Happy Holidays from the Appleton Group!

The entire Appleton Group team wishes you and your families a happy holiday season and a wonderful 2013!

In this issue…

• TIAG and TAGLaw Members Make Significant Contribution to the Recovery Efforts from Hurricane Sandy
• U.S. Senate Passes Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act
• A Call for TAGLaw & TIAG Success Stories
• New TAGLaw Member Updates
• Doing Business Guides: Ecuador 
• TIAG Member News
• TAG Tax European Newsletter - December 2012
• Specialty Group Articles
• TIAG & TAGLaw Impact Movie
• Connect with TAGLaw & TIAG Members

1. TIAG and TAGLaw Members Make Significant Contribution to the Recovery Efforts from Hurricane Sandy

TIAG and TAGLaw, recently announced they were contributing over $30,000USD to the victims and to relief efforts of Hurricane Sandy, which devastated the New York and New Jersey coasts in late October. The organizations are doing so through their charitable organization, TAG Foundation. Read the entire story. 

2. U.S. Senate Passes Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act

“Today, we close a chapter in U.S. history,” Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), one of the prime movers of the Magnitsky bill, said during the debate on Jackson-Vanik. “It served its purpose. Today, we open a new chapter in U.S. leadership for human rights.”

Read the entire article, regarding the “Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Acy” on the New York Times website.

Sergei Magnitsky, a former TAGLaw member, was working on behalf of his client, UK investment firm Hermitage Capital when, after alleging a £142m tax fraud by Russian officials, he was arrested and allegedly tortured. On 16 November 2009, one year after being detained, he died in police custody in Moscow. TAGLaw sent a letter to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the United Nations, the International Bar Association, U.S. President Obama, U.S. Secretary of State Clinton, and the U.S. Senators from Florida and the U.S. Congressman from the district covering the TAGLaw home office, expressing the network's outrage and calling for an investigation into Mr. Magnitsky's tragic death. TAGLaw member Jamison Firestone, continues to work tirelessly to tell the world the true story of what happened to to his courageous former partner.

3. A Call for TIAG & TAGLaw Success Stories

We are preparing our 2012 Annual Review and will be featuring a number of success stories by our members, particularly where that success involves another TAGLaw or TIAG member. This comprehensive document will be sent to the entire membership base of TIAG and TAGLaw, potential new members, and global trade publications. In short, this is a great way for you to show how your firm uses TAGLaw, and it gives you an opportunity to promote your firm both to members and to the outside world. 

Submit your stories to Lourdes Allende (Lourdes@TIAGnet.com) by December 30th so we can select the best of the best to go in the 2012 Annual Review.  

4. NEW TAGLAW MEMBERS

TAGLAW WELCOMES NEW MEMBER IN LEBANON 

Baroudi & Associates (previously known as Eddé & Baroudi Law Firm) ("BAA") was founded in 1912 by Emile Eddé, who was President of the Republic of Lebanon from 1936 to 1941. The firm provides a complete package of legal services to foreign and domestic clients in various fields of law including: Banking, Corporate, Insurance, Shipping, Aviation, Bankruptcy, M&A, Litigation, Arbitration, Contract, Structured Finance, Corporate Finance, Project Finance, Securitization, Employment Disputes, Intellectual Property, Construction, Taxation and Litigation. For more information about Baroudi & Associates visit their TAGLaw profile or their website at www.baroudilegal.com. 

TAGLAW WELCOMES NEW MEMBER IN LATVIA

Fogels, Vitols & Paipa (FVP) has been recognized as a "Leading Firm" for 2012 by the Legal 500. With three partners and seven additional lawyers, the firm is one of the dozen largest firms in our market. They have the capability of conducting business in variety of languages including: English, French, Latvian and Russian. For more information about FVP visit their TAGLaw profile or their website at www.fvp.lv/en. 

5. New Doing Business Guides: Ecuador 

TIAG and TAGLaw Doing Business Guides contain valuable information for individuals and companies conducting business in different markets throughout the world. We continue to receive these helpful Guides from TIAG and TAGLaw member firms and encourage you to submit one for your jurisdiction. The collection of Guides is located in the public News & Resources sections of the TIAG and TAGLaw websites, providing easy access for members, clients and prospective clients. The latest addition is a Doing Business Guide for Ecuador (English Version & Spanish Version), submitted by TIAG member EsRoBross Cia Ltda.

Submit or Update Your Firm’s Guide

Contact the TAGLaw Manager or Marketing & Member Services, Chris Cervellera at ccervellera@TIAGnet.com, to see how your firm can create or update its Doing Business Guide. 

6. TIAG MEMBER NEWS

Sending TIAG your firm news and articles expands the profile of your firm with in TIAG and also help increase your visibility on search enginges like Google and Bing. We have created a mailbox exclusively for your news, articles and newsletters. Please add marketing@TIAGnet.com to your news distribution list.

- Raleigh-based Adams Martin Hires Cameran Harrison; Adams, Martin & Associates (North Carolina, USA)

- AES Consulting in Panama Receives TOTAL QUALITY AWARD for Business Excellence; AES Consulting (Panama)

- TIAG Continues Global Expansion with Addition of Thomas, Head & Greisen in Alaska, Old Mill Accountants in Somerset, England and P.M. Accountant & Advisory in Thailand

- Old Mill Hosts Corporate Funding Event to Help Bath’s Businesses Grow; Old Mill (Somerset, England)

- Mercer & Hole Have Moved Offices; Mercer & Hole (London, England – TIAG)

- Fazio Mannuzza in New Jersey, Supports Alzheimer's Association; Fazio, Mannuzza, Roche, Tankel, LaPilusa, LLC (New Jersey, USA – TIAG)

- Burgis & Bullock Expands its Senior Specialist Team; Burgis & Bullock (Warwickshire, England - TIAG)

7. TAG Tax European Newsletter - December 2012

TIAG and TAGLaw have some of the premiere tax lawyers and accountants in their respective professions.  In an effort to share their knowledge with other members on a more regular basis, the TAG Tax members of Europe have created the TAG Tax European Newsletter. Download the TAG Tax European Newsletter - December 2012.

8. Specialty Group Articles

Send Your Articles and Alerts to TIAG

We have created a mailbox exclusively for your news, articles and newsletters. Please add marketing@tiagnet.com to your news distribution list. 

TIAG & TAGLaw Combined Specialty Groups         

Tax / TAG Tax 

- TAG Tax European Newsletter - December 2012

- IRS Issues Guidance on Additional 0.9% Medicare Tax; Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP (Missouri, USA - TAGLaw)

- Warning: New Taxes for 2013; Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel, LLP (Buffalo, New York, USA - TAGLaw)

- Is Tax Relief on the Horizon for Same-Sex Couples?; Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass (San Francisco, California, USA - TAGLaw)

Energy     

- Uranium Mining in Queensland – Campbell Newman Lifts Ban on Uranium Mining; Carter Newell (Queensland, Australia)

- The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Rejects U.S. EPA's Functional Interrelatedness Test for Air Aggregation; Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP (Delaware & Pennsylvania, USA)

TAGLaw Specialty Groups           

Competition and Antitrust      

- Hong Kong's New Competition Law; Vivien Chan (Hong Kong, China - TAGLaw)

- Manufacturers & Retailers: Be Aware of the Legal Risks Involved in Online Reviews; Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP (Illinois, USA - TAGLaw)

Construction            

- Developer caught out: oral assurance to architect deemed a “construction contract”; Carter Newell Lawyers (Queensland, Australia - TAGLaw)

- Blaneys on Building: November 2012; Blaney McMurtry (Ontario, Canada - TAGLaw)

Corporate and M&A                 

- Jouissance Shares for the Founders in the Turkish Commercial Code; Erdem & Erdem Law Office (Turkey - TAGLaw)

- How a Non-Executive Director could help your business; Clarkslegal (Reading, England - TAGLaw)

Employment and Labor Law                   

- Labour and Employment Law Updates in the People's Republic of China; Vivien Chan (Hong Kong, China - TAGLaw)

- The Emerging Frontiers for Equitable Remedies under ERISA in the Fourth Circuit: Moon v. BWX Technologies; Williams Mullen (North Carolina & Virginia, USA - TAGLaw)

- Blake Lapthorn's Employment Law News for December 2012; Blake Lapthorn (Southampton, England - TAGLaw)

- Extensive Revision of the Slovak Republic's Labour Code Effective January 1st 2013; DEDÁK & Partners, s.r.o. (Slovak Republic - TAGLaw)

- An Update on Age Discrimination; Blaney McMurtry (Ontario, Canada - TAGLaw)

- Use of devices at work: ACAS recognises need for guidance on "bring your own" policy; Clarkslegal (Reading, England - TAGLaw)

- Virginia Supreme Court Ruling Extends Wrongful Discharge Liability to Individuals; Williams Mullen (North Carolina & Virginia, USA - TAGLaw)

- Holiday Parties: Practical Guidelines for Employers; Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP (Missouri, USA)

Governmental Relations        

- Australian Civil Liability Guide 8th Edition; Carter Newell (Queensland, Australia)

Insolvency and Secured Transactions                  

- Supreme Court Leaves TM Licensee Up In The Air When Licensor Files For Bankruptcy; Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Insurance Law        

- Asia Pacific Aviation Carriers' Liability Guide; Carter Newell (Queensland, Australia)

Intellectual Property and Information Technology                

- Updated New Zealand Trademark Fee Schedule; Duncan Cotterill (New Zealand)

- CPDB Intellectual Property Update: Industry Guidelines on Social Media Disclosures; Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass (San Francisco, California, USA)

International Trade and Customs          

- DOJ/SEC Guide to Foreign Corrupt Practice Act – Part 1; Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution     

- Does an indemnity for costs in a commercial contract mean anything? Clarkslegal LLP (Reading, England)

9. Exclusive TIAG Member Discounts & Offers

IFRS TRAINING FROM IASEMINARS

Through a partnership with TAG Academy, IASeminars is pleased to offer members and contacts of TIAG a 20% discount on their total order for any public seminars (both live and online). In order to benefit from this offer, please remember to use the special promotional code "TAG20" when prompted to do so while placing an order on their website.

Access IAS Seminars Courses here: http://www.iaseminars.com/en/tiag.html  

UPCOMING CCH SEMINARS

TIAG and TAG Academy have joined with CCH to bring you a 20% discount exclusively for TIAG members on several CCH seminars. We hope you will consider these offerings and pass them along to members of your firm. Click here to view a calendar of CCH seminar programs that are available with the exclusive TIAG member discount.

FREE ACCESS TO CHECKPOINT WORLD BY THOMSON REUTERS 

Through a special partnership with Thomson Reuters, TIAG Members are able to gain access to their popular international tax planning resource, Checkpoint World. To access this limited time offer, email checkpointworld@ThomsonReuters.com and mention your TIAG membership. 

10. TIAG AND TAGLaw Impact Movie: New Member Resource 

To help our members promote their firms and explain the value of TIAG and TAGLaw to their clients and prospective clients, we have created an Impact Video™ which can be viewed on computers and mobile devices. This eye-catching, 3-minute film succinctly illustrates the broad reach your firm has as a member of the TIAG and TAGLaw alliances. As is, you can freely distribute the video to your clients and prospective clients, as well as post the video on your website. Several members have already posted the video to their websites, and you can view some of those examples below.

- Browne Craine and Co. (Isle of Man – TIAG)

- Portman International (Malta – TIAG)

- ACT Partners (Malaysia – TIAG)

- BoyneClarke LLP (Nova Scotia, Canada – TAGLaw)