Most Clicked PLI SmartBrief Stories
1. Woman diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome has student debt forgiven
PLI SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
A bankruptcy court has forgiven a woman's education debt, which totaled almost $340,000, because she has Asperger's syndrome. The woman, who attended law school in the 1990s and later received other degrees, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Having to repay the debt would cause the woman an undue hardship, the court found. National Law Journal (free registration), The (05/21)
2. CBO: Taxes and spending cuts likely will send U.S. into recession
PLI SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
The U.S. likely will fall back into recession if scheduled spending cuts take effect and Bush-era tax cuts are allowed to expire this year, the Congressional Budget Office said. If the U.S. falls off this "fiscal cliff," the economy will probably contract 1.3% in the first half of 2013, the CBO said. Manufacturing.net (05/22) CNNMoney (05/22) Reuters (05/22)
3. How to impress a CEO during an interview
PLI SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
CEOs don't expect job candidates to know every detail about the company or be dressed perfectly, but they do expect a general knowledge about the employer and a polished appearance, Deborah Sweeney writes. She lists other expectations such as a professional social media presence and a follow-up thank-you note. Forbes (05/23)
4. Lawyers: Significant penalties over Facebook IPO are unlikely
PLI SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
Regulators are investigating Facebook's initial public offering, but securities lawyers said the company probably won't be hit with significant penalties. "It's on the front page of the newspapers -- the [Securities and Exchange Commission] had no choice but to launch an investigation. But I'm skeptical whether anything will come of it," said University of Michigan Law School professor Adam Pritchard. National Law Journal (free registration), The (05/23)
5. Free Friday Bets the Whole Farm
PLI SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
At the free on-demand Web segment Settlement Strategies, taken from "Bet the Company" Litigation 2011: Best Practices for Complex Cases, learn about achieving global peace in complex litigation, plaintiffs' and defendants' perspective on effective settlement strategies, views of in-house counsel on achieving settlement goals, the effect of multiple parties on successful settlement, and the effective use of mediation in complex litigation.
6. Regulators look into selective release of negative Facebook report
PLI SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
Federal and state securities regulators are looking into whether Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter for the Facebook initial public offering, made a negative report on the company's earnings available to favored clients while withholding it from the public. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority CEO Richard Ketchum said the question is of concern to his agency, as well as the Securities and Exchange Commission. New York Times (tiered subscription model), The (05/22) Washington Post, The (05/23) Reuters (05/23)
7. Improve Your Mental Toughness in 2 Minutes
PLI SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
OPEN Forum blogs (05/28)
8. Facebook's IPO prompts investor lawsuits
PLI SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
A number of lawsuits have been filed against Morgan Stanley and other banks alleging that last week's Facebook initial public offering was mishandled. Morgan Stanley agreed to review, trade by trade, orders for Facebook shares placed by its retail brokerage clients. If it is determined that those clients overpaid, price adjustments will be made, said people familiar with the issue. Meanwhile, lawmakers have started looking into what happened during Facebook's IPO. Hill, The (05/23) New York Times (tiered subscription model), The (05/23) Financial Times (tiered subscription model) (05/23) Wall Street Journal, The (05/23)
9. Vulcan Materials Ruling Highlights Importance of M&A Confidentiality Agreements
PLI SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
Chancellor Strine of the Delaware Court of Chancery just threw Martin Marietta Materials a big curveball in its hostile bid to acquire Vulcan Materials when he ruled that Martin Marietta had violated its confidentiality arrangements with Vulcan and enjoined its bid. The Securities Law Practice Center shares a Gibson Dunn memo highlighting considerations that M&A practitioners should bear in mind when drafting and negotiating confidentiality agreements after this decision.
10. U.S. Senate again takes up long-deferred Law of the Sea Treaty
PLI SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Thirty years after it was signed, the U.S. Senate is taking another look at whether it should ratify the U.N. Law of the Sea Treaty. The treaty, which codifies rules for use of maritime resources and oceans, has been endorsed by Republican and Democratic presidents, the oil and gas industry, environmentalists and the Pentagon, but the Senate has never allowed it to go into effect. New York Times (tiered subscription model), The (05/23)
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