Deferred Compensation Update: IRS Issues Proposed Regulations under Code Section 409A

The IRS has released Revenue Procedure 2026-24, establishing new inflation-adjusted limits for Health Savings Accounts and high-deductible health plans effective in 2027. These updates include increased contribution limits, higher minimum deductibles, and expanded out-of-pocket maximums, along with new provisions for direct primary care service arrangements under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act. How will these changes impact employee benefit planning and healthcare coverage strategies?

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and IRS recently issued temporary regulations that provide an immediately effective framework for establishing and administering “Trump Accounts,” including broad automatic enrollment and large-scale contributions funded by governmental and charitable donors. The regulations became effective September 30, 2026, apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and expire September 30, 2029.

On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the Allegheny County Council passed legislation requiring employers with at least 15 workers to provide 12 weeks of paid parental leave, ending months-long debate on the proposal. We previously reported on the initial 18-week proposal in May 2026 (summarized here), the revised proposed legislation (summarized here), and the Allegheny County Board of Health passing the legislation (summarized here). The measure was passed in an 11-4 vote. It will become effective in one year, as County Executive Sara Innamorato signed the bill on, October 22, 2026.

The Trump Administration has launched an unprecedented enforcement action suspending permanent labor certification processing for eight major employers, linking immigration sponsorship to layoff histories and recruitment practices. This development signals a fundamental shift in how the government evaluates employer access to H-1B and green card programs, with investigations already underway and subpoenas served.

On March 27, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a notice in the Federal Register seeking to restructure the calculation used to issue prevailing wages for employers seeking to hire temporary foreign employees...

Maryland employers must comply with new posting requirements under the Worker Freedom Act, which prohibits penalizing employees who decline attendance at employer-sponsored meetings on religious or political matters. The Maryland Department of Labor has released official notices in English and Spanish that must be displayed prominently in workplaces and provided to new hires starting November 1, 2026.

OSHA's revised Hazard Communication Standard requires covered employers to update chemical labels, written hazard communication programs, and employee training by November 20, 2026. The revisions align with the UN's Globally Harmonized System and introduce new hazard classifications, downstream use considerations, and updated requirements for compressed gases and aerosols. Employers must navigate separate compliance timelines for chemical mixtures while ensuring their workplace practices meet the updated st

On July 13, 2026, 26 current and former Meta employees sued the company in federal court in Oakland, California, alleging that Meta used artificial intelligence (AI) systems to select them for layoff in a manner...

After nearly four years of court battles, Proposition 22, aka the Protect App-Based Drivers and Services Act, has been upheld by the California Supreme Court.

Donald Dowling says abusive labor practices are a huge problem around the world, and often the smaller local manufacturers, miners and growers within countries that are committing labor...

Designed for busy in-house counsel, compliance professionals, and anti-corruption lawyers, this newsletter summarizes some of the most important international anti-corruption law and enforcement...

On December 18, 2025, President Trump signed into law the BIOSECURE Act as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is the U.S. Congress's annual defense policy bill.

Japan is widely perceived as one of the least corrupt countries in the world. In 2020, Transparency International ranked Japan as the 19th least corrupt country out of 180 countries in...

On 30 September 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) circulated for public comment the Measures on the Administration of Data Security in the Industry and Information Technology Sector

Designed for busy in-house counsel, compliance professionals, and anti-corruption lawyers, this newsletter summarizes some of the most important international anti-corruption law and enforcement...

The total transaction value of the breach was approximately £3,000.

A recent proposal issued by Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, along with various other current private- and public-sector initiatives, signals a strong interest in promoting investment in and the growth...

On May 27, 2019, the Japanese government published amended rules[1] that aim to tighten the regulatory requirements applicable to foreign direct investment (tai nai chokusetsu toshi or FDI)

On June 30, 2017, the Wuhan Intermediate People's Court (the "Wuhan Court") issued a decision recognizing and enforcing a civil money judgment issued by the Los Angeles Superior Court arising out of...

The new Enterprise Bankruptcy Law of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) (Bankruptcy Law) was adopted on August 27, 2006 and will take effect on June 1, 2007, superseding the 1986-enacted Enterprise Bankruptcy Law (Trial) 1986, governing the bankruptcy of State-owned Enterprises . The Bankruptcy Law offers for the first time a unified regime applicable to all types of enterprises in China and also provides a more robust and detailed regime for enforcement of creditors’ claims. We discuss below