Option Backdating
September 27, 2006
This is not an easy time to be in the general counsel's office of a public company. The investigations into stock options backdating tend to reach into various parts of the organization, often simultaneously. Some practical rules of the road are in order, to allow the general counsel's office to spot and address the relevant issues in an appropriate, cost-effective manner.
Kick That Sleeping Dog!
September 27, 2006
Many months ago, federal grand subpoenas arrived on your client's door step. Their unexpected arrival and broad scope set off typical alarm bells and suddenly displaced a good deal of ongoing business. Your client immediately turned to you to undertake an investigation of the matter and a response. Your client's Information Services Department swept all electronic databases, and you directed phalanxes of young lawyers to conduct interviews and review documents for responsiveness. Now what?
Farmland Industries Creditors Paid in Full
September 27, 2006
Maximizing the recovery for unsecured creditors is the primary goal of every liquidating trustee. In proposing the Farmland Industries liquidating plan, the debtor estimated that the maximum recovery for unsecured creditors would not exceed 85% of their allowed claims and that it would take the liquidating trustee approximately 5 years to reach that payout. Instead, JPMorgan, the appointed liquidating trustee, paid unsecured creditors more than 100% of their allowed claims 3 years earlier than anticipated. Several factors played a crucial role in maximizing the payout for Farmland Industries' unsecured creditors; these are explained in this article.
Akin Gump to Open Beijing Office
September 26, 2006
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld is planning to open an office in Beijing within the next 60 to 90 days, according to the firm's chairman, R. Bruce McLean.
Milbank Tweed Opens Fourth Asian Office
September 20, 2006
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy has opened its ninth office, in Beijing. The firm currently has 40 attorneys in Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo who practice New York and English law.
Holding the Line in Hong Kong
September 18, 2006
Almost 1 year into his tenure as Hong Kong secretary for justice, Wong Yan Lung talked with <i>China Trade Law Report's</i> ALM affiliate <i>Legal Times</i> reporter Anna Palmer on Sept. 11 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington. <br>The 43-year-old former barrister answered questions about the status of the legal system after it transferred to the basic law of Hong Kong in 1997, Hong Kong's relationship with China and the larger international legal community, and U.S. lawyers entering the country's legal market. What follows is an edited transcript of that interview.
Multiple Reasons for Optimism: China's IP Picture Continues to Evolve
September 18, 2006
Watch carefully as China now prepares new policy guidelines, expected by the end of this year, for its semiconductor industry. Policy-makers and economists say, no doubt correctly, that China has identified semiconductors as a core part of its high-tech and overall business strategy. Tax exemptions and tax reductions will be major components of the emergent strategy, as will direct subsidies for R&D. Such tactical economic initiatives are expected to affect foreigners, including American expert technicians and corporate partners, as well as domestic interests.
Vinson & Elkins Opens Hong Kong Office
September 15, 2006
Vinson & Elkins has expanded its practice in China by opening an office in Hong Kong, giving the Houston-based firm four offices in Asia.