Agtech
Agtech has advanced the way agricultural industry approaches all aspects of the supply chain: upstream at the farm, midstream with the processor, and downstream with the consumer. Agtech tools, including improved data management, labor saving technologies, and higher quality inputs and seed traits, help farmers sustain healthy soils, increase crop production, and bolster the broader agricultural industry.
Agribusiness is increasingly global. With offices in Europe, the Middle East, the United States, Latin America, Australia, and Asia, our team represents a wide range of agribusinesses, including agtech companies, in key markets worldwide. The scope of our international reach allows us to do cross-border consultation and serve clients in a variety of subject matters from mergers and acquisitions, licensing, and finance to intellectual property, antitrust, and regulatory issues.
Our team also has lawyers with scientific, technical, regulatory, and operational backgrounds in the agriculture and food sectors. Our understanding of public policy and regulations, coupled with governmental experience, gives our clients an important edge when dealing with regulatory agencies involved in the agtech sector.
Thought Leadership
On 23 April 2024, the US Department of Labor announced a Final Rule raising the minimum salary and annual compensation thresholds to qualify for the executive, administrative, or professional exemptions from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
On 30 January 2024, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final rule (Final Rule) increasing the premium processing fee from US$2,500 to US$2,805, increasing filing fees for I-129 and I-140 employment-based petitions, and imposing a new Asylum Program Fee for each Form I-129 and I-140 filed by employers.
Many investment advisers and other financial institutions rely on the Department of Labor’s QPAM Exemption when providing services to, and transacting with, employer-sponsored retirement plans, individual retirement accounts, and certain commingled investment vehicles that have retirement investors.
On 22 December 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments (the final rule) to Rule 206(4)-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the Advisers Act) to modernize the regulation of investment adviser advertising and solicitation practices.