Corporate
Trends in New Business Entities: 30 Years of Data
Insight
Limited Liability Companies, or LLCs, are now the most popular legal entity for organizing businesses in the United States, according to a new report issued by Berkman Solutions.
Business Litigation in California: Perplexing, Downright Exasperating
Insight
Archer Norris published its second annual California Business Litigation Report, revealing that corporate lawyers continue to view many aspects of California’s business environment as perplexing, downright exasperating, and in many ways more challenging than other states.
Theranos CEO Holmes Banned From Operating a Lab for 2 Years
News
Theranos Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Holmes was banned for two years from owning or operating laboratories by U.S. regulators, a major blow against the controversial blood-testing startup that’s come under scrutiny for risking patient harm with unreliable tests, reports Doni Bloomfield for Bloomberg Technology.
Energy Investors Celebrate Price Jump, Then Call the Lawyers
News
With U.S. crude oil prices climbing and natural gas gaining about 38 percent just since May 26, stakeholders in at least three bankrupt energy companies are contending that corporate assets have risen so much in value that they deserve a bigger payout, reports Bloomberg News.
Allstate Joins In-House Furor Over Associate Raises
News
Allstate’s general counsel warns of the potential for the salary increases to be more than a law firm’s cost structure can handle, leading to the costs getting passed on to clients, reports Sara Randazzo of The Wall Street Journal.
Unanimous Ruling for Beck Redden Clients Statoil ASA and Fargo Acquisition
News
The case, Brigham Exploration Co. et al. v. Boytim et al., involves Statoil’s 2011 acquisition of Brigham Exploration Company, Beck Redden said in a release.
CEO Pay in 2015 Tamed by Bond Yields, Fed Expectations
News
Chief executives of the biggest U.S. corporations saw their pay rise in 2015 at the slowest rate in seven years, but it’s not because their boards were suddenly getting tough, according to a study by ISS Corporate Solutions and reported by Reuters.
Kirkland Counsels TSSP on Hunt Oil Deal to Develop Midland Basin Acreage
News
Kirkland & Ellis LLP announced that it advised TSSP, a leading special situations investment platform of TPG, on its agreement with Hunt Oil Co., a privately held oil and gas exploration and production company, to develop certain of Hunt Oil’s assets in the Midland Basin in Texas.
Options to Acquire: How These Acquisition Strategies Differ from a Traditional Purchase
Article
While options to acquire are fairly common in the medical device and life sciences industries, the option also provides attractive opportunities for funds and companies in other industries as well, as a way to get an inside track on new technology, Cooley M&A writes.
Governance Challenges 2016: M&A Oversight
White Paper
The NACD report addresses the importance of early board engagement in strategy, the need for proactive dialogue with all key stakeholders, and the imperative to balance short-term and long-term goals throughout the M&A process.
A Better D&O Questionnaire – Learn How
White Paper
The Center for Board Excellence is offering a free whitepaper that describes moving the directors and officers questionnaire process to a dynamic online system.
A Guide for the Public Company Compensation Committee
Article
In the post Compensation Season 2016, the authors identified key considerations for compensation committees in the upcoming compensation season.
Viacom Board Members Vow to Fight Removal Attempt
News
Gearing up for a battle for control of media company Viacom, board members took the unusual step of vowing to fight an expected campaign by Sumner Redstone and his family to shake up the board, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Compliance Metrics and Dashboards: Building Your Case
Article
A company will want to be able to demonstrate that it is creditworthy under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines to benefit from penalty reductions, and more importantly to avoid indictment altogether.
China’s Huawei Files Patent Suits Against Samsung Over Smartphone Tech
News
Huawei Technologies sued Samsung Electronics on claims of infringement of smartphone patents, the Chinese firm’s first intellectual property challenge against the world’s top mobile maker, reports Reuters.
Americans and CEO Pay: 2016 Public Perception Survey on CEO Compensation
Article
The Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University recently conducted a nationwide survey of 1,202 individuals to understand public perception of CEO pay levels among the 500 largest publicly traded corporations.
America’s Top CEOs Pocket 340 Times More Than Average Workers
News
The top 500 chief executive officers in American companies earned 340 times the average worker’s wage last year, taking home $12.4m on average, according to an analysis by the AFL-CIO, reports The Guardian.
Wal-Mart Wins Dismissal of Mexico Bribery Lawsuit
News
A Delaware judge has dismissed a lawsuit by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. shareholders who accused the board of the world’s largest retailer of trying to cover up bribes paid by company executives in Mexico, according to a report by Reuters.
Foley Boosts Corporate Practice in Chicago
News
Foley & Lardner LLP announced that Lou Cohen and Elgie Sims Jr. have joined the firm’s Business Law Department as of counsel in the Chicago office.
Top Hourly Rates for Some BigLaw Partners Have Reached $2K, Survey Finds
News
Some U.S. companies are now paying a top hourly rate of $2,000 to partners at the country’s biggest law firms, according to a report on a survey released by BTI Consulting Group.
