Pandora Media, the popular music streaming site, has nearly eighty-one million users worldwide, and continues to generate over one billion dollars in revenue annually.1 However, Pandora is reportedly looking to sell, given the difficulties it faces in generating revenue and paying substantial licensing and royalty costs.2 Pandora is faced with increasing costs on two fronts….
Month: February 2016
The Sound of Music: One Music Giant’s Fall into Bankruptcy
Tomorrowland, Electric Zoo, Sensation, Stereosonic, Nature One. These famous music festival brands as well as the online electronic music store Beatport are just a handful of assets owned by the electronic dance music (“EDM”) giant SFX Entertainment, Inc. (“SFX”). On February 1, 2016, SFX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after reaching an agreement with its…
Curbing Arbitration
On Thursday, February 4, 2016 two Senate Democrats introduced a bill seeking to limit the use of arbitration, an alternative legal dispute resolution process to litigation in a court. Arbitration is the submission of a dispute to one or more impartial arbitrators, who typically, absent a clear case of fraud, generate a final and binding…
Alphabet Dethrones Apple As World’s Most Valuable Company – Can It Maintain Momentum?
Alphabet, the recently formed holding company of Google, Inc., has officially surpassed Apple as the world’s most valuable corporation, a title Apple has held since 2012, as trading markets closed on Tuesday, February 2, 2016.1 It achieved this with a rather brief market capitalization of $528 billion, becoming the 12th company listed officially as the…
Corporate Malfeasance- Can it be prevented?
Corporate malfeasance can have a devastating effect on many innocent people. Perhaps one of the best examples is the 2008 financial crisis, which was caused in part by bankers knowingly issuing subprime mortgages to borrowers with little to no income, job, or assets. As a result of the crisis, the United States unemployment rate skyrocketed…
No Break for Nestlé’s Kit Kat Trademark Claim
For the past five years in the United Kingdom, chocolatiers Nestlé and their rival Cadbury have been locked in a legal battle stemming from Nestlé’s attempt to trademark the shape of the four-fingered Kit Kat chocolate bar.1 On July 8, 2010, Nestlé applied to register a trademark for the four-fingered shape of chocolate without the…
Efforts to Equalize Wage Disparity Amongst Women and Minorities: Tracking Salary
Although women and minorities have broken the glass ceiling in businesses and female minorities have broken the “double glass ceiling,” a stark salary inequity still looms. In 2014, it was reported that women were only paid 79% of what men make, resulting in a gap of 21%.1 In an effort to combat these effects, President…
Revising Silicon Valley’s Tasty Tax Exemptions?
Competition amongst the high-tech players in Silicon Valley for top engineering talent has been fierce for some time. In addition to six-figure salaries and generous stock options, companies have gone to extraordinary lengths in developing perk programs to recruit and retain employees.1 In an environment filled with helicopter rides, arcades, and concierge services, it might…
Portland Housing Crisis – Adding to or Forcing out Portland’s Weird?
Portland, traditionally known for its young culture and promises of “Keeping Portland Weird,” has become a haven for young professionals seeking a vibrant culture.1. The “progressive values” of the city attract young people, as young families look for a new culture in which to raise their children.2. This movement to the city has created a…
The Business of Law Firms: Evolution Driven by Pressure
Law firms are evolving. This evolution is in response to market pressure demanding that firms do more with less.1 To meet this demand, law firms are striving to reduce costs, improve efficiencies, and differentiate from rival firms.2 This blog is the first in a two part series, examining the evolution of law firms. This first…