Sky Blog
Critics lament that with Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., the Supreme Court further expanded corporate personhood powers. My forthcoming article offers an alternative reading. It suggests that Hobby Lobby might actually provide a tool for limiting previously recognized corporate …
On July 17, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “FRB”) released a notice of proposed rulemaking (the “NPR” and the rules set forth therein, the “Proposed Rule”) that would modify …
The Dodd-Frank Act charged the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with ensuring that consumers “understand the costs, benefits, and risks” associated with financial products and services. Despite this ambitious mandate, and despite the Bureau’s self-branding as a “21st century agency,” the …
As part of the effort to make capital more accessible for small businesses, the JOBS Act authorized the SEC to exempt annually up to $50 million of a company’s securities issuances from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of …
What role does public disclosure by a defendant firm play in the outcome of securities fraud class actions? In a recent article we study this question and find when a defendant firm discloses more via press releases and conference calls, …
Under the long-awaited proposed rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 1, 2015, generally, all US publicly listed companies would be required to adopt broad clawback policies and make new clawback-related disclosures. Although these requirements likely will …
The business judgment rule may be the most enigmatic doctrine in corporate law, but it has always performed a relatively straightforward task in the corporate governance system of the United States, namely, protecting corporate directors from liability for honest mistakes. …
On May 13, 2015, the Equity Market Structure Advisory Committee (the “EMSAC” or “Committee”) held its inaugural meeting (the “Inaugural Meeting”) at the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission” or “SEC”) in Washington, D.C.[1] Discussions during the Inaugural Meeting …
Are Dodd-Frank Act compliance costs forcing smaller private investment fund advisers out of the market? Several policy makers have suggested that Dodd-Frank Act compliance costs affect smaller firms more than larger firms and many financial studies have shown that an …
To the friends of the CLS Blue Sky Blog: The ABA journal is conducting a poll to identify the top 100 legal blogs. We would be honored by your nomination. In addition to reprinting commentary from practitioners and regulators on …
Compliance is a growth field in both legal education and practice. Overall, whether compliance teaching is geared towards students or individuals within a company, greater care and nuance must be taken in undertaking compliance teaching and training to reflect the …
Delaware dominates the incorporation market, with approximately 60% of publicly traded companies in the United States incorporated there, including 63% of the Fortune 500 companies. Over 90% of companies that incorporate outside of their principal state of operations make Delaware …
On July 25, 2015, Judge Barbara Lynn of the Northern District of Texas issued a formative opinion in the class actions securities arena. The case, The Erica P. John Fund, Inc., et al. v. Halliburton Co., et al., No. …
The role of money and business interests in politics continues to stir controversy. As the nation begins another presidential cycle that is expected to break spending records, we will likely hear analysts argue that the Supreme Court’s decision five years …
When a board of directors resolves to sell the corporation, it must structure the sale so as to obtain the highest price reasonably available. In the landmark case Revlon, Inc. v. MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings, Inc., the Delaware Supreme …
On July 2, 2015, in Hill International, Inc. v. Opportunity Partners L.P., No. 305, 2015, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed a Court of Chancery decision that Opportunity Partnership L.P. (the “Fund”), a stockholder in Hill International, Inc. (“Hill” or …
Can stock exchanges adapt to the challenges of today’s capital markets? As “self-regulatory organizations,” U.S. stock exchanges once enjoyed a nearly exclusive role in coordinating information and trading through interwoven regulatory, mutual, and commercial arrangements with public companies, brokers, and …
In United States v. Newman, 773 F.3d 438 (2nd Cir. 2014), the Second Circuit overturned the insider trading convictions of two hedge fund managers who received material nonpublic information from public companies via an extended tipping chain. The …
On June 5, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) entered into settled administrative cease-and-desist proceedings with Computer Sciences Corporation (“CSC”) and some of its former executives due to the company’s alleged manipulation of financial results and concealment of problems …