The United States initiated its biggest overhaul of the federal income tax system–the first major reform in 30 years–when it passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) on December 15, 2017.1 The TCJA included substantial changes to the taxation of both individuals and businesses across all industries in the United States.2 The bill, much like…
Category: Blog Articles
A Changing of the Guard at Wells Fargo—But What Has Changed?
In the wake of its consumer abuses, including the creation of millions of unauthorized accounts, Wells Fargo is desperately attempting to clean up its image and instate a series of protocols to avoid such issues in the future.1 Recently, the Federal Reserve (“Fed”) ordered the San Francisco-based bank to cap its growth and improve its…
H-1B Visas and the Irony of America First
The United States has been a magnet for skilled and talented immigrants from all around the world for the past several decades. The diverse set of ethnicities and cultures that surround us in our daily lives is living proof of this undeniable fact. Yet, as it has proven time and time again, the federal immigration system…
Foreign-listed Chinese Tech Giants May Come Back to Home Stock Market Soon
A securities regulation reform is taking place in China. The Chinese regulators are trying to entice its foreign-listed tech giants back to the home stock exchanges—the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Many Chinese tech companies, such as Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu, have earned a place alongside the most powerful tech giants in the…
Carpenter v. United States Raises Important Privacy Concerns
In November 2017, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case Carpenter v. United States. Carpenter was charged and convicted for his role in a string of armed robberies occurring mostly in the Detroit area. Investigators identified Carpenter as a suspect and were able to place him near the scene of multiple robberies by…
New York’s Highest Court Holds that Discovery of Private Social Media is Governed under Traditional Discovery Rules
Background On February 13, 2018, the New York Court of Appeals held that an individual’s private social media account receives no special protection from discovery.1 In the case, Forman v. Henkin, the plaintiff fell off a horse and sued the owner of the horse for negligence.2 The plaintiff claimed severe injuries including spinal damage, brain…
Amazon and the Uncertain Future of American Healthcare
Healthcare spending accounted for close to 18% of the U.S. economy in 2017, far more than in any other developed nation.1 “Compared to 35 other [developed] countries, Americans have spent more on their health every year since 2000.”2 But in spite of all that spending, the U.S. continually ranks below even its most frugal peers…
Uber-Waymo Settlement
The Uber-Waymo1 trade secret dispute was one of the biggest intellectual property disputes of the last few years, with overarching ramifications for the race to bring autonomous driving technology to market. In the summer of 2015, it was reported that Anthony Levandowski, a self-driving-car engineer, began asking other Google employees to join him at…
Both Valuable and Troubling: Virtual Annual Shareholder Meetings
When thinking of annual shareholder meetings, one may be tempted to think of lavish, fun-filled annual get-togethers like the type Berkshire Hathaway puts together.1 But in reality, most annual meetings are not nearly as exciting or glamorous.2 That is not to say, though, that they are not important. Annual shareholder meetings are valuable for a…
Bitconnect: A Case Study in the Government Regulation Paradox
Within the past year, cryptocurrency has undoubtedly become the hottest topic of discussion in the investing world. A “collective insanity” over cryptocurrencies has spurred something akin to a 21st century gold rush.1 This is clearly reflected in the valuation of the cryptocurrency market as a whole. The cryptocurrency market cap increased by over 3,300%…