Vinge Dude Diligence – for improved gender equality

Sanctions round-up

Not so long ago, sanctions were a rare occurrence which only involved obscure products and countries, and which were decided by the members of the United Nations Security Council. Today, the European Union and particularly the United States, impose sanctions and other trade restrictions with high frequency which have the potential to affect any type of transaction. Set forth below is a summary of some recent developments.

EU Commission criticizes Sweden for its application of the rules on combined transports

Through a formal notice to Sweden, the European Commission has criticized the inadequate application of Directive 92/106/ECC on common rules for certain forms of combined transport of goods between Member States (the “Combined Transports Directive”). The notice mainly concerns the Swedish Transport Agency's application of the term "nearest suitable railway station"

Compliance policies and dawn raid manuals should be revised in light of amendments to the Swedish Competition Act

As previously described, the Swedish Competition Act (2008:579) will be amended in several important respects on 1 March 2021. We recommend that you revise your current compliance policies and manuals for dawn raids to ensure adherence with the new rules.

Jerker Kjellander is a new partner in Skåne

Dispute resolution expert Jerker Kjellander has been elected as a partner in Vinge’s Skåne office.

Amendments to the Swedish Competition Act provide extended powers for the Swedish Competition Authority

Early in 2021, the Swedish Competition Act (2008: 579) will be amended in several important respects. The background to the amendments is Directive (EU) 2019/1 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which aims to harmonize the investigative and sanctioning powers of the European competition authorities in their enforcement of the EU competition rules. Undertakings active in Sweden will be affected by the amendments in several ways.

Vinge contributes to IUMI Eye

International Union of Marine Insurers (IUMI) is preparing for its first web based conference – Stockholm 2020 – of which Vinge is a proud sponsor. In the latest edition of IUMI Eye, published just in time for the conference, Vinge’s Paula Bäckdén and Sweden Insurance’s senior advisor Mikaela Tamm discuss the implications of waiving liability limitations.

Vinge – Best law firm for female business lawyers

Vinge has been awarded “Best Nordic Business Law Firm for Women” at the European Women in Business Law Awards which took place in London on 10 September. For the eighth time, Vinge has won the award as the law firm which has been most successful in relation to its gender equality work.

Vinge first within M&A

Vinge has handled both the most and the largest transactions in terms of value during the first half of 2020 according to Mergermarket's half-year statistics. By mid-year, Vinge has advised in 40 transactions, at a value of MUSD 6.806. On the corresponding Nordic list, Vinge has achieved second place in respect of the number of transactions, and first place in respect of the largest projects in terms of value.

Clarification of the interpretation of ”nearest suitable railway station”

Road transport performed by Samskip Sia in Sweden has been confirmed to be within the framework of a permitted combined transport through a decision of the Administrative court of Falun in Sweden. The central question in the case was how to interpret the term “nearest suitable railway station”

DAC 6 – EU Directive concerning reportable cross‑border tax arrangements

DAC 6 is a EU Directive which entails that advisers are subject to a duty to notify the relevant tax authorities concerning their client’s cross‑border arrangements. The purpose of the information disclosure obligation is to combat tax evasion, tax fraud and tax avoidance.

Vinge arranges webinars on trade sanctions in a changing world

Vinge's sanctions expert Anders Leissner holds a webinar on the impact of trade sanctions on world trade.

The importance of continuous focus on compliance procedures in disrupting times

A large number of corporations will most certainly be severely impacted by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The new challenges will impact companies’ compliance risks, which are likely to be different and, to a certain extent, increased. It is crucial that - also in disrupting times - internal compliance procedures are maintained and that new risks are identified and mitigated.

Brexit and free movement of persons

Brexit means the end of free movement of persons between the EU and the UK. This change will affect companies in the EU and the UK that depend on workers who are UK and EU citizens respectively. This note discusses the rules on free movement of persons before and after Brexit and offers guidance to companies and other parties in this regard.

Options for employers to consider during the Covid-19 crisis to reduce labour costs

The outbreak of Covid-19 continues to have a material negative effect on a large number of companies and their businesses on the Swedish labour market and it has also led to considerable fluctuations on the financial markets. Because of these negative effects, businesses may need to proceed with redundancies if proper cost saving options are not implemented. We have summarised a couple of options that employers may want to consider.

Top ranking for Vinge's Maritime and Transport Practice Group

Vinge has been awarded the highest ranking by both Chambers and Legal 500 in their recently released rankings.