Controlled companies and their directors appealed the denial of their motions to dismiss claims by stockholder-plaintiffs challenging the conversions of the companies from Delaware to Nevada corporations....more
These proposed regulations applicable to tax-free spin-offs would impose a range of new substantive requirements and greatly expand the information that must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") by taxpayers...more
1/24/2025
/ Corporate Taxes ,
Filing Requirements ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
NPRM ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Spinoffs ,
Tax Liability ,
Tax Planning ,
Tax Reform ,
Tax Returns ,
Tax-Free Spin-Offs
2024 was a significant year for merger enforcement worldwide. In the United States, the Biden administration continued the aggressive approach reflected in the revamped Merger Guidelines issued in December 2023. In Europe,...more
The Singapore International Commercial Court (the "SICC"), a division of the General Division of the High Court and part of the Supreme Court of Singapore, was established in 2015 as a trusted neutral forum to meet increasing...more
As the enactment of chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code approaches its 20-year anniversary, U.S. bankruptcy courts are still grappling with some unresolved issues concerning how its provisions should be applied to best...more
Reporting companies should take note of a recent clarification by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network ("FinCEN") that the Beneficial Ownership Information ("BOI") Rule requires reporting companies that exist on or after...more
While the total number of filings declined in comparison to recent years, CFIUS's latest Annual Report to Congress highlights an uptick in penalties and an increased use of enforcement tools relating to national...more
On July 8, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury ("Treasury") issued a proposed rule to expand the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' ("CFIUS") jurisdiction over certain categories of foreign investment...more
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed the majority of claims that the Security and Exchange Commission ("SEC") asserted against SolarWinds, including claims that the company's alleged...more
The Situation: Boards of directors face increasingly intense workloads, pressure to respond to developments in real time, and exposure to a higher level of legal risk than ever before....more
The Situation: On June 21, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury ("Treasury") issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to implement President Biden's executive order mandating national security review of certain U.S....more
The electric vehicle company Canoo went public in a de-SPAC transaction in December 2020. After its stock price fell, a stockholder in the SPAC who chose not to redeem his stock sued the SPAC board and its controller for...more
6/20/2024
/ Breach of Duty ,
Business Litigation ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Entire Fairness Standard ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Investment ,
Manufacturers ,
Merger Agreements ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Shareholders ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Stock Prices
On April 9, 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department ("Treasury") issued proposed regulations and reporting requirements providing further guidance on the non-deductible 1% excise tax that was enacted on August 16, 2022 (as Section...more
5/6/2024
/ Cross-Border ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Excise Tax ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Merger Agreements ,
New Guidance ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Share Buybacks ,
U.S. Treasury
On April 11, 2024, the Treasury Department announced a prepublication copy of a proposed rule amending the regulations of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ("CFIUS") (the "Proposed Rule")....more
This week, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) voted 3-2 along party lines to finalize a rule that bans noncompete clauses in employment agreements as a per se illegal “unfair method of competition” (“UMC”) under Section 5...more
The Situation: When the Delaware Supreme Court decided Kahn v. M&F Worldwide Corp. (MFW) in 2014 (88 A.3d 635 (Del. 2014)), it provided a pathway for business judgment review for "freeze-out" merger transactions involving...more
In February 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced the results of its 2023 False Claims Act (“FCA”) enforcement efforts. Through those efforts, it obtained more than $2.6 billion in overall recoveries, and of that...more
4/8/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Life Sciences ,
Medicare Advantage ,
OIG ,
Stark Law
TripAdvisor and its controlling corporation, both publicly traded Delaware companies, announced plans to convert to Nevada corporations. Shareholders sued to enjoin the conversions, alleging that the boards of directors had...more
The Background: After unsuccessfully trying to convince the special committee not to implement a plan to liquidate a business line, which the controlling stockholder believed would destroy value, the controlling stockholder...more
The Delaware Supreme Court recently confirmed that the adoption of an exculpatory charter amendment does not require a class vote under the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL")....more
In Short -
The Background: On October 10, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") adopted amendments to the rules that govern beneficial ownership reporting for investors, marking the first update to...more
10/18/2023
/ Beneficial Owner ,
Business Ownership ,
Financial Markets ,
Internal Reporting ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investors ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Regulation ,
Shareholders
Under a new U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") policy related to mergers and acquisitions ("M&A"), DOJ will decline to prosecute an acquiring company for misconduct by an acquired company where the acquiring company timely...more
A Washington federal judge dismissed challenges to Starbucks's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ("DEI") policies in a strongly worded opinion, making clear that politics don't belong in his courtroom....more
The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”) requires the most detailed and onerous ESG reporting and disclosures anywhere in the world. All told, it is estimated that more than 50,000 companies, including...more
9/21/2023
/ Air Pollution ,
Biodiversity ,
Climate Change ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Parent Corporation ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Sustainability ,
Water
The Biden administration has issued a long-anticipated executive order targeting U.S. outbound investment in certain Chinese industries; however, significant steps remain before these measures are fully implemented....more
8/22/2023
/ Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) ,
Biden Administration ,
China ,
Comment Period ,
Executive Orders ,
Final Rules ,
Foreign Investment ,
National Security ,
Outbound Transactions ,
Popular ,
U.S. Treasury