Uber, the smartphone-based ridesharing service long known for operating in the face of unknown legal consequences while daring regulators to bring legal action,1 may be adopting a new approach. Instead of facing regulators with defiance, the company has started to push for new laws that would bring its services into a clearer status of legality.2 …
Category: Blog Articles
HP to Grow Networking Business Through Aruba Networks Acquisition
In its first major transaction since announcing plans to split itself into two last year, Hewlett-Packard agreed to buy Aruba Networks on March 2, 2015.1 The deal, which is expected to close in the second half of this year, is valued at $3 billion, or $2.7 billion net of cash and debt.2 Aruba Networks, based…
SEC’s increasing use of administrative law courts
The SEC’s increasing use of administrative law courts for trying cases has raised eyebrows throughout the legal community. In light of recent high-profile acquittals in federal district courts, the SEC has brought more actions before its administrative courts, with a 10% increase in the last year alone.1. Evidence suggests that the choice of forum has…
Amid Widespread Opposition and Regulatory Scrutiny, Comcast-Time Warner Cable Merger Lingers
Nearly a year after it was first agreed upon, a proposed merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable (TWC) remains clouded with uncertainty. Like an overzealous bride and groom awaiting a conspicuously tardy priest at the alter, Comcast and TWC executives must receive the blessing of government officials in order to officially consummate the $45.2…
Cyber Security – The President’s Executive Order
The increasing number of high profile cyber attacks, such as those on Sony, J.P. Morgan Chase, and retail breaches (e.g., Staples and Home Depot) have made cyber security a pressing national issue.1 Many of the security breaches have resulted in the loss of sensitive information, such as credit card information, social security numbers, and internal…
The Ongoing Battle for Net Neutrality
Net neutrality is not a topic that is unfamiliar with controversy. And the controversy spreads across various different studies and disciplines—issues can range anywhere in the gamut from Constitutional questions about one’s right to freedom of speech or business concerns that arise due to unequal access to certain companies’ websites, among others. So what exactly…
Lions, and Tigers, and Tax Inversions! Oh, My!
This blog will address some potential legal challenges to the recent flux of corporate tax inversions. At first one might think that because a tax inversion may require you to pay your capital gains on a stock, and if you sold the stock you would have to pay your capital gains anyways, that this aspect…
Personal Benefit and Insider Trading
After getting more than 80 convictions on insider trading, the tide may be tilting against federal prosecutors at the Southern District of New York (SDNY).1 In United States v. Newman, a case concerning two portfolio managers (Todd Newman and Anthony Chiasson) from two different hedge funds firms, the government charged Newman and Chiasson with insider…
Increased Regulations on App-based Car Services
Uber, the fast-growing app-based car service, is becoming increasingly popular across the country and the world. Because of its critical mass, Uber is now a legitimate competitor to traditional taxi operators – competing on both price and service. But like a teenager, Uber is realizing that growing up fast can be a bit complicated. Going…
S&Ps Downgrade of Russian Sovereign Bonds
Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about the Standard & Poor downgrade of Russian bonds. But, does it really matter? What do credit ratings of bonds even mean? Let’s start with the basics. What is a bond? Bonds are a form of loan, which are a form of debt.1 To create a bond,…