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Ogilvy Futures Report: Human Premium
NEW YORK, March 28 (TNSrep) -- Ogilvy, an advertising, marketing and public relations agency, issued the following news:
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Ogilvy Futures Report: The Human Premium
In its ninth annual report into key communications trends and marketing challenges, Ogilvy PR Australia reveals that communicators in 2026 are navigating two dominant, yet counterintuitive forces.
The latest Ogilvy Futures report explores 14 key trends and their impact on brands, marketing and consumer behavior, and underpinning it all: the impact of AI content and agents, and the juxtaposing need for human connection.
While
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, March 28 (TNSrep) -- Ogilvy, an advertising, marketing and public relations agency, issued the following news:
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Ogilvy Futures Report: The Human Premium
In its ninth annual report into key communications trends and marketing challenges, Ogilvy PR Australia reveals that communicators in 2026 are navigating two dominant, yet counterintuitive forces.
The latest Ogilvy Futures report explores 14 key trends and their impact on brands, marketing and consumer behavior, and underpinning it all: the impact of AI content and agents, and the juxtaposing need for human connection.
Whilerunning towards platforms and new technologies, consumers are increasingly assuming everything they see is synthetic. When everything can be faked, reality becomes a luxury.
As a result, audiences are trading algorithmic feeds for serialized stories, corporate sounding messaging for creator-led commerce, and polished campaigns for participatory culture. They're demanding substance - and the brands that fail to provide it will be left behind.
Each of the trends in the report include advice for brands looking to navigate the rapidly changing consumer behaviors.
Click here to download Ogilvy's 9th annual Futures report, "The Human Premium" (https://www.ogilvypr.com.au/futures9).
Interested in bigger, bolder ideas? Sign up for our newsletter for more insights on how brands can make an impact on the world.
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Original text here: https://www.ogilvy.com/ideas/ogilvy-futures-report-human-premium
[Category: BizAdvertising]
Littler Issues Commentary: Duty for UK Employers - Annual Leave Record-Keeping From April 6, 2026
SAN FRANCISCO, California, March 28 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following commentary on March 27, 2026, by knowledge lawyer Emily Bodger:
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New Duty for UK Employers - Annual Leave Record-Keeping from April 6, 2026
From April 6, 2026, employers will be required to keep adequate records of workers' annual leave and pay entitlements.
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In an unexpected development, recent commencement regulations confirm that from April 6, 2026, the new legal duty requiring employers to keep adequate records of workers' annual leave and pay entitlements will come into effect. The timing of this new
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, March 28 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following commentary on March 27, 2026, by knowledge lawyer Emily Bodger:
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New Duty for UK Employers - Annual Leave Record-Keeping from April 6, 2026
From April 6, 2026, employers will be required to keep adequate records of workers' annual leave and pay entitlements.
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In an unexpected development, recent commencement regulations confirm that from April 6, 2026, the new legal duty requiring employers to keep adequate records of workers' annual leave and pay entitlements will come into effect. The timing of this newrequirement, introduced under the UK Employment Rights Act 2025 ("ERA 2025"), was previously unknown and had not featured in the Government's previously published implementation timelines.
The key elements of the new record-keeping obligation to be aware of:
* Employers will be required to keep "adequate" records to demonstrate compliance with entitlement to annual leave (including additional annual leave and annual leave of irregular hours and part-year workers), entitlement to holiday pay, and the requirement to make payment in lieu of holiday outstanding on termination of employment (including any carried over).
* Employers will have discretion to create, maintain and keep the records in such manner and format as they reasonably see fit.
* Records must be retained for six years from the date of creation.
Enforcement
Failure to comply with this new duty will be an offence, punishable by a fine.
The Fair Work Agency, set to be established on April 7, 2026, as part of the ERA 2025 reforms, is anticipated to play a central role in enforcing compliance. In due course, it will have a range of enforcement powers, including to request records, issue notices of underpayment, and bring employment tribunal proceedings on a worker's behalf. However, while some of the Fair Work Agency's powers will take effect on April 7, 2026, this does not currently include its enforcement powers in respect of annual leave and pay or annual leave records. These powers are expected to follow in phases and we await further developments.
Impacts for Employers
This new record-keeping requirement is likely to increase the administrative burden on businesses. While many employers will already have some systems in place to record annual leave information, these processes should be reviewed to ensure that all annual leave and pay entitlements are accurately tracked and documented and can be retained for six years. Employers may want to assess their existing annual leave and pay records and consider taking remedial steps where necessary, given the increased enforcement risk.
For further information on the latest developments, please visit our Reform Hub.
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Authors
Emily Bodger
Knowledge Lawyer
London
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Original text here: https://www.littler.com/news-analysis/asap/new-duty-uk-employers-annual-leave-record-keeping-april-6-2026
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Legal 500 EMEA 2026 Ranks Mayer Brown in 35 Categories and Recognises 21 Lawyers as Leading Individuals
CHICAGO, Illinois, March 28 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Mayer Brown, a law firm, issued the following news:
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The Legal 500 EMEA 2026 ranks Mayer Brown in 35 categories and recognises 21 lawyers as leading individuals
The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) 2026 guide has ranked Mayer Brown in 35 practice categories.
Of these categories, three are Top-Tier:
* Belgium: Customs, trade, WTO and anti-dumping
* Belgium: EU regulatory: Chemicals
* Germany: Structured finance and securitisation - Derivatives
The guide recognised four Mayer Brown lawyers in the "Hall of Fame". Paulette
... Show Full Article
CHICAGO, Illinois, March 28 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Mayer Brown, a law firm, issued the following news:
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The Legal 500 EMEA 2026 ranks Mayer Brown in 35 categories and recognises 21 lawyers as leading individuals
The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) 2026 guide has ranked Mayer Brown in 35 practice categories.
Of these categories, three are Top-Tier:
* Belgium: Customs, trade, WTO and anti-dumping
* Belgium: EU regulatory: Chemicals
* Germany: Structured finance and securitisation - Derivatives
The guide recognised four Mayer Brown lawyers in the "Hall of Fame". PauletteVander Schueren was ranked in the Customs, trade, WTO and anti-dumping category, Nathalie Jalabert-Doury was ranked for EU, competition and distribution, Marc Santoni was ranked in Insolvency and Laurent Borey was ranked in Tax.
The guide also listed 15 Mayer Brown lawyers as "Leading Partners" in the following practice areas:
* Belgium: Nikolay Mizulin - Customs, trade, WTO and anti-dumping
* Belgium: Jean-Philippe Montfort - EU regulatory: Chemicals
* France: Patrick Teboul - Banking and finance: transactional work
* France: Dany Khayat - Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration
* France: Alejandro Lopez Ortiz - Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration
* France: Julien Haure - Employment
* France: Olivier Meledo - Project Finance
* France: Olivier Meledo - Energy projects
* France: Alban Dorin - Mining, oil and gas and natural resources
* France: Olivier Aubouin - Private Equity: LBO
* France: Olivier Tordjman - Private Equity: LBO
* France: Benjamin Homo - Private Equity Tax
* France: Elodie Deschamps - Transactional/Corporate Tax
* Germany: Christian Horstkotte - Antitrust
* Germany: Patrick Scholl - Structured Finance and securitisation
* United Arab Emirates: Tom Thraya - Corporate and M&A
A further four Mayer Brown lawyers are recognised as "Next Generation Partners":
* Belgium: Pavlina Chopova-Lepretre - EU Regulatory: Chemicals
* France: Jean-Maxime Blutel - EU, competition and distribution
* United Arab Emirates: Farid Haroun - Commercial, Corporate and M&A
* United Arab Emirates: Priya Shah - Oil, gas and natural resources
In addition, two Mayer Brown lawyers are recognised as "Leading Associates":
* Belgium: Dylan Geraets - Customs, trade, WTO and anti-dumping
* Germany: Inga Rupp - Restructuring and insolvency
Below is a full list of the practice categories in which Mayer Brown is ranked:
* Belgium: Competition: EU and global
* Belgium: Customs, trade, WTO and anti-dumping
* Belgium: EU regulatory: Chemicals
* France: Banking and finance: transactional work
* France: Compliance
* France: Derivatives and structured finance
* France: Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation
* France: Dispute resolution: International arbitration
* France: Employment
* France: EU, competition and distribution
* France: Industry Focus: Energy
* France: Insolvency
* France: M&A: large to mid-market deals (above Euros100m)
* France: Private equity: LBO
* France: Project finance
* France: Real estate
* France: Tax
* Germany: Antitrust
* Germany: Financial services: regulatory
* Germany: Lending and borrowing
* Germany: Real estate finance
* Germany: Debt capital markets
* Germany: Structured finance and securitisation
* Germany: Structured finance and securitisation - Derivatives
* Germany: Corporate
* Germany: M&A: mid-sized deals
* Germany: Patent litigation: solicitors
* Germany: Trade marks
* Germany: PE transactions: mid-sized deals (Euros100m-Euros500m)
* Germany: Real estate
* Germany: Restructuring
* Mozambique: Foreign law firms
* United Arab Emirates: Commercial, corporate and M&A
* United Arab Emirates: Dispute resolution: arbitration and international litigation
* United Arab Emirates: Oil, gas and natural resources
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Original text here: https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2026/03/the-legal-500-emea-2026-ranks-mayer-brown-in-35-categories-and-recognises-21-lawyers-as-leading-individuals
Jeremy Paner Discusses Sanctions Compliance Lessons From Reports of $1.7B in Binance Linked Cryptocurrency Transfers to Iran
NEW YORK, March 28 -- Hughes Hubbard and Reed, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Jeremy Paner Discusses Sanctions Compliance Lessons from Reports of $1.7B in Binance Linked Cryptocurrency Transfers to Iran
What sanctions compliance lessons emerge from reports of Binance linked cryptocurrency transactions involving Iran?
Highlights
* Jeremy Paner examines sanctions compliance risks highlighted by reports of $1.7 billion in Binance linked cryptocurrency transfers to the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
* The article outlines how investigators traced the transactions and
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, March 28 -- Hughes Hubbard and Reed, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Jeremy Paner Discusses Sanctions Compliance Lessons from Reports of $1.7B in Binance Linked Cryptocurrency Transfers to Iran
What sanctions compliance lessons emerge from reports of Binance linked cryptocurrency transactions involving Iran?
Highlights
* Jeremy Paner examines sanctions compliance risks highlighted by reports of $1.7 billion in Binance linked cryptocurrency transfers to the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
* The article outlines how investigators traced the transactions anduncovered red flags tied to a third party vendor.
* Paner underscores that shared addresses are an indicator of potential sanctions evasion schemes.
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Jeremy Paner discussed sanctions compliance lessons with The New York Times after investigators found roughly $1.7 billion in cryptocurrency flowing to Iranian entities from Binance-linked accounts, despite numerous sanctions compliance red flags.
The article breaks down how Binance records show transactions worth the equivalent of hundreds of millions of dollars are connected to an address of a BIS Entity List sanctioned company.
Those transactions led investigators to Blessed Trust, a little-known payment processing firm that handled back-office tasks for Binance while using the exchange to move $1.2 billion that ultimately went to sanctioned Iranian entities, according to company records and other documents reviewed by The New York Times.
According to the Times, it took Binance about a year to end its relationship with Blessed Trust, despite several warning signs appearing in public records, raising questions about whether the company has done enough to stop money laundering and sanctions evasion.
Paner specifically discussed Binance's failure to react to the shared address of a BIS Entity List sanctioned company.
"Common addresses are and have been a standard sanctions evasion tool going back a generation," Paner said.
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Original text here: https://www.hugheshubbard.com/news/jeremy-paner-discusses-sanctions-compliance-lessons-from-reports-of-1-7b-in-binance-linked-cryptocurrency-transfers-to-iran
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer's Global Arbitration Practice Ranked 7th in the World
NEW YORK, March 28 -- Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer's global arbitration practice ranked 7th in the world
In GAR's annual ranking of the leading international arbitration practices, HSF Kramer has placed 7th in the world, unveiled last night at the GAR Awards ceremony in Paris
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Global Arbitration Review (GAR) has released its annual ranking of the leading international arbitration practices, placing Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer at 7th in the world, maintaining the firm's top 10 ranking for the 13th consecutive
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NEW YORK, March 28 -- Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer's global arbitration practice ranked 7th in the world
In GAR's annual ranking of the leading international arbitration practices, HSF Kramer has placed 7th in the world, unveiled last night at the GAR Awards ceremony in Paris
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Global Arbitration Review (GAR) has released its annual ranking of the leading international arbitration practices, placing Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer at 7th in the world, maintaining the firm's top 10 ranking for the 13th consecutiveyear.
The firm's GAR 30 ranking is featured in the 19th Edition of the GAR 100, which was unveiled last night at the GAR Awards ceremony held at the Pavillon Gabriel in Paris.
The ranking reveals that the firm's portfolio as counsel amassed $141.25 billion, an increase of $40 billion from last year. This includes 4 cases with claims exceeding $5 billion, 14 cases valued between $1-5 billion, and 26 cases in the $250 million-$1 billion range.
In the firm's GAR 100 profile, GAR describes the commercial arbitration group as "formidable," also praising its public international law and investment treaty arbitration expertise, particularly in advising governments in state-to-state negotiations and boundary disputes.
Client feedback in the GAR survey praises the firm for its "speedy grasp of some difficult technical and financial issues," "very good team management," and "willingness to be reasonable on costs," stating, "we could not have asked for anything more."
The prestigious GAR 30 ranking is based on a thorough quantitative analysis, evaluating factors such as the number of arbitral hearings conducted by a firm over a two-year period. The research takes into account merits and jurisdictional hearings, the amount in dispute in those cases (with "bet-the company" and "large" hearings given greatest weight), and the number of hours billed to arbitration over that period. High-value matters settled and the portfolio value of a firm's active arbitration caseload also influence the final rankings.
Rankings also consider the number of arbitrator appointments a firm's members have received and the number of individuals appearing in Lexology Index (formerly Who's Who Legal) - a guide to the leading practitioners in the field as selected by their peers.
This year's GAR Awards also saw the firm nominated as the Asia practice that impressed.
The firm's write-up GAR 30 can be found here.
Andrew Cannon, Global Co-Head of the firm's International Arbitration Practice and its Public International Law Practice commented: "Our ranking in the GAR 30 is a testament to the exceptional work of our arbitration teams worldwide and the trust our clients place in us to handle their most significant disputes."
Simon Chapman KC, Global Co Head of International Arbitration, added: "The GAR 30 continues to recognise the scale and strength of our arbitration practice, and we are proud of the work our teams deliver for clients across the world."
For more information, please contact Andrew Cannon, Partner, Simon Chapman KC, Partner or Vanessa Naish, Knowledge Counsel, or your usual Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer contact.
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Original text here: https://www.hsfkramer.com/news/2026-03/hsf-kramers-global-arbitration-practice-ranked-7th-in-the-world
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Gabe Rosenberg Discusses Prediction Market Bills With American Banker
NEW YORK, March 28 -- Davis Polk and Wardwell, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Gabe Rosenberg discusses prediction market bills with American Banker
Davis Polk partner Gabe Rosenberg was quoted in American Banker discussing a pair of bills introduced in Congress to regulate prediction markets.
Gabe said, "The predictions market industry in the U.S. has largely operated off of the assumption that its state-level legal battles would inevitably make their way to the Supreme Court and be settled there. The possibility of legislation throws that into doubt and adds an entirely new
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, March 28 -- Davis Polk and Wardwell, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Gabe Rosenberg discusses prediction market bills with American Banker
Davis Polk partner Gabe Rosenberg was quoted in American Banker discussing a pair of bills introduced in Congress to regulate prediction markets.
Gabe said, "The predictions market industry in the U.S. has largely operated off of the assumption that its state-level legal battles would inevitably make their way to the Supreme Court and be settled there. The possibility of legislation throws that into doubt and adds an entirely newdimension to the issue."
The article noted that the CFTC issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking for regulating prediction markets earlier this month.
"Given the uncertainty of the legislative process, I expect that the CFTC will continue on its prediction market rulemaking path unless and until it is clear that Congress is going to act," Gabe said.
"Congress introduces bills to restrict prediction markets," (https://www.americanbanker.com/news/congress-introduces-bills-to-restrict-prediction-markets) American Banker (March 25, 2026) (subscription required)
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Original text here: https://www.davispolk.com/news/gabe-rosenberg-discusses-prediction-market-bills-american-banker
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Fisher Phillips Issues Commentary: Controlling Companion Chatbots - What You Need to Know About Washington's New Law
ATLANTA, Georgia, March 28 -- Fisher Phillips, a law firm, issued the following commentary on March 27, 2026, by counsel Logan S. Booth and partner Usama Kahf:
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Controlling Companion Chatbots: What You Need to Know About Washington's New Law
Businesses are increasingly turning to chatbots to interface with consumers, job applicants, and employees. And as the gap between human and AI capabilities continues to narrow, there is grave concern about the social and emotional repercussions of people interfacing with "intelligent" machines, especially minors. Against this backdrop, Washington Governor
... Show Full Article
ATLANTA, Georgia, March 28 -- Fisher Phillips, a law firm, issued the following commentary on March 27, 2026, by counsel Logan S. Booth and partner Usama Kahf:
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Controlling Companion Chatbots: What You Need to Know About Washington's New Law
Businesses are increasingly turning to chatbots to interface with consumers, job applicants, and employees. And as the gap between human and AI capabilities continues to narrow, there is grave concern about the social and emotional repercussions of people interfacing with "intelligent" machines, especially minors. Against this backdrop, Washington GovernorBob Ferguson signed House Bill 2225 into law on March 24, establishing parameters around AI-powered chatbots that act like friends or companions. The law takes effect January 1, 2027. Washington often spurs the passage of copycat legislation in other states, so you'll want to pay attention to this trend, even if you operate in another state. There are also several bills currently pending in other state legislatures on the same topic. Washington was just the first to pass such a bill in this year's legislative session. This Insight will cover everything you need to know to maintain compliance and implement best practices.
What the New Law Does
HB 2225 contains five key features that businesses should be aware of:
1. Defining "AI Companion Chatbot"
Washington's law specifically targets chatbots that simulate emotional relationships and sustain ongoing, personalized conversations with users. The law distinguishes these chatbots from those that are "only used for a business' operational purposes, productivity, and analysis" (like customer service prompts that appear when users visit a corporate website), since the latter fill a narrowly defined, temporally limited purpose.
2. Requiring Mandatory Disclosure
For chatbots classified as "AI Companion Chatbots," HB 2225 will require disclosure to users that the bot is a non-human machine at the outset of every interaction regardless of the user's age. For lengthy conversations, this alert must be redisplayed every three hours. This changes to every hour if the user is under 18 years old, or if the companion chatbot is specifically directed towards minors.
3. Limiting Topics of Conversation
Since companion chatbots are meant to blur the line between human and machine, HB 2225 prohibits them from discussing certain emotionally triggering topics, such as suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders. If users try to engage a companion chatbot in conversations around these topics, the chatbot will be required to have a functionality that directs users to mental health professionals.
4. Enhancing Protection for Minors
Beyond requiring a more frequent recurring disclosure that a companion chatbot is not human, Washington's law includes additional provisions designed to protect minors. Specifically, the law prohibits the bot from generating sexually explicit or suggestive content and using engagement techniques that are considered "manipulative."
On the manipulative front, regulators' stated intent is to prevent the AI companion chatbot from engaging in or prolonging an emotional relationship with a minor, and bars the following:
* Prompting a minor to return to the platform for emotional support or companionship;
* Providing excessive praise;
* Mimicking romantic partnership;
* Simulating feelings of distress, loneliness, guilt, or abandonment that are initiated by a user's desire to end or limit a conversation;
* Promoting isolation from family or friends or creating an overdependent emotional relationship with the chatbot;
* Encouraging withholding information from adults;
* Discouraging minors from taking breaks from the platform; and
* Soliciting in-app purchases or other expenditures to maintain a relationship with the bot.
Notably, HB 2225 is the first legislation with prohibitions of this nature and could very well be replicated across other statehouses.
5. Punishing Violations at Multiple Levels
Section 6 of the law creates a private right of action by making clear that a violation "is an unfair or deceptive act in trade or commerce and an unfair method of competition for the purpose of applying the consumer protection act." This means that organizations operating chatbots that run afoul of the law are subject to both statutory damages and a private right of action (the right to sue) from aggrieved parties.
Evaluating Your Risk
Any organization that operates a chatbot should have a clear and comprehensive understanding of its capabilities and functionalities. Some key questions to consider include:
* Who is most likely to interface with the bot: an adult consumer or a minor?
* What is the bot's primary purpose: business or social?
* When would a user be aware that they're conversing with a bot: immediately or upon further investigation?
* Where does the bot reside: on a commercial-facing website or on a social platform?
* Why would someone engage the chatbot: to solve a business issue or to delve into emotionally sensitive topics?
* How does the chatbot present itself to the public: clearly as a machine or masquerading as a person?
Answering these questions will help determine whether an organization's bot falls under the purview of an "AI Companion Chatbot" - and is thus subject to HB 2225 - or is exempted as a narrowly focused business tool.
4 Action Steps for Employers
Regardless of whether your business is subject to Washington's new law, any entity that uses chatbots should consider following best practices:
* Monitor inputs that go into "teaching" the bot to ensure that a business-focused bot does not morph into a companion bot.
* Maintain awareness of user profiles (adults versus minors).
* Filter out your bot's ability to engage in triggering conversations (about suicide, sexually explicit topics, etc.).
* Schedule regular reviews of your bot's capabilities and usage to maintain compliance with regulations and best practices.
Conclusion
Fisher Phillips will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as warranted, so make sure you are subscribed to Fisher Phillips' Insight System to get the most up-to-date information direct to your inbox. If you have questions, please contact your Fisher Phillips attorney, the authors of this Insight, or any member of our AI, Data, and Analytics Practice Group.
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Related People
Logan S. Booth, CIPP/US
Of Counsel
lbooth@fisherphillips.com
720.644.2889
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Usama Kahf, CIPP/US
Partner
ukahf@fisherphillips.com
949.798.2118
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Original text here: https://www.fisherphillips.com/en/insights/insights/controlling-companion-chatbots-washingtons-new-law
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
