On July 25, 2016, it was announced that Verizon would buy Yahoo for $4.83 billion.1 On September 22, 2016, Yahoo announced that personal data from at least 500 million accounts was stolen back in 2014.2 During a merger and acquisition, both parties undergo an extensive due diligence process. Part of this process does includes the…
Month: January 2017
Conflict Minerals: A Noble Cause, a Controversial Solution, and an Uncertain Future (Part 2 of 2)
In the previous installment of this multi-part series, I briefly laid out the historical context that was the impetus for Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act. In this installment, I will describe the mechanics of the final rule promulgated by the SEC. The final rule is Rule 13p-1 of the Exchange Act, which was adopted…
A bite out of someone’s Apple: What’s at stake with Apple v. Samsung
Last month, for the first time in over one-hundred years, a design patent was front-and-center in a Supreme Court case. The world’s two top smartphone manufacturers, Apple and Samsung, have been battling since 2011 over design patents that cover essential features of their ubiquitous smartphones.1 It started with late Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ vow to…
The Verizon-Yahoo Merger
The Deal In July 2016, Verizon announced plans to acquire Yahoo for $4.8 billion.1 The announcement followed a period of decline for Yahoo, and an unsuccessful attempt to shift the company’s operation towards the mobile market. The company made numerous acquisitions, including social media site Tumblr, in an effort to broaden its audience.2 However, despite…
Uber in China, Part 2 of 2
The first part of this series explored and discussed the background July 2016 merger of Uber China and its largest competitor, Didi Chuxing. This blog will discuss the particulars of that agreement as well as the developments in the story of the merger that have occurred in recent months. As discussed more fully in the…
NYC Short-Term Rental Regulations Cause Problems for Airbnb, but May Benefit Renters
On October 21, 2016, New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law new restrictions on short-term apartment rentals.1 The restrictions have dire implications for companies like Airbnb and other home-sharing websites. It is now illegal in New York City to advertise your entire home or apartment on Airbnb for less than 30 days.2 The rule…
The Evolving Business Model of “Big Law”
In the years following the 2008 global recession, the legal industry’s largest firms faced financial difficulties resulting in mass layoffs, mergers, and bankruptcies1 In this blog post, I will discuss some of the changes that have occurred in the “biglaw” industry since the recession along with the reasons for these changes. Most notably, many large…
Regulation Crowdfunding: The Results Are In and the Future Looks Bright
Crowdfunding has become a common way for entrepreneurs to secure financing. In 2015, total global crowdfunding raised an estimated $34 billion in financing, compared to $2.7 billion in 2012. 1 With such a large impact on the economy, it was only a matter of time before industry regulation was enacted. On May 16, 2016, Regulation Crowdfunding…