Compliance Stuff

Trade secrets are a pivotal element in the competitive strategies of businesses, fostering innovation and providing a f lexible, cost-effective means to safeguard valuable business information . They are an instrumental part of both corporate  governance  and  compliance .  Anything that is safeguarded and has independent economic value can be a trade secret, including business processes, advances in technology, secret formulas, algorithms and more. The protection of trade secrets is fundamental for maintaining a competitive edge, spurring investment in research and development and driving economic growth.  This is particularly salient in the age of AI, where organizations are using generative AI prompts and outputs to improve operations and are, in some cases, creating new AI-based technologies.  Trade secrets are subject to certain  risks  and compliance obligations as a result of new AI-related laws and regulations in the  EU  and the...

Is COVID-19 still a thing, and does OSHA care about it? Yes and yes. We all know that COVID-19 is still around. On the OSHA front, the agency seems to be focused less exclusively on COVID-19 and plans to take a broader approach. Refresher on OSHA’s Work During the Pandemic On  June 21, 2021, OSHA issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS ) to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19. The ETS also served as a proposed rule for a permanent standard to address COVID-19 exposure in healthcare settings. OSHA submitted a draft final rule to the Office of Management and Budget in December 2022. However, the COVID-19 pandemic evolved, and the resources needed to finalize a separate COVID-19 standard grew, which resulted in a House Joint Resolution terminating the national emergency and OSHA terminating the rulemaking. Now What? OSHA determined that a more effective strategy would be to create a broader infectious diseases standard for healthcare workers. This new standard will cover mul...

  On February 25, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)  announced  a registration and fingerprinting requirement for noncitizens present in the United States. Quick Hits All noncitizens fourteen years of age or older who were not fingerprinted or registered when applying for a U.S. visa (or previously registered children who turn fourteen years old) and who remain in the United States for thirty days or longer must apply for registration and fingerprinting. The specific process for registration has not yet been announced. Those who are required to register should  create a USCIS online account  to prepare for the registration process. Failure to comply will result in civil fines and potential criminal misdemeanor charges. On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14159, “ Protecting the American People Against Invasion ,” which expands the administration’s efforts to address illegal entry and unlawful presence of foreign...