Mergers & Acquisitions

Expert Analysis

• Law Firms, Know Who's Responsible For Your Cloud Security

  

  Lawyers generally know that files go into the cloud and that the files are then secured and protected, but it's necessary for firms to take a closer look at their cloud supply chain and then come up with a responsibility matrix that helps mitigate any potential risks or weaknesses, says Martin Ward at iManage.

• Benefits For Law Firms Venturing Into New Services

  

  By offering more services, law firms can deepen and strengthen their client relationships and truly become an extension of their clients' teams while generating new revenue streams, and while there are risks associated with expanding into consulting, they may be worth it, says Lou Ramos at Major Lindsey.

• New FTC Mergers Approach Raises Risks For Buyers, Sellers

  

  In rescinding a 1995 policy statement last week, the Federal Trade Commission likely seeks to more regularly impose "prior approval" obligations for future transactions in its merger cases, which changes the risk profile for buyers and sellers negotiating antitrust provisions in deal agreements, say Jon Dubrow and Noah Feldman Greene at McDermott.

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  Embracing ESG: Exelon GC Talks Diversity Initiatives

  

  Executing a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion programming, through recruitment, inclusive legal pipelines and community empowerment via pro bono efforts, can ensure a strong environmental, social and governance proposition, says Gayle Littleton at Exelon.

• Data Trends To Watch In M&A And Competition Investigations

  

  With an uptick in mergers and acquisitions and dramatic shifts in the data landscape, practitioners need to understand the myriad emerging trends affecting regulatory oversight, second requests, merger clearance and competition investigations, and avoid data-related problems that might derail deals, say Andrea Levine and Tim Anderson at FTI Consulting.

• What Food Industry Can Expect After Biden Antitrust Order

  

  President Joe Biden's recent executive order will bring an increased focus on competition law from four federal agencies, so food and agriculture companies should anticipate and incorporate changes in their standard operating procedures with respect to antitrust policy and compliance, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

• Recent SPAC Settlement Signals SEC Enforcement Wave

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent settlement with special purpose acquisition company Stable Road — and its sponsor, CEO and proposed merger target — over false representations to investors illustrates the agency's heightened focus on policing SPAC transactions and should prompt participants to ensure adequate due diligence, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

• Revamping Law Firm Marketing Lists — With Partner Buy-In

  

  Jackson Lewis’ Paige Bowser shares lessons from the firm's recent overhaul of an outdated email marketing database, including tips for getting partners on board, ensuring compliance with privacy laws and augmenting outreach strategies.

• First 2021 Corporate FCPA Case Offers Compliance Reminders

  

  Foster Wheeler's recent Foreign Corrupt Practices Act settlement — the first corporate enforcement action since President Joe Biden took office — highlights the FCPA risks related to public contracting and tenders, the use of third-party agents, successor liability following M&A activity, and the U.S. authorities' aggressive assertion of jurisdiction in international corruption cases, says Robert Johnston Jr. at Lowenstein Sandler.

• The Murky World Of Legal Rankings Gets Some Clarity In NJ

  

  New Jersey's new, stringent approach to legal rankings will make accolade advertising more transparent, benefiting both attorneys and clients and offering legal marketers a new set of best practices amid evolving standards, say Penny Paul at Lowenstein Sandler and Susan Peters at Greybridge.

• Biden Competition Order May Shift Ocean Carriers' Course

  

  President Joe Biden's recent executive order on promoting competition in the American economy has the potential to reshape the shipping business and could mark the beginning of a significant move to increase regulation against unfair, unreasonable and anti-competitive practices by ocean carriers, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

• Awaiting High Court Answer On Post-Cyan Discovery Issue

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court’s forthcoming decision in Pivotal Software v. Tran next term may clarify a question begat by the court’s 2018 Cyan decision — whether the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act’s automatic discovery stay provision applies in state courts — and thereby lessen the burden on parties litigating amid the ambiguity, says Liz Cassady at Steptoe & Johnson.

• What SPAC Litigation Trends Could Mean For D&O Insurance

  

  A look at the last two and a half years of securities litigation related to special purpose acquisition companies suggests that directors and officers insurance policyholders should prepare to confront coverage issues, particularly given the hardening D&O insurance market and the anticipated increase in regulatory oversight, say Huiyi Chen and David Kroeger at Jenner & Block.

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  Embracing ESG: Cigna Counsel Talks Employee Wellness

  

  Building employee well-being into corporate environmental, social and governance priorities required our legal team to focus more closely on cross-functional collaboration within the company and increased communication with our board of directors and shareholders, says Julia Brncic at Cigna.

• Hybrid Work Models Are Key To Gender Parity In Law Firms

  

  To curb the historically high rates of attrition among female lawyers, Roberta Liebenberg at Fine Kaplan and Stephanie Scharf at Scharf Banks suggest firms must normalize hybrid work schedules, and they recommend best practices to promote engagement among all attorneys, regardless of where they work.