New Zealand: New Zealand’s Active Investor Plus (AIP) residency by investment programme has seen hundreds of applications since the requirements were changed in April 2025. In March 2026, restrictions on overseas ownership of residential real estate were relaxed specifically for AIP visa holders.

New Zealand: In this edition of the Echo, we consider the return of the Termination of Employment by Agreement Bill,  and review two cases: the Labour Inspectorate's investigation of Gloriavale, and privacy obligations when reusing employee information. We also discuss the new stalking and harassment offence, and how an employer should support affected employees.

Australia: Australia’s privacy laws are about to change again and this time it’s a lot more than a tidy-up. The exposure draft of the Privacy Amendment (Personal Data Protection) Bill 2026 (Cth) seeks to redefine what counts as personal information, tighten the rules on consent and data breaches and give people a new right to have their data erased. If your business collects, uses or discloses personal information about Australians, and are caught by the Privacy Act, this reform will significantly affect you. Public consultation on the exposure draft Bill has just opened. Read our article to understand what’s changing and what you should do before submissions close on 18 September 2026.

Canada: Join Heather Barnhouse, Partner in our Edmonton office, as she explores women in leadership and entrepreneurship, and the ecosystem that supports them. In this episode, Heather welcomes Dr. Ayana James and Megan Luu, co-founders of Straad. Ayana and Megan share the story behind their leadership and strategy firm, reflecting on the diverse experiences that shaped their entrepreneurial journeys. They discuss how organizations can build resilience, develop future-ready leaders, and navigate uncertainty through strategic foresight, continuous learning, and a commitment to meaningful impact.

On August 27, 2026, the US District Court for the District of Oregon issued a significant ruling in National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors v. Feldon (Case No. 3:25-cv-01334-SI), upholding Oregon’s Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act (“RMA”) against constitutional challenges to the statute. Following a five-day bench trial in July 2026, the court concluded that Oregon’s packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (“EPR”) law does not violate the dormant Commerce Clause or the Due Process Clause of the US Constitution.

Hong Kong: On 22 July 2026, the Cyberspace Administration of China (“CAC”), together with the Ministry of Public Security, issued the Provisions on Simplified Personal Information Protection Measures for Small-Scale Personal Information Handlers (the “Provisions on Small-Scale Handlers”). The Provisions on Small-Scale Handlers make limited adjustments to the draft for comments released on 3 April 2026 and include, as annexes, the Personal Information Protection Compliance Audit Self-Assessment Checklist for Small-Scale Personal Information Handlers and the Personal Information Protection Impact Assessment Form for Small-Scale Personal Information Handlers, providing simplified compliance measures for personal information handlers with relatively small processing volumes. The Provisions on Small-Scale Handlers will take effect on 1 September 2026.

Mexico: El 30 de agosto de 2026, la Presidenta Claudia Scheinbaum, a través de la Secretaría de Gobernación, presentó al Senado una iniciativa (la “Iniciativa”), para reformar la Ley de Inversión Extranjera (la “LIE”).

Mexico: On August 30, 2026, President Claudia Sheinbaum, through the Ministry of the Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación), submitted to the Senate a bill of amendment (the “Bill”) proposing amendments to the Foreign Investment Law (Ley de Inversión Extranjera, the “LIE”).

Canada: This Insight summarizes the current activism landscape, recent regulatory and judicial developments and the defensive tools available to Canadian boards.

Hong Kong: On 25 August 2026, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data ("PCPD") published Artificial Intelligence: Model Personal Data Protection Framework — Protecting Personal Data Privacy in the Use of Agentic AI ("Guidance"). The Guidance supplements the PCPD's 2024 Artificial Intelligence: Model Personal Data Protection Framework and provides practical recommendations for organisations deploying or considering deploying agentic AI that are "data users" under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) ("PDPO").

United Kingdom: The Building Safety Levy in England is due to come into force on 1 October 2026, bringing new costs and requirements for residential development. With implementation approaching, this note answers some of the key questions for those likely to be affected.

United Kingdom: In the third alert in our Procurement and Competition Law series, we examine the use of framework agreements, which have long been a feature of UK public procurement and remain an important purchasing tool under the Procurement Act 2023 ("PA23").

Nigeria: In 2022, the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (“FRC”) declared its intention to adopt the International Financial Reporting Standards Sustainability Disclosure Standards (“IFRS SDS”) issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board (“ISSB”) – the global baseline for sustainability reporting.

New Zealand: The Planning Bill (PB) and the Natural Environment Bill (NEB) have now completed the ‘Committee of the whole House’ debate stage. This is the stage of the law-making process when Bills (and any Government or Opposition amendment papers) are debated and voted on, part by part. In this case it occurred under urgency for some 30 hours between the evening of Tuesday 25 August and midday Friday 28 August.

New Zealand: The finish line for the Government’s resource management reforms is now in sight. The Planning Bill (PB) and Natural Environment Bill (NEB), which will replace the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), have progressed through the Committee of the Whole House and are on track to be enacted in September 2026.

Canada continues to present a favorable environment for foreign direct investment (FDI), supported by political stability, natural resource endowments and a sound financial system.

Canada: Oakville became the first Ontario municipality to impose a temporary moratorium on data centre development, just days before the Province of Ontario released its Data Centre Playbook.

Welcome to the August edition of the Political Law Playbook.

Many employers are aware that a significant reduction in an employee’s salary can increase the risk of constructive dismissal. In practice, however, the most complex situations often arise in much less obvious circumstances. In this edition of our newsletter, we review some key principles to keep in mind when it becomes necessary to modify an employee’s terms and conditions of employment. We also examine five recent employment and labour law decisions that illustrate the evolving legal framework governing such changes.

Australia: This edition of the Australia ESG Bulletin covers the key regulatory and litigation developments affecting our Australian clients from late April to August 2026.