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Full-Text Articles in Law

A Gilti Fix For An Employment Tax Glitch, Richard Winchester Sep 2021

A Gilti Fix For An Employment Tax Glitch, Richard Winchester

Pepperdine Law Review

Self-employed individuals who operate through a business entity can often dictate how much employment tax they pay, if any. That’s because the rules permit them to control whether their earnings count as labor income – which is subject to employment tax – or the returns on any capital invested in their business – which is not subject to the tax. The GILTI rules enacted as part of the 2017 Tax Act assume that capital investments generally earn a 10 percent annual rate of return. That same assumption can be used to allocate the earnings of a self-employed individual between the …


Holding U.S. Corporations Accountable: Toward A Convergence Of U.S. International Tax Policy And International Human Rights, Jacqueline Laínez Flanagan Sep 2018

Holding U.S. Corporations Accountable: Toward A Convergence Of U.S. International Tax Policy And International Human Rights, Jacqueline Laínez Flanagan

Pepperdine Law Review

International human rights litigation underscores the inverse relationship between corporate power and corporate accountability, with recent Supreme Court decisions demonstrating increased judicial protections of corporate rights and decreased corporate accountability. This article explores these recent decisions through a tax justice framework and argues that the convergence of international human rights law and U.S. international tax policy affords alternate methods to hold corporations accountable for violations of international law norms. This article specifically proposes higher scrutiny of foreign tax credits and an anti-deferral regime targeting the international activity of U.S. corporations that use subsidiaries to shelter income and decrease taxation while …


Disrupting Immigration: How Administrative Rulemaking Could Transform The Landscape For Immigrant Entrepreneurs, Tess Douglas Jan 2017

Disrupting Immigration: How Administrative Rulemaking Could Transform The Landscape For Immigrant Entrepreneurs, Tess Douglas

Pepperdine Law Review

Immigrant entrepreneurs come to the United States and start thriving companies that create jobs, drive the economy, and facilitate innovation. However, U.S. laws do not provide a clear path for immigrant entrepreneurs to lawfully enter and work in America. Therefore, immigrant entrepreneurs must seek lawful status in the United States through unusual routes. While Congress, the President, and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recognize the need for clear and accessible immigration standards for immigrant entrepreneurs, the politicized nature of immigration law has impeded significant change. This Comment details how administrative rules could offer a less politicized and …


The Ipo Crisis: Title I Of The Jobs Act And Why It Does Not Go Far Enough, Brian Howaniec Jul 2015

The Ipo Crisis: Title I Of The Jobs Act And Why It Does Not Go Far Enough, Brian Howaniec

Pepperdine Law Review

This Comment explores the brewing controversy over Title I and assesses the actual impact that it is having (and will have) on investor protection and the IPO market. This Comment argues that Title I has the ability to affect both, but, due to factors outside of Congress's control, will likely have only a minimal effect on either. Part II discusses the objectives of investor protection legislation and how previous legislation regulated the financial markets. Part III explains how these regulations have been changed for emerging growth companies under Title I. Part IV examines what impact Title I will have on …


Private Equity And The Fcpa: Deal-Making As Reform Mechanism, Thomas J. Manning May 2015

Private Equity And The Fcpa: Deal-Making As Reform Mechanism, Thomas J. Manning

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


The Transfer Pricing Regs Need A Good Edit, Susan C. Morse May 2013

The Transfer Pricing Regs Need A Good Edit, Susan C. Morse

Pepperdine Law Review

The U.S. government has broad discretion to change the transfer pricing regulations as they apply to corporate multinationals, and these regulations need changing because they give too much leeway to taxpayers and will continue to serve an important function in the division of international tax jurisdiction regardless of the fate of pending reform proposals. Xilinx and Veritas illustrate that taxpayers whose transfer pricing is challenged can successfully defend themselves using arm’s length definitions in the government’s own regulations. U.S. tax administrators should write revised transfer pricing rules that afford taxpayers less contracting freedom. They should incrementally add formulaic elements to …


Corporate And International Tax Reform: Proposals For The Second Obama Administration (And Beyond), Reuven S. Avi-Yonah May 2013

Corporate And International Tax Reform: Proposals For The Second Obama Administration (And Beyond), Reuven S. Avi-Yonah

Pepperdine Law Review

The passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (“ATRA”) offers an opportune moment to consider proposals for corporate and international tax reform. With the debate over individual tax rates for the income and estate tax settled for the present, the President and Congress are free to consider broader reforms. This paper will attempt to raise some proposals for US corporate and international tax reform, beginning with long-term options (a 10 year horizon), continuing with the medium term (2-5 years) and concluding with short-term options (1-2 years). The main proposals are for the US to adopt a VAT and …


A Proposal For The Tax Treatment Of Interest In A Territorial System, Martin A. Sullivan May 2013

A Proposal For The Tax Treatment Of Interest In A Territorial System, Martin A. Sullivan

Pepperdine Law Review

To prevent negative effective tax rates in a territorial system, a multinational corporation’s deductions for interest expense attributable to foreign profits must be disallowed. To determine what portion of worldwide interest is foreign, it is commonly suggested that interest be allocated in proportion to assets. Because it would ease administrative problems and because it would reduce the incentives to shift profits through aggressive transfer pricing, allocation of interest in proportion to gross profits would be a superior approach. Also, contrary to the usual argument, the United States should not be reluctant to unilaterally adopt interest disallowance rules because it would …


Passthrough Entities: The Missing Element In Business Tax Reform, Karen C. Burke May 2013

Passthrough Entities: The Missing Element In Business Tax Reform, Karen C. Burke

Pepperdine Law Review

Reform of the U.S. corporate tax system is again on the agenda. Despite important differences, many current proposals share two common goals: (1) reducing the statutory corporate tax rate to improve U.S. international competitiveness and (2) broadening the corporate tax base by reducing or eliminating business expenditures to offset revenue losses. Given the significance of the passthrough sector and the relationship between individual and corporate taxes, however, such reforms need to be considered within a broader context. Part I of this article discusses the growing significance of the passthrough sector, which now accounts for roughly half of net business income. …


The Globalization Of Corporate Tax Reform, Steven A. Bank May 2013

The Globalization Of Corporate Tax Reform, Steven A. Bank

Pepperdine Law Review

With the growth of multinational corporations and its effect on corporate tax revenues, it is not surprising that international tax reform is a major part of President Obama’s Framework for Business Tax Reform as he begins his second term. Noticeably missing from this and other discussions of the major structural reform proposals, however, is any mention of the influence and importance of international corporate tax reform efforts. Although the concern over corporate tax evasion is especially pronounced in the U.S., the "decentering" of multinational corporations and corporate tax revenues is by no means an exclusively American problem. Around the world, …


Application Of The Active Business Requirement To The Tax-Free Spin-Off Of Corporate Real Estate , Richard J. Albrecht May 2013

Application Of The Active Business Requirement To The Tax-Free Spin-Off Of Corporate Real Estate , Richard J. Albrecht

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


When The Government Attempts To Change The Board, Investors Should Know, William O. Fisher Apr 2013

When The Government Attempts To Change The Board, Investors Should Know, William O. Fisher

Pepperdine Law Review

In 2008 and 2009, the federal government effectively hired and fired directors at American International Group and Bank of America, without any securities filing of the sort that would have been required had a private market actor attempted to change the boards at those companies. The fact that current law allows the government to secretly reconstitute the governing bodies of multibillion-dollar, publicly traded companies is cause for concern, for who controls the board controls the company. This Article argues that, just as securities filings alert investors when private parties attempt board change, a new required filing should inform investors when …


First Bank Of Boston V. Bellottii, Corporations Right To Political Speech, Paul J. Zwier Feb 2013

First Bank Of Boston V. Bellottii, Corporations Right To Political Speech, Paul J. Zwier

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


New California Nonprofit Corporation Law: A Unique Approach , William T. Fryer Iii, David R. Haglund Feb 2013

New California Nonprofit Corporation Law: A Unique Approach , William T. Fryer Iii, David R. Haglund

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


Consolidated Edison Company Of New York V. Public Service Commission: Freedom Of Speech Extended To Monopolies - Is There No Escape For The Consumer?, Lynn K. Warren Feb 2013

Consolidated Edison Company Of New York V. Public Service Commission: Freedom Of Speech Extended To Monopolies - Is There No Escape For The Consumer?, Lynn K. Warren

Pepperdine Law Review

The author's focus is upon an opinion of the United States Supreme Court which silently extended first amendment freedoms to a corporate monopoly. The majority attempts a balancing of the monopoly utility's freedom of speech against the state's protection of the privacy interests of the ratepayers and finds the privacy interest not to be so compelling as to justify any restriction on freedom of speech. The author suggests that the privacy interest is so substantial as to be compelling and further agrees with the dissent, that because of the special position of the Consolidated Edison Company as a monopoly and …


A Reappraisal Of General And Limited Jurisdiction In California , Thomas Kallay Feb 2013

A Reappraisal Of General And Limited Jurisdiction In California , Thomas Kallay

Pepperdine Law Review

The ability of a California court to assert jurisdiction over business enterprises currently depends upon how the court characterizes the nature and extent of the business's activities within the state. If the in-state business activities of a particular concern are extensive, California courts will exercise all-encompassing general jurisdiction over the cause of action, but if the activities are insufficient to warrant the exercise of general jurisdiction, which has been invariably the case, the court will then turn to a consideration of limited jurisdiction, which jurisdiction depends upon the quality and nature of the business's activities in the forum in relation …


Employee Stock Ownership Plans And Corporate Takeovers: Restraints On The Use Of Esops By Corporate Officers And Directors To Avert Hostile Takeovers, Margaret E. Mclean Feb 2013

Employee Stock Ownership Plans And Corporate Takeovers: Restraints On The Use Of Esops By Corporate Officers And Directors To Avert Hostile Takeovers, Margaret E. Mclean

Pepperdine Law Review

In 1974, Congress enacted the Employee Retirement and Income Security Act (ERISA), which was designed to promote employee benefit plans and provide safeguards for the assets of the plans. An employee stock ownership plan is a device used by corporations which holds corporate stock as the primary asset of the employee benefit plan. Recently, corporate executives have seized the opportunity to use ESOPs as a defensive tactic for averting takeovers considered to be adverse to the corporation. However, provisions of ERISA, particularly relating to fiduciary duty, exclusive benefit, and prudence, seriously impede the use of an ESOP by incumbent management …


The Professional Corporation—Has The Death Knell Been Sounded?, Forest J. Bowman Feb 2013

The Professional Corporation—Has The Death Knell Been Sounded?, Forest J. Bowman

Pepperdine Law Review

The favorable tax reasons for incorporating a professional practice have been substantially reduced by the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act. The retirement benefits of the professional corporation have effectively been eliminated by TEFRA. In addition, the new allocation of income powers provided by TEFRA may have eliminated the tax incentive for forming a professional corporation. The professional's decision whether to incorporate his practice will now rest with his desires as to how he wishes to carry out that practice. This article discusses the changes that TEFRA has wrought, and its impact on the professionals' decision to incorporate.


International Law Of Outer Space And Its Effect On Commercial Space Activity, James J. Trimble Feb 2013

International Law Of Outer Space And Its Effect On Commercial Space Activity, James J. Trimble

Pepperdine Law Review

The United Nations, through a series of five treaties, has created a body of international space law which controls the activities in space of states, international organizations, and private interests. Corporations planning an investment in commercial space ventures must consider the restrictions and obligations which space law will impose on their activities. This article discusses the substantive principles of the law of outer space and focuses on those provisions which will affect commercial space activities.


The Proposed Restatement Of Corporate Governance: Is Reform Really Necessary?, Ira S. Levine Feb 2013

The Proposed Restatement Of Corporate Governance: Is Reform Really Necessary?, Ira S. Levine

Pepperdine Law Review

The role of the director in a modern corporation has recently come under new scrutiny. The American Law Institute has proposed a "Restatement of Corporate Governance" which offers explicit guidelines for the conduct of corporate directors. The Institute proposes to increase the board of directors' responsibility for corporate affairs by raising the board's standard of care. The Proposed Restatement has, however, been criticized by the business community for failing to take into account the realities of corporate governance and for imposing a suffocatingly narrow set of guidelines. Corporate management is not in need of reform. But even if it were, …


Mexico's Maquiladoras Examined: Are In-Bond Production Plants The Wave Of The Future?, Norman R. Gritsch Jan 2013

Mexico's Maquiladoras Examined: Are In-Bond Production Plants The Wave Of The Future?, Norman R. Gritsch

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


Corporation Code Sections 309 And 1203: California Redefines Directors' Duties Towards Shareholders, Ernest F. Batenga, Mark Willis Jan 2013

Corporation Code Sections 309 And 1203: California Redefines Directors' Duties Towards Shareholders, Ernest F. Batenga, Mark Willis

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


The Department Of Justice Merger Guidelines: A Critique And A Proposed Improvement, R. Preston Mcafee, Michael A. Williams Jan 2013

The Department Of Justice Merger Guidelines: A Critique And A Proposed Improvement, R. Preston Mcafee, Michael A. Williams

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


The New Shareholder Power, John C. Carter Jan 2013

The New Shareholder Power, John C. Carter

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


A Note On Individual Recovery In Derivative Suits, Richard A. Booth Jan 2013

A Note On Individual Recovery In Derivative Suits, Richard A. Booth

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


The Supreme Court And The Shareholder Litigant: Basic, Inc. V. Levinson In Context, Jayne W. Barnard Jan 2013

The Supreme Court And The Shareholder Litigant: Basic, Inc. V. Levinson In Context, Jayne W. Barnard

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


The "In Connection With" Requirement Of Rule 10b-5, C. Edward Fletcher Iii Jan 2013

The "In Connection With" Requirement Of Rule 10b-5, C. Edward Fletcher Iii

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


Friendship, Commerce, And Navigation Treaties: An Analysis Of The Foreign Corporation's Exemption From United States Labor Standards , Gregory S. Lane Jan 2013

Friendship, Commerce, And Navigation Treaties: An Analysis Of The Foreign Corporation's Exemption From United States Labor Standards , Gregory S. Lane

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


Decisional Integrity And The Business Judgment Rule: A Theory, Alfred Dennis Mathewson Jan 2013

Decisional Integrity And The Business Judgment Rule: A Theory, Alfred Dennis Mathewson

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.


Standing To Sue A Carrier's Killers , Davis J. Howard Nov 2012

Standing To Sue A Carrier's Killers , Davis J. Howard

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.