Q&A: Shareholder Activism and M&A Deals in the Current Market
March 30, 2009
Page Davidson is a member of the Transactional Corporate and Securities Practice of the Nashville-based firm Bass Berry & Sims PLC. In this interview, Mr. Davidson discusses the increased role that shareholder activists play in M&A deals, how corporate counsel can develop a productive working relationship with shareholder activists, and the current marketplace forces that have led to a chain of failed deals.
The Law Enforcement Response to the Financial Crisis
March 30, 2009
As the financial crisis has deepened, the pressure for prosecutions from politicians, the media and the public has grown. In turn, federal and state law enforcement and regulatory agencies have devoted vast resources to investigating the crisis.
The Myth of Certainty
March 30, 2009
In the constantly evolving world of e-commerce, legal contracts may be no more credible than tidbits found in the muck of online fact, fiction and plain nonsense that make sites such as Snopes.com so vital to separating Internet reality from Internet fraud. The truth is that no matter how well an attorney writes a contract, or Web site terms and conditions, another attorney can usually find a way to attack what the first one wrote.
e-Commerce Docket Sheet
March 30, 2009
QVC to Pay $7.5 Million to Settle Charges That It Aired Deceptive Claims <br>Credit Repair Companies Charged with Deceiving Consumers
Lawful Data-Mining of Social Networks
March 30, 2009
Blogs simultaneously provide Internet users with social-network prospects and employers with a previously unavailable source of information suitable for employment-assessment decisions. And it's in this intersection on the Information Superhighway where often occurs a collision of worlds, perspectives and direction that frequently cripples or kills prospects, and individuals' aspirations. Employees of e-commerce companies aren't immune to such collisions, nor are agents of the companies who gather data on prospective or current employees, if they go about their work unlawfully, or in other improper ways that could lead to legal or other types of regulatory action.
Opinion: Supreme Court Botches Preemption Case
March 30, 2009
The Supreme Court handed down its decision last month in the case of <i>Wyeth v. Levine</i>, ruling that federal law did not bar plaintiff Diana Levine from suing pharmaceutical maker Wyeth over allegedly insufficient drug safety warnings, even though the warnings had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This decision establishes the troubling precedent that a sympathetic jury can now supersede the expert opinions of the FDA on what qualifies as adequate safety labeling.
Real Estate Downturn Causes Lawyers to Adapt
March 27, 2009
Now faced with such a dramatic and sudden change, real estate attorneys are left wondering what to do. The transactional practice that was so good to so many for so long is no longer there. A look at how these attorneys can redirect the focus of their practices to adapt to the changing times.
Counseling Franchises During the Recession
March 26, 2009
These are extremely trying times for all businesses, including franchisors, seeking to survive through this recession. It is imperative that franchisors demonstrate leadership in preserving their franchise systems, but fault lines undoubtedly will emerge. In this environment, much pressure will fall on the shoulders of franchisor's counsel to guide clients to achieve their goals.
