Guinness isn’t the only reason to go to Ireland anymore. Ireland’s status as a tax haven has continued to attract companies who are unhappy with America’s sky-high corporate tax rate. With another major US corporation moving overseas through a merger, American politicians are forced to reevaluate corporate tax policy in order to maintain its tax…
Month: February 2016
The Modern Merger
The business world welcomed news of Pfizer’s plans to acquire Allergen in a $160 billion deal.1. The merger not only represents the biggest pharmaceutical merger of all time, but is also viewed as an indication that the business world is back on its feet as deal activity is surpassing all pre-recession metrics.2. While many positives…
U.S. v. Apple: Was the Second Circuit Wrong in a Novel Antitrust Case?
On June 30, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that Apple Inc. had violated the Sherman Antitrust Act by conspiring to fix prices for e-books with the six largest U.S. publishers.1 The case was, at heart, a question of “whether the vertical organizer of a horizontal conspiracy” to fix prices…
Drivers v. Uber – An Employment Law Challenge
Despite its mass appeal and outstanding business prospects1, ridesharing platform Uber continues to face regulatory and legal hurdles that threaten to upend its business model. In this blog, I offer a primer of the most significant challenge Uber faces in the United States, a class action battle against their drivers. Unlike traditional taxicab companies which…
Sound Recording Feedback: Efficiency Noise
In my prior post, I argued that the limited nature of the sound recording copyright has had adverse effects on the scope of protection for other copyrights.1 The copyright act defines a sound recording in terms of the process of fixation, not in terms of substantive expression.2 In response, courts developed bright-line rules towards copying…
Coffee Company Involved in Bold “Pump-and-Dump” Scheme
Last month, the SEC filed charges against the former CEO of Jammin’ Java, Shane Whittle.1 Jammin’ Java Corp., doing business as Marley Coffee, is a publicly traded U.S.-based coffee company listed on OTC exchanges.2 The SEC complaint, filed in the Central District of California, accuses Whittle and several accomplices of running a bold and intricate…