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Asset Management
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September 09, 2024
SEC Fines 9 Advisers $1.24M Over Marketing Rule Violations
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Monday that nine investment advisory firms have agreed to pay $1.24 million in combined penalties to settle allegations that they violated the agency's so-called marketing rule by advertising misleading endorsements and third-party ratings.
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September 09, 2024
BAE Defeats ERISA Suit Over Abandoned Retirement Funds
A Virginia federal judge tossed a BAE Systems Inc. employee's suit claiming the company skirted federal benefits law by using forfeited funds in its retirement plan to pay off its contribution responsibilities, stating the plan's own documents required the company to use the funds this way.
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September 09, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Delaware's Court of Chancery made some expensive decisions last week, ranging from a $130 million stockholder award and a freeze on $450 million in equity financing to a whopping $1 billion bill for fraud and breach of contract damages. New cases aimed at Virgin Galactic, settlements pulled in Hemisphere Media Group Inc. and court hearings involving Apollo Global Management heated up. In case you missed it, here's the roundup of news from Delaware's Court of Chancery.
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September 09, 2024
DOL Issues Updated Cybersecurity Guidance For ERISA Plans
The U.S. Department of Labor released new cybersecurity guidance applicable to the full gamut of retirement plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, offering advice on topics including hiring service providers and best practices for keeping workers' information safe.
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September 09, 2024
Five Point Energy Clinches 4th Fund With $1.4B In Tow
Sustainable infrastructure-focused private equity shop Five Point Energy LLC on Monday announced that it clinched its fourth fund above target after securing $1.4 billion from investors.
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September 09, 2024
Squarespace Gets 'Best And Final' $7.2B Offer From Permira
Squarespace Inc. said Monday that it has agreed to amend a previous take-private buyout agreement with Permira, bumping up the aggregate transaction value by $300 million to approximately $7.2 billion.
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September 06, 2024
7th Circ. Backs Bulk Of CFTC's Fraud Claim Win Against CEO
The Seventh Circuit has largely upheld a win for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, finding that the head of a Chicago-based brokerage conducted a multimillion-dollar options fraud scheme, but remanded on two claims related to whether the company was required to register as a commodity trading adviser.
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September 06, 2024
Fed's Barr To Give Sneak Peek Of Revised Basel III Plan
The Federal Reserve's vice chair for supervision will preview revisions to a scaled-back version of the controversial Basel III endgame plan to toughen big-bank capital requirements at a Brookings Institution event on Tuesday.
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September 06, 2024
Investment Co. Appeals Sanction In Highland Ch. 11
An alternative investment company has asked a Texas federal court to overturn a sanctions order it received in defunct hedge fund Highland Capital's Chapter 11 case after the bankruptcy court concluded that it filed a claim in bad faith.
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September 06, 2024
4 ERISA Arguments To Watch In September
The Ninth Circuit will weigh two cases involving whether class claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act can be forced into solo arbitration, and the Second Circuit will hear Yale University workers' bid to revive their retirement plan mismanagement suit. Here are four upcoming oral argument sessions that benefits attorneys should have on their radar.
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September 06, 2024
Renewable Energy Biz Goes Public Via $386M SPAC Merger
Renewable energy company EEW Renewables Ltd., advised by Seward & Kissel LLP, on Friday announced plans to go public by merging with Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP-led special purpose acquisition company Compass Digital Acquisition Corp. in a deal with a pro forma combined enterprise value of $386 million.
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September 06, 2024
Goodwin-Led Cancer Biotech Eyes Roughly $200M IPO
Drug developer Bicara Therapeutics Inc., advised by Goodwin Proctor LLP, announced on Friday plans to raise around $200 million in its initial public offering, with the proceeds going toward developing bifunctional antibodies designed to treat solid tumors.
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September 06, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Debevoise, Bennett, Orrick
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Verizon reaches a deal to absorb Frontier in a deal worth $20 billion, First Majestic agrees to buy Gatos Silver for $970 million, and Epam Systems inks a $630 million purchase of Neoris.
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September 05, 2024
Coinbase, Execs Must Face Investor Suit Over Business Risks
A New Jersey federal judge on Thursday declined to dismiss a consolidated investor class action against Coinbase and its executives over disclosures the cryptocurrency exchange made about certain business risks it faced, although he trimmed certain allegations deemed to be, among other things, corporate puffery.
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September 05, 2024
Ex-SEC Enforcement Atty Joins Whistleblower Law Boutique
Kohn Kohn & Colapinto announced Thursday that a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement attorney will join the whistleblower law firm as senior special counsel.
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September 05, 2024
Unconstitutionality Of Transparency Act Clear, 11th Circ. Told
A small business group and one of its members have told the Eleventh Circuit that an Alabama federal judge correctly ruled that the Corporate Transparency Act is unconstitutional, so there was no need for them to demonstrate that the law fails to pass constitutional muster.
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September 05, 2024
Investment Firm Fights Order To Return Docs In NJ Bias Suit
A Black-owned investment firm accusing BlackRock Inc. and New Jersey of squeezing it out of a lucrative contract has challenged a U.S. magistrate judge's order to return redacted emails to the Garden State, arguing that the order was made without a full written record or a requested conference on the privilege dispute.
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September 05, 2024
PE Firm Argues Tossing of FTC Case Also Ends Workers' Suit
The dismissal of a government antitrust action against Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe warrants the dismissal of a second lawsuit brought by a Houston workers' benefit fund since the complaint is "unapologetically based" on the parallel Federal Trade Commission action, the private equity firm told a Houston federal judge in a hearing Thursday.
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September 05, 2024
Circor Dodges SEC Fine As Ex-Exec Faces Falsified Docs Suit
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday said industrial valve manufacturer Circor International Inc. has avoided a penalty after it self-reported and remediated an alleged accounting scheme, while the agency sued a former executive accused of falsifying the financial results for one of the company's business units.
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September 05, 2024
2nd Circ. Chilly To Mortgage-Backed Securities ERISA Suit
The Second Circuit appeared unlikely Thursday to revive a union pension fund's suit looking to hold Wells Fargo and Ocwen Financial Corp. liable for losses on mortgage-backed securities, with two judges signaling the risky loans the fund sued over might not be covered by federal benefits law.
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September 05, 2024
4 Firms Build First Majestic's $970M Buy Of Silver Mining Biz
Silver and gold mining company First Majestic Silver Corp. on Thursday announced that it has agreed to buy Mexican silver exploration, development and production company Gatos Silver Inc. in a $970 million deal crafted by four law firms.
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September 05, 2024
Chancery Presses Pause On $450M Bolt Financial Financing
Affiliates of multinational investors Hedosophia and BlackRock have won a Delaware Court of Chancery pause of a purported Bolt Financial Inc. $450 million equity financing that would eliminate and replace all the company's preferred stock while returning founder Ryan Breslow to his CEO seat.
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September 05, 2024
Casino Queen Strikes Deal In Workers' ESOP Suit
Casino Queen's parent company agreed to settle a proposed class action by workers claiming it cost them tens of millions when their employee stock ownership plan bought $170 million of the company's stock in an overinflated deal, according to an Illinois federal court filing Thursday.
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September 04, 2024
SEC Lets Deadline Pass For 5th Circ. Private Funds Appeal
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission won't challenge a Fifth Circuit decision that vacated its recently passed disclosure rules for private fund advisers, taking no action as its deadline to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court passed.
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September 04, 2024
UBS Financial Gets Wrapped Up In Cash Sweep Class Action
UBS Financial Services has been hit with a proposed class action suit alleging it prioritized its own financial interests and those of its affiliated banks over customers by using its cash sweep program to direct customers' uninvested cash balances into accounts that disproportionately benefited the investment bank.
Expert Analysis
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Bank M&A Continues To Lag Amid Regulatory Ambiguity
Bank M&A activity in the first half of 2024 continued to be lower than in prior years, as the industry is recovering from the 2023 bank failures, and regulatory and macroeconomic conditions have not otherwise been prime for deals, say Robert Azarow and Amber Hay at Arnold & Porter.
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Why The SEC Is Targeting Short-And-Distort Schemes
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent crackdown on the illegal practice of short-and-distort trades highlights the urgent need for public companies to adopt proactive measures, including pursuing private rights of action, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.
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Series
Playing Dungeons & Dragons Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Playing Dungeons & Dragons – a tabletop role-playing game – helped pave the way for my legal career by providing me with foundational skills such as persuasion and team building, says Derrick Carman at Robins Kaplan.
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3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture
Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.
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Series
After Chevron: Don't Let Loper Lead To Bank Compliance Lull
Banking organizations are staring down a period of greater uncertainty over the next few years as the banking agencies and industry navigate the post-Chevron world, but banks must continue to have effective compliance programs in place even in the face of this unpredictability, say Lee Meyerson and Amanda Allexon at Simpson Thacher.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents
Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Enron Law Is Still Threat To Execs After Justices' Jan. 6 Ruling
While the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Fischer v. U.S. decision is a setback for prosecutors’ obstruction charges against Jan. 6 defendants, it also represents a strong endorsement of the post-Enron Sarbanes-Oxley Act’s original purpose, serving as a corporate compliance reminder for executives, say Michael Peregrine and Ashley Hoff at McDermott.
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Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.
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2nd Circ. Case Reinforces Need For Advance Notice Bylaws
The Second Circuit's recent decision in Nano Dimension v. Murchinson illustrates that Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act is a square peg for a round hole, and that advance notice bylaws are far better at protecting against undisclosed coordination among activist shareholders, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Series
Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer
As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.
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3 Ways To Lower Insider Trading Risk After First 10b5-1 Case
In light of the U.S. Department of Justice's insider trading prosecution against the former CEO of Ontrack based on alleged abuse of a Rule 10b5-1 safe harbor plan — designed to allow executives to sell their companies' securities without liability — companies and individuals should take steps to avoid enacting similar plans in bad faith, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act
As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.
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Evolving Regulatory Oversight For AI And Asset Management
Attorneys at K&L Gates discuss the evolving regulatory and legislative landscape for artificial intelligence in the asset management industry, as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Congress consider how to address potential investor protection and systemic risks associated with AI.
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Series
After Chevron: ERISA Challenges To Watch
The end of Chevron deference makes the outcome of Employee Retirement Income Security Act regulatory challenges more uncertain as courts become final arbiters of pending lawsuits about ESG investments, the definition of a fiduciary, unallocated pension forfeitures and discrimination in healthcare plans, says Evelyn Haralampu at Burns & Levinson.
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How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.