Corporate & Commercial

January 22, 2020

The Commissioner held senior leadership accountable for illegal “sign-stealing”, even though the conduct generally involved players and low-level operations employees. By Nathan H. Seltzer, David Berman, Christopher D’Agostino, and Nell Perks On 13 January 2020, the Major League Baseball Commissioner handed down significant punishment (including fines and suspension) to the Houston Astros baseball team and its managers following an investigation into “sign-stealing” (a practice that violates the Major League Baseball Regulations) during…

Whistleblower Protection Blog

Whistleblower still a target for the President’s defense team

By Tinker Ready

January 22, 2020

“This all supposedly started because of a whistleblower,” President Trump’s attorney Jay Sekulow said Tuesday during the first day of the Senate impeachment trial. “Where is that whistleblower?” he added as he closed his notebook and walked away from the Senate podium. Whether you think that’s blaming the messenger or not, the reality is the Ukraine whistleblower’s job is done. The whistleblower, is however, still a target. Over the weekend, another of the president’s lawyers,…

Blockchain and the Law

SEC Swings Into 2020, Warning Investors of Initial Exchange Offerings

By Allen S. Li

January 22, 2020

The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy issued an alert on January 14, 2020, warning investors of initial exchange offerings and the potential for fraud. This follows the 2020 examination priorities the SEC released at the beginning of the year, which touched on virtual currencies and digital assets, and signals continued monitoring of market and technological developments in the digital asset space. Initial exchange offerings (IEOs) are token sales conducted on online trading…

It’s Just Business

Special Shareholder Meetings: Where the minutes are kept, but the time (for notice) is wasted

By Jeffrey R. Whitley

January 22, 2020

Judge Robinson recently issued an order containing what may be the first interpretation of the “Special Meeting” provisions of the North Carolina Business Corporation Act (the “Act”), N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 55-7-02 and -03, in In re Matter of Special Shareholders’ Meeting of Phytonix Corporation. The statute provides shareholders with a mechanism to demand a prompt meeting on an issue of interest. In particular, the Act requires a non-public corporation to hold such a meeting…

Technology, Manufacturing & Transportation Industry Insider

Three Louisiana Juries Award Significant Verdicts in Asbestos Exposure Cases

By Nacenté Seabury

January 22, 2020

Recently, three asbestos cases, Lege, Chabaud, and Gaddy, have produced significant verdicts in Louisiana. Interestingly, Chabaud, a case of disputed asbestosis, produced the largest reported award for an asbestos personal injury claim in Louisiana history. Below is a brief summary of each of these matters.…

Retail & Consumer Products Law Observer

Crowell & Moring Releases Litigation Forecast 2020 — Learn how the Internet of Things and AI Expose Companies to Increased Tort, Privacy, and Cybersecurity Litigation

By Crowell & Moring

January 22, 2020

Crowell & Moring has released Litigation Forecast 2020: What Corporate Counsel Need to Know for the Coming Year. Retailers and consumer products company can benefit from the Forecast’s forward-looking insights from leading Crowell & Moring lawyers which will help legal departments anticipate and respond to challenges that might arise in the year ahead. For 2020, the Forecast focuses on how the digital revolution is giving rise to new litigation risks, and it explores trends…

The Federal Government Contracts & Procurement Blog

Protesting Improper Conversions from Best Value to LPTA

By Nicholas T. Solosky

January 22, 2020

Best Value and Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) procurements trigger very different bidding obligations for contractors. As I’ve detailed in this space before, Best Value procurements place limited importance on price. While cost is (always) a factor, a bidder can overcome a higher price by demonstrating its technical expertise and ability to add value for the agency. LPTA procurements, on the other hand, place an absolute premium on the ability to perform the…

International Compliance Blog

Year in Review: Developments in FCPA/Anti-Corruption in 2019

By Steptoe International

January 22, 2020

Click here to read Steptoe & Johnson’s 2019 FCPA/Anti-Corruption Year in Review. US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement authorities announced a steady stream of individual and corporate enforcement matters throughout 2019, some with eye-popping fines. Overall, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reported 50 FCPA-related actions (including 31 by the DOJ and 19 by the SEC) over the course of the year. Total fines, penalties, and disgorgement imposed in…

Appraisal Rights Litigation Blog

Law Firm Highlights Appraisal as Consideration in the US Merger Process

By Rich Bodnar

January 22, 2020

We’ve posted before that appraisal has multiple factors: appraisal can be a valuable tool for investors seeking additional returns; it can fit within a larger strategy around a merger; and appraisal itself can be a consideration for deal-professionals looking at merger structure, concerned about quasi-appraisal remedies, or those determining the mechanical steps necessary for a merger. A recent guide published by Latham & Watkins reviews the US merger process (mostly from the…

South Florida Trial Practice

Florida Lawmakers Introduce Nevada-like Data Privacy Legislation

By Guest Blogger

January 22, 2020

Via Odia Kagan, writing for our Privacy Compliance & Data Security blog: A Florida privacy bill, resembling one passed last year in Nevada, would introduce significant new privacy notice requirements for Florida operators similar to the California Consumer Privacy Act, and require giving consumers the ability to opt out of a sale of information. The privacy “notice” would need to include several items. Most importantly, the operator would have to disclose “the categories of…