U.S. Legal Insights for French Businesses

Last week, the U.S. Embassy in Paris issued a letter and certification form to multiple French companies requiring companies that serve the U.S. Government to certify their compliance with U.S. federal anti-discrimination laws. This certification request was issued in furtherance of President Trump’s Executive Order 14173 on Ending illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunities, issued

On 20 January 2025, France published a memorandum urging the EU to modify the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (Directive 2022/2464, “CSRD”), and to postpone the application of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (Directive 2024/1760, “CS3D”). France’s statements resonate with the series of Executive Orders aiming in the U.S. at various markets deregulations, although to

In the latest episode of Sheppard Mullin’s French Insider, a monthly podcast dedicated to guiding French investors and companies through the complexities of investing and operating in the United States, Sheppard Mullin’s Jonathan Meyer offers a deep dive into the anticipated shifts under the next Trump administration. Meyer, a partner in the firm’s Governmental Practice

On January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act (the “CTA”) became effective. For the first time, all US and foreign entities that are determined to qualify as “reporting companies” will be required to report to the U.S. federal government certain company information, including information identifying the individuals who directly or indirectly own or control the

On 12 July 2023, the new EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation (“FSR”) started applying to all non-EU and EU companies and all sectors of the economy. FSR filled a regulatory gap which existed since 1958. The European Commission (the “Commission”) is vested by FSR with wide investigative and decisional powers to prevent any distortions in the

The Orrin G. Hatch–Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act, or Music Modernization Act (“MMA”), signed into law on October 11, 2018, has transformed the music streaming industry in the years since its implementation. The legislation was passed with the aim of modernizing copyright issues related to audio recordings and adapting to new technologies, such as

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (“BEA”) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which conducts a series of mandatory surveys on foreign investments in the U.S., has recently published Form BE-12, its five-year survey on foreign direct investment in the U.S. for fiscal years ending in 2022. The previous five-year survey was conducted back in 2017.

Retailers and service providers with US business operations should take note: the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is increasing its scrutiny of negative option marketing activity to combat unfair or deceptive practices related to subscriptions, memberships and other recurring-payment programs. The FTC just issued a notice of proposed rulemaking as part of its ongoing review of

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, passed on November 15, 2021. Included in the $1.2 trillion spending package are expansions to various “Buy America” provisions, a set of statutes and regulations that apply to federal financial assistance used to support infrastructure-related projects. “Buy America” requirements differ from