On 10 January 2024, K2 Integrity and Schulte Roth & Zabel hosted a webinar on the state of corporate activism across various regions. Jason Wright, senior managing director at K2 Integrity, moderated the discussion with Lisa...more
1/22/2024
/ Asia ,
Corporate Governance ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Interest Rates ,
Investment ,
Investment Adviser ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Social Media ,
UK
2023 was a mixed year for corporate activism. Although there was a small increase in the number of campaigns, the rise in interest rates to levels not seen since the early aughts cooled the trend of M&A activism....more
Two years ago, in the before times—before the pandemic, before a painful period of racially charged protests and clashes, before the January 6 attack on the Capitol—a group of nearly 200 chief executives, all members of the...more
As the Biden administration continues to dive deeper into its policy agenda, cannabis is a topic to watch. Though the administration has been focused on tackling immediate priorities, marijuana is likely to rise to the...more
3/23/2021
/ Agribusiness ,
Biden Administration ,
Cannabis Products ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Deregulation ,
Dispensaries ,
Financial Crimes ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Hemp ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Retail Market
What happens when an investigator stumbles upon a personal detail that leads to professional misdeeds? In Episode 3 of Digging Deeper, Chris Morgan Jones interviews Lisa Silverman, senior managing director in Chicago, about...more
Coffee fans may argue that a bad day with coffee is better than a good day without it, but Luckin Coffee is certainly putting that adage to the test for its investors. We began writing about the coffee company’s woes earlier...more
Will a side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic be banking for the cannabis industry? The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a new coronavirus relief bill, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Solutions (HEROES)...more
You receive an email saying that due to COVID-19, a number of regularly scheduled meetings are moving to new dates and times. While hovering over the conveniently provided email link to your calendar, you notice the email...more
5/28/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cyber Crimes ,
Cybersecurity ,
Email ,
FBI ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinCEN ,
Fraud ,
Google ,
Phishing Scams ,
Risk Management ,
Scams ,
Vulnerability Assessments
It has been a rough few months for Luckin Coffee. The company once compared as China’s homegrown Starbucks ignited controversy when it disclosed earlier this year that much of its 2019 revenues were fabricated. Its problems...more
5/22/2020
/ CFIUS ,
China ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Financial Markets ,
Foreign Investment ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Listing Standards ,
Nasdaq ,
PCAOB ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Sarbanes-Oxley
On a Monday during the dog days of August 2019, a group of 181 chief executives signed a “Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation” affirming that the U.S.’s largest corporations have a “fundamental commitment” to “all...more
Regardless of a company’s success or confidence in its strategy, management, and board, there are few situations public companies face that are more daunting than an unsolicited approach by an activist investor. And with...more
History may view 2018 as a pivotal year for marijuana legalization. Although the year started with then U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions creating a haze over the industry and legalization supporters when he rescinded...more
2/5/2019
/ Bank Accounts ,
BSA/AML ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Dispensaries ,
Financial Fraud ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Know Your Customers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Risk Mitigation ,
State and Local Government
As social media platforms and apps such as Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, and YouTube become increasingly enmeshed in the fabric of our lives, the unintended consequences of their use cannot be overstated. ...more
11/15/2018
/ Admissible Evidence ,
Electronically Stored Information ,
Evidence ,
Facebook ,
Instagram ,
Legal Ethics ,
Litigation Strategies ,
Online Platforms ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Snapchat ,
Social Media ,
Twitter ,
WhatsApp ,
YouTube
When seasoned investigators are exposed to online scams, the protective warnings they give to others on social media safety and internet fraud suddenly become real. Read on to see how one of our own dodged an online rental...more
9/6/2018
/ Cyber Crimes ,
Cybersecurity ,
Email ,
Internet ,
Online Platforms ,
Passwords ,
Privacy Concerns ,
Privacy Settings ,
Risk Management ,
Social Media ,
Social Networks ,
Wifi
Reading the leaves regarding the potential decriminalization of marijuana is confusing and contradictory; however, one certainty is that the intoxicating combination of a cash-rich industry and a multitude of sometimes...more
6/8/2018
/ Banking Sector ,
Controlled Substances ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Dispensaries ,
Federal v State Law Application ,
Healthcare ,
Investment Fraud ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Tax Revenues
On Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s last day of work, the Fed imposed severe penalties on Wells Fargo, both punishing it for years of bad acts and barring it from future growth until it actually fixes its problems,...more
Sadly, the final days of summer are here, and many of us are trying to squeeze in that last barbeque, the last dip in the pool, and yes that last summer drink. As we savor our fancy watermelon margaritas, ginger radlers, or...more
The 2016 election will be remembered not only for the memorable presidential race but also for what was effectively a national referendum on cannabis. Eight states passed laws allowing its use. Medical marijuana is now...more
12/14/2016
/ Bank Secrecy Act ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dispensaries ,
Due Diligence ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinCEN ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Money Laundering ,
New Legislation ,
Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs)
Lisa Silverman, Managing Director at K2 Intelligence, discusses SEC chair Mary Jo White’s recent comments regarding requiring disclosures by short sellers. Currently the SEC requires institutional investors and hedge funds to...more