Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 13 of 13
Full-Text Articles in Law
Addressing Gaps In The Dodd-Frank Act: Directors' Risk Management Oversight Obligations, Kristin N. Johnson
Addressing Gaps In The Dodd-Frank Act: Directors' Risk Management Oversight Obligations, Kristin N. Johnson
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
In the years leading to the recent financial crisis, finance theorists introduced innovative methods, including quantitative financial models and derivative instruments, to measure and mitigate risk exposure. During the financial crisis, financial institutions facing insolvency revealed pervasive misunderstandings, misapplications, and mistaken assumptions regarding these complex risk management methods. As losses in financial markets escalated and caused liquidity and solvency crises, commentators sharply criticized directors and executives at large financial institutions for their risk management decisions. By adopting the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Congress directly and indirectly addresses certain risk management oversight concerns at large, complex financial …
The Federal Common Law Of Vicarious Fiduciary Liability Under Erisa, Colleen E. Medill
The Federal Common Law Of Vicarious Fiduciary Liability Under Erisa, Colleen E. Medill
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"), the federal law that regulates employer-sponsored benefit plans, has a rich history of judiciallycreated federal common law. This Article explores the theoretical, policy, statutory, and stare decisis grounds for the development of another area offederal common law under ERISA-the incorporation of respondeat superior liability principles to impose ERISA fiduciary liability ("vicarious fiduciary liability") upon a corporation for the fiduciary activities of its employees or agents. The Article proposes that the federal courts should adopt a federal common law rule of vicarious fiduciary liability under ERISA based on the traditional scope of …
Give Smaller Companies A Choice: Solving Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 Inefficiency, Paul P. Arnold
Give Smaller Companies A Choice: Solving Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 Inefficiency, Paul P. Arnold
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
This Note argues that smaller public companies should have the option to opt out of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Optional compliance is economically preferable to the current approach of mandatory compliance. Companies that choose to comply with Section 404 will send a signal to the financial markets that their internal controls meet the high standards Section 404 demands, and investors will reward such companies if they actually value the benefit of that company's additional controls. Similarly, companies that benefit less from additional internal accounting will be able to avoid Section 404's high costs. To clarify the …
Limiting The Use Of The Rico Act As A Defense To Hostile Corporate Takeovers, Mary Ann Lesniak
Limiting The Use Of The Rico Act As A Defense To Hostile Corporate Takeovers, Mary Ann Lesniak
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
This Note argues that RICO could be a legitimate defense to a hostile corporate takeover pursuant to a cash tender off er if shareholders who retain stock will be harmed by the takeover. Part I of this Note examines the general background of the RICO Act. Part II applies the Act to a hostile cash tender offer and examines each element of a civil RICO action. Part III advocates the use of RICO's injury requirement to limit this application of the Act and analyzes the potential injuries to shareholders and management during a hostile cash tender offer. This limitation upon …
Union Representatives As Corporate Directors: The Challenge To The Adversarial Model Of Labor Relations, Robert A. Mccormick
Union Representatives As Corporate Directors: The Challenge To The Adversarial Model Of Labor Relations, Robert A. Mccormick
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
This Article addresses these questions first by discussing the predominant philosophical approach adopted by unions in their dealings with management, and then describing several ways in which the labor laws reflect this traditional model of employment relations by showing, first, that the influence of unions has been limited to circumscribed categories of business decisions. The Article next examines decisions made by the National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB") and the courts that have carefully sought to separate employer from employee, assuming their interests to be inherently antagonistic. Then follows an evaluation of the NLRB's treatment of deviations from the traditional model …
Corporate Indemnification Of Directors And Officers: Time For A Reappraisal, K.G. Jan Pillai, Craig Tractenberg
Corporate Indemnification Of Directors And Officers: Time For A Reappraisal, K.G. Jan Pillai, Craig Tractenberg
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
This Article evaluates the benefits and burdens of shifting litigation risk from management to the enterprise. The Article begins by considering the nature of the legal risks confronting the corporate executive, and the principles of common law that developed to counter those risks. The Article proceeds to assess the two statutory responses to threats of personal liability against the corporate executive: indemnification statutes, and director and officer insurance. Finally, after comparing the effective absolute immunity available to corporate executives with the qualified immunity enjoyed by high-level government officials, the Article concludes that indemnification practices have overinsulated the corporate officer from …
Failing Companies And The Antitrust Laws, Janet L. Mcdavid
Failing Companies And The Antitrust Laws, Janet L. Mcdavid
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
This article will examine two areas in which the courts have given financially-troubled companies special treatment under the antitrust laws. Part I discusses the acquisition of a failing company, which may constitute a judicially-created exemption from section 7 of the Clayton Act. Part II considers certain cases involving failing companies whose conduct is challenged under section 1 of the Sherman Act.
Consumer Warranty Claims Against Companies In Chapter 11 Reorganizations, Elizabeth Warner
Consumer Warranty Claims Against Companies In Chapter 11 Reorganizations, Elizabeth Warner
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
This article examines the rights of individuals who have purchased warranted goods from a business that subsequently undergoes reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978. Part I establishes that warranty rights are claims in bankruptcy and outlines the procedure that must be followed by a creditor for distribution from the debtor's estate. Part II focuses on how warranty claims are treated in Chapter 11. Part III discusses ways to alleviate the warranty creditor's representational burden, particularly through the intervention and aid of public interest groups. This article concludes that . warranty creditors will receive favorable treatment …
Qualification Requirements For Foreign Corporations: The Need For A New Definition Of "Doing Business" Based On In-State Sales Volume, Stanley M. Klem
Qualification Requirements For Foreign Corporations: The Need For A New Definition Of "Doing Business" Based On In-State Sales Volume, Stanley M. Klem
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
Part I of this article examines the mechanics of the present qualification system, paying special attention to the problems created by a multiplicity of vague state standards. Part II discusses the historical justification and purposes of the present system, concluding that only the protection function justifies the continued existence of the system. Finally, Part III proposes that "doing business" be defined in terms of the annual volume of in-state sales. This solution would remedy the problems which plague the present system while furthering the legitimate protection function of the state qualification requirements.
Corruption And The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Of 1977, Fredric Bryan Lesser
Corruption And The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Of 1977, Fredric Bryan Lesser
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
This article first discusses the business activities and competing interests which prompted congressional action. Part II analyzes the FCPA and attempts to solve the ambiguities inherent in the criminalization provisions, thereby clarifying which activities are proscribed by the FCPA and what is meant by the Act's corruption requirement. Finally, Part III examines the possibilities for multinational agreements prohibiting bribery.
Penalizing Bribery Of Foreign Officials Through The Tax Laws: A Case For Repealing Section 162 (C)(1), Christopher Alan Lewis
Penalizing Bribery Of Foreign Officials Through The Tax Laws: A Case For Repealing Section 162 (C)(1), Christopher Alan Lewis
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
Most commentary on these congressional attempts to use tax laws to control the ethics of overseas enterprises has centered either on the effectiveness of these provisions or on the burdens and difficulties involved with their implementation. This article, while discussing these issues, is concerned primarily with the conceptual justifications and the direct economic effects of these tax provisions. The article contends that section 162(c)(1) and the pertinent provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1976 are disguised penalties which often operate arbitrarily and unfairly and concludes that they should be repealed in favor of more equitable and effective deterrents.
Employee Stock Ownership Plans, Voting Rights, And Plant Closings, Jonathan Barry Forman
Employee Stock Ownership Plans, Voting Rights, And Plant Closings, Jonathan Barry Forman
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
After examining the structure and tax consequences of ESOPs, this note will argue that ESOPs should guarantee employees full voting rights over securities transferred to them under such plans. This note will also propose that ESOPs can be used in employee takeovers of corporations as part of a plan to help prevent plant closings.
The Proposed Michigan Business Corporation Act, Stanley Siegel
The Proposed Michigan Business Corporation Act, Stanley Siegel
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
The author of this article was selected by the Commission as Reporter, to draft and revise the statute. It is the purpose of this article to describe the drafting process, to outline the general structure and to examine some unique aspects of the proposed Michigan Business Corporation Act. In this discussion, the author expresses his own views only, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Law Revision Commission or its members.