On 30 April, the UAE adopted Cabinet Decision No. (59) of 2026 (“the 2026 Executive Regulations”), setting out the executive regulations for Federal Decree-Law No. (36) of 2023 on the Regulation of Competition. The 2026 Executive Regulations replace the previous implementing regulations adopted in 2014 under the former UAE competition law. They are expected to enter into force on 30 July 2026.

Taken together, the adoption of Federal Decree-Law 36 on Regulating Competition of 2023, Cabinet Resolution No. (3) of 2025 establishing the new filing thresholds, and the subsequent adoption of the 2026 Executive Regulations complete a long-anticipated overhaul of the UAE merger control framework. These measures mark a decisive shift towards a fully operational and modern merger control regime. The 2026 Executive Regulations significantly streamline the notification process, introduce enhanced timing certainty, and create a clear pathway for third parties to engage with the Competition Department of the Ministry of Economy & Tourism (“Competition Department”) to influence the outcome of merger reviews.

More broadly, the 2026 Executive Regulations introduce important changes to various aspects of UAE’s competition law framework, including measures relating to behavioural competition enforcement and procedures. In combination with other recent competition policy and enforcement actions, the 2026 Executive Regulations signal the UAE’s ambition to bring its competition and merger control framework in line with international best practice.

This article focuses on the main revisions to the UAE merger control framework, before briefly outlining the wider changes introduced to the UAE’s behavioural competition regime by the 2026 Executive Regulations.

Continue Reading The UAE’s New Merger Control Framework: What the 2026 Executive Regulations Mean for Dealmakers

With fewer than 180 days until the midterm elections, Democratic Members of Congress are laying the groundwork for future congressional investigations in the event the party regains control of one or both chambers next year. Even as Democratic Members prepare for the possibility of winning the majority, developments such as…

Continue Reading Today’s Press Release Could Be Tomorrow’s Subpoena: Bracing For the Possibility of Democratic Congressional Investigations

On May 8, 2026, the European Commission (“Commission”) published draft guidelines (“Guidelines”) on the implementation of the transparency obligations under Article 50 of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (“AI Act”), opening a targeted consultation that runs until June 3, 2026.

The Guidelines are non-binding, but they are the first Commission instrument to provide interpretive guidance across the full scope of Article 50. They were prepared in parallel with the related, but more narrowly scoped, Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content (“Code of Practice” or “Code”), the second draft of which was published on March 5, 2026.

Continue Reading 10 Takeaways: European Commission Draft Guidelines on AI Transparency under the EU AI Act

On May 7, 2026, the Department of Defense (“DoD”) issued a proposed rule that would fundamentally expand the scope of foreign ownership, control, or influence (“FOCI”) disclosure and risk mitigation requirements for a significant number of companies that serve the national defense. The proposed rule, together with DoD Instruction (“DoDI”)…

Continue Reading Proposed Rule Issued to Implement Expanded FOCI Disclosure and Risk Mitigation Requirements for Defense Contractors

On May 7, the Colorado Senate passed SB 189, a bill that would repeal and replace the state’s Colorado AI Act enacted in 2024 and scheduled to take effect on June 30, 2026. If enacted, SB 189 would replace the current framework with a narrower statute focusing primarily on…

Continue Reading Colorado Lawmakers Advance Bill to Replace Colorado AI Act

On April 30, 2026, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced S. 3062, the Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue Act of 2025 (the “GUARD Act”), marking a significant development in federal efforts to regulate certain uses of artificial intelligence (AI) involving minors. The bill now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

Senators Hawley (R-MO) and Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the legislation in October 2025, and a bipartisan group of seventeen senators are cosponsors. The legislation focuses on regulating AI chatbots that are publicly available to consumers, with particular attention to the risks associated with use by minors under the age of eighteen.

Continue Reading Senate Judiciary Committee Advances GUARD Act Regulating Minor Use of AI

On April 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that the IRS plans to revise the Form 990 to improve transparency and provide clearer reporting on certain transactions of 501(c)(3) organizations, including government contracts, government grants, and fiscal sponsorship arrangements. In this alert, we provide a summary…

Continue Reading Tax-Exempt Organizations: Treasury Announces IRS Plans to Revise Form 990

International regulators are finalizing the first global safety standards for Automated Driving Systems (“ADS”). In January, the UN Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles (“GRVA”) approved a draft UN Regulation (“UNR”) under the 1958 Agreement and a draft Global Technical Regulation (“GTR”) under the 1998 Agreement, submitting both for adoption by the UN World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations.

Developed in parallel to ensure harmonized technical requirements across jurisdictions, the UNR and GTR are expected to be adopted at the 199th WP.29 session in June 2026. In the meantime, work continues on finalizing the accompanying Guidance and Interpretation Document. This post provides an overview of the UN regulatory framework, the legislative status of the ADS instruments as of May 2026, an outline of the key provisions, and implications for companies across the ADS value chain.

Continue Reading UN Regulation and GTR on Automated Driving Systems: Current State of Play

EU Member States are currently designing two possible new Important Projects of Common European Interest (“IPCEIs”) to support the development of AI and compute infrastructure in the EU (together the “Digital IPCEIs”), subject to European Commission (“Commission”) approval.

On 10 March 2026, the “matchmaking” phase under the IPCEI on Artificial Intelligence (“IPCEI-AI”) was officially launched in Berlin. It brings together companies whose AI projects have been pre-selected through national calls for expressions of interest (“CEIs”) in each participating Member State. Its objective is to form European consortia eligible for State co-funding under the IPCEI-AI. National CEIs in 17 participating Member States are now closed; Finland and Lithuania are still expected to launch their CEIs.

A second digital IPCEI on Compute Infrastructure Continuum (“IPCEI-CIC”) was launched in late 2025 by 15 Member States. Several of these participating Member States – including Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain – have not yet launched their CEIs.  

Continue Reading Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) on Artificial Intelligence and Compute Infrastructure Continuum

On 23 April 2026, the Council of the European Union adopted a new package of economic sanctions against Russia, marking the twentieth sanctions package introduced since the start of Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine.

Click here to read the full alert on cov.com.

Continue Reading EU Adopts Additional Sanctions Against Russia and Belarus & UK Adopts Sanctions End-Use Controls