Taylor Vinters LLP

Each country in the APAC region has a unique history, culture, business customs and legislation. It’s vital that multinational organizations remember this when planning a restructuring exercise across the region; what can be pragmatic and lawful in one country can be completely unacceptable in another.

From September 2020, Wills which are witnessed using video technology will be legally valid. This means witnesses can be virtually rather than physically present, when someone signs their Will. Currently, the law requires two witnesses to be present when a Will is signed. Office closures and social distancing measures introduced due to COVID-19 has made executing a valid Will especially difficult for people who are shielding, self-isolating or wish to keep their affairs confidential.

In the recent case of Google v CNIL (C-507/17) the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has sided with Google, by confirming the “right to be forgotten” only requires Google to delete a relevant user’s personal data on European Union (EU) versions of Google’s search engine. Although the decision was made in the search engine context, it will apply more generally in the employer-employee relationship. Good news then for employers and operators of online services.