungarian legislation implementing the EU’s Directive 2005/29/EC on unfair commercial practices.
The chaos caused by what police believe was a lone man’s killing of four people near Westminster in London has once again stirred the debate on the boundaries of the law and the remit of government bodies intended to prevent terror attacks.
At the centre of the debate is messenger service WhatsApp, which the attacker is thought to have used minutes before driving a car onto the busy pedestrian lane on Westminster Bridge.
Jun 09, 2024
In the Chinese legal system, provisions addressing commercial bribery are dispersed across various legal instruments and judicial interpretations. Among the different legal authorities in China, the core provisions guiding anti-corruption can be found in the Anti-Unfair Competition Law and its draft Amendment (issued in 2022 and still open for public comment); the Criminal Law of China, along with its amendments; and the Supervision Law of China and its accompanying regulations for implementation.
Apr 22, 2022
This article discusses the recent SEC case involving PwC and highlights the wider implications for intermediary institutions providing professional services in a tightened regulatory and enforcement regime in China’s banking and financial sector.
Jan 09, 2024
This article reviews the recent European Union regulations, namely the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act which regulate digital platforms with operations in Europe, from different perspectives. Likewise, the article revises some regulatory projects in Brazil and the United States, before turning to Argentina, where the regulation of the intermediaries’ responsibility is an issue of current relevance. Due to the lack of an ex-ante regulation regarding these topics, this article goes over some of the cases treated with consumer protection regulations as well as with antitrust law and data privacy provisions.
Like many countries around the world, Nigeria was forced to impose a lockdown in Lagos (Nigeria’s commercial hub) and Abuja (Nigeria’s capital city) to combat the spread of Covid-19. The government’s ban on public gatherings and interstate travel resulted in the judiciary’s suspension of court sittings from March to May 2020, except for hearings of cases that were considered urgent, essential or time-bound.
The landscape for potential human rights abuses by digital surveillance is changing as the methods used grow ever more powerful. Global Insight considers this evolution and the need for regulatory frameworks to adapt.

Dec 21, 2023
India is increasingly becoming a key jurisdiction for foreign investment. To keep the momentum going, the Indian government has consistently attempted to keep the business environment friendly and less burdensome. This includes: a reduction in corporate tax rates; easing the liquidity problems of non-banking financial corporations and banks; foreign direct investment policy reforms; and easing compliance norms – all with the aim of promoting ‘ease of doing business in India’. After more than a decade, India’s competition law has recently been amended, bringing about key changes that will impact businesses. The 2023 Amendments to the Indian Competition Act 2002 (the Act) introduce changes that several antitrust jurisdictions are still considering. The 2023 Amendments are a mixed bag of changes: several are business friendly – such as commitments and settlements, expedited merger review timelines and introducing a leniency-plus regime – while others aim to achieve greater regulatory oversight and stricter enforcement, such as deal value thresholds, penalties on global turnover and increased liability for hubs in ‘hub-and-spoke’ cartels. The Competition Commission of India (CCI), the body entrusted with the responsibility to nurture and maintain well-functioning markets that facilitate the growth manifested by the Indian government, must adopt a balanced approach to ensure that competition enforcement does not get in the way of ‘economic growth’ as envisaged under the Preamble of the Act. This article examines the impact of the 2023 Amendments on the Indian market. In particular, the writers examine the CCI’s approach in adopting these tools and tailor it according to the requirements of the Indian economy.
Aug 20, 2024
With regulators around the world stepping up their focus on off-channel communications, all businesses must ensure they’ve appropriate policies and procedures in place, as In-House Perspective reports.
Jan 23, 2023
Last autumn, US antitrust agencies blocked a proposed deal between two major book publishers. Global Insight examines the case in the context of the activist approach being taken by regulators, especially towards Big Tech.
The approach currently adopted by competition authorities around the world against so-called big tech hides two main risks, namely the delay in respect of innovation processes that may cause the actions undertaken turn out to be vain and the antitrust over-enforcement. This second feature, particularly, is strictly related to the position that enforcers are prone to adopt on competition law goals, which debate has massively re-emerged in the present context
The continued proliferation of disinformation online – often referred to as ‘fake news’ – has this summer led to increased scrutiny and action from governments.
Jun 22, 2022
This article considers Pakistan’s crackdown on social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and the relationship between these restrictions and the right to freedom of expression.
Oct 12, 2021
In this article we look at the growth of data breach class actions in the UK and Europe following the coming into force of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We also consider regulatory activity in the data protection field and the links between investigations and recent class actions. Looking to the future we ask whether current trends are likely to continue, highlighting some powerful policy statements made by the English Court of Appeal in support of data breach class actions, and conclude with a few words on litigation funding and its role in facilitating these kinds of cases.
The article examines the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) decisional practice in cases of abuse of dominance in relation to big tech companies. The authors note that the CCI has adopted a cautious approach, and has on certain occasions expressed its reluctance in early intervention in a nascent sector. The article examines the need for the CCI to be driven by a fact-based approach in light of the jurisprudence from other mature regulators.
IBA Global Insight June/July 2017. Terrorism and the law: tech companies central to government response; IBA partners with UN for global anti-torture initiative; ‘Vigilant’ French law introduces duty of care for large companies
IBA Global Insight October/November 2018 -Russian corruption: growing calls for tougher sanctions to combat ‘dirty’ money; The United Kingdom has long been recognised as a favoured destination for wealthy Russian investors, but the flow of ‘dirty money’ from Russia is tainting the country’s reputation. It is increasingly viewed as a safe haven for the Kremlin’s coffers, according to a recent report by the UK House of Commons’ Foreign Affairs Committee
Jul 01, 2020
By Richard V. Singleton and Godofredo Mendes Vianna. From the Chairs - Maritime and Transport Law Committee newsletter article, July 2020
Jun 16, 2021
An exponential rise in online abuse and harassment has necessitated governments to step up online regulation.
Apr 04, 2025
The panel has provided attendees with insights and practical advice on navigating civil and commercial litigation in Latin American jurisdictions. The speakers offered essential guidance to help on the successful management of legal disputes in the complex landscape of Latin American law.
Like almost every other law firm across the globe, we have had to quickly make changes to the way that we work and make difficult decisions. At the forefront of every decision has been the wellbeing of our colleagues and the family of Harper Macleod. We have sought to create ways that we can ‘be apart together’ and ensure that we all continue to connect and socialise, even if we have to do it virtually. Here we share our journey to ensure the family of Harper Macleod continues to be as one.
Feb 26, 2024
This article reviews the latest legal updates regarding regulation and scrutiny of marketplaces and other digital platforms operations in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico from an antitrust, data privacy and consumer protection standpoint, and their relationship with recent European regulations such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Jul 01, 2022
In 2021, Spanish Courts annulled three relevant decisions of the Spanish Competition Authority (the ‘CNMC’) based on the lack of incriminating evidence. These cases are characterised by an in-depth assessment of the evidence used by the CNMC to find an infringement and send a clear message to competition authorities in Spain to improve the quality of the reasoning and evidence behind their decisions. This article analyses these cases and the lessons that can be extracted from them for authorities and practitioners.
Jun 20, 2022
This article considers the history and fundamentals of Turkish data protection law.
|