The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) held a roundtable on November 15 to discuss whether the SEC’s current proxy voting rules and procedures should be updated. (Chairman Jay Clayton, SEC Announcement). According to the announcement, the evidence and testimony presented at the roundtable will aid SEC staffers in making their recommendations about what changes should be made. (Andrew Ramonas, Bloomberg Law). The roundtable is scheduled to discuss several topics, including the voting process, retail shareholder participation, shareholder proposals, proxy advisory firms, technology and innovation, and other actions. (Chairman Jay Clayton, SEC Announcement).
Read MoreBlockchain and cryptocurrency are now mainstays in financial markets and initial coin offerings (“ICO’s”) are giving companies and firms a new avenue to raise capital. Within the cryptocurrency market, “stablecoins” offer a unique form of cryptocurrency to investors. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to real-world assets such as the dollar (“USD”) or gold. (Oscar Williams-Grut, Business Insider). Breaking from the volatility seen in other cryptocurrency markets, stablecoins are an attempt to combine the benefits of digital transfer offered by cryptocurrency with the stability of mainstream currency. (Oscar Williams-Grut, Business Insider).
Read MoreOn September 20th of this year, fashion industry giants Michael Kors Holdings Limited (“Michael Kors”) and Gianni Versace S.p.A. (“Versace”) issued a joint press release announcing that Michael Kors would purchase Versace for $2.12 billion. (Katina Metzidakis, Business Wire). The transaction is expected to be completed in Michael Kors’ fourth quarter, which ends April 1, 2019. (Michael Kors Holdings Limited, 2018 Annual Report). When the transaction is complete, the company will be renamed Capri Holdings Limited (“Capri”), after the famed Italian island “long recognized as an iconic, glamorous and luxury destination.” (Katina Metzidakis, Business Wire). This post provides an overview of the transaction and its anticipated effects.
Read MoreCountries around the world are being forced to decide what role, if any, cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings (“ICOs”) will play in the future of their financial markets. Russia is no exception. Russian officials’ initial actions included proposals that would prohibit private investors from investing, ban cryptocurrencies altogether, and even imprison users (Maria Prusakova, Medium). Recently, however, changes appear to be on the horizon as Russian President Vladimir Putin began pushing for legislation addressing cryptocurrencies, crypto mining, and ICOs. While the official drafts are still working their way through Parliament, the proposed regulations will allow for some form of ICOs and digital asset trading. (Id).
Read MoreVertical mergers, unlike more-litigated horizontal mergers, are governed by few guidelines from antitrust regulatory organizations and, until recently, had never been challenged in federal court. The approval of a vertical merger between AT&T and Time Warner (“The Merger”), despite protests from the Antitrust Department of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), has shed some light on merger control rules for vertical mergers. This post provides an overview of: (1) vertical merger laws; (2) The Merger; and (3) the governing principles that have emerged since the approval of the AT&T transaction. (Noah Brumfield, Antitrust & Trade Regulation Report (BNA)).
Read MoreFollowing the appointment of Chairman Joseph Simons to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), large tech companies including Google, Facebook, and Amazon should expect tougher enforcement against anti-competitive behavior. In recent years, the FTC has become increasingly concerned that these large tech companies may be violating antitrust law and limiting competition in the market by acquiring small startups or otherwise vertically integrating.
Simons’ appointment comes at a time when mega-mergers among technology companies are commonplace.
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