Law Commons^™

Taxing The New With The Old: Capturing The Value Of Data With The Corporate Income Tax In Virginia, Coleman H. Cheeley

University of Richmond Law Review

The Commonwealth of Virginia markets itself as “The Largest Data Center Market in the World.”In 2019, the Northern Virginia market alone was the largest in the United States by inventory, with room to grow. In 2021, data centers in Northern Virginia required an estimated 1,686 megawatts of power; that number is expected to increase by 200 megawatts in the near future, reflecting data centers currently under development. For reference, in 2022, it was estimated that more than 100 homes could be powered by one megawatt of solar power in Virginia. Historically, data centers have been located in the Commonwealth due …

Covid-19 And Rule 10b-5, Allan Horwich

University of Richmond Law Review

The COVID-19 pandemic presented wide-ranging challenges for businesses. Not the least of these is compliance with federal securities laws, including the prohibition—most notably under SEC Rule 10b-5—on materially deceptive statements made to the public. Both the SEC, in its role as enforcer of the law, and private parties, seeking to represent classes of aggrieved investors, have filed complaints asserting that corporations and others have engaged in deception of investors regarding matters pertaining to COVID-19. Some of these claims relate to disclosures regarding testing kits for the virus as well as development of vaccines. Other complaints allege faulty disclosure on the …

Mergers, Macs, And Covid-19, Brian Jm Quinn

University of Richmond Law Review

The conventional wisdom is that MAE/MACs in merger agreements provide an opportunity for buyers to renegotiate merger agreements in the event of intervening adverse events. However, the experience following the COVID-19 outbreak suggests that the conventional wisdom is incorrect or at least overstated. In fact, MAE/MACs shift the risk of exogenous adverse events (like COVID-19) to buyers while leaving only the risks of adverse endogenous and semi-endogenous events with the seller. The consequence of this risk-shifting is to strictly limit the circumstances under which a buyer can credibly lean on a MAE/MAC to threaten to terminate a merger agreement and …

The Corporate Chameleon, Megan Wischmeier Shaner

University of Richmond Law Review

This Article seeks to address what is currently missing from corporate law—a clear way of determining “officer” status as that distinct legal role is contemplated in corporate jurisprudence. Part I discusses the three primary actors involved in the internal governance of the corporation—directors, stockholders, and officers—and how the law defines each one. While corporate law clearly contemplates officers as a distinct role, a quick comparison of the three reveals a failure to identify with any precision the bounds of “officer” status. Part II looks to other areas of the law for guidance in defining and identifying the officers of the …

Corporate And Business Law, Laurence V. Parker Jr.

University of Richmond Law Review

This year there were a number of significant legislative changes to the Virginia Stock Corporation Act (“VSCA”) and the Virginia Limited Liability Company Act. Part I discusses certain statutory changes related to Virginia Corporations. Part II summarizes the changes to VSCA, including changes related to ratification of defective corporate acts, appraisal rights in asset sale transactions, multiple changes related to interspecies transactions, improving and making the effect of merger, domestication, and conversion language more uniform, refining the process for abandoning fundamental transactions, regulating the second step merger following a tender offer, modifying the corporate opportunity doctrine, allowing for a court …

Partnership Lost, Christine Hurt

University of Richmond Law Review

A century ago, two distinct business entities existed that could best be defined by describing either one of them as simply not the other. The corporation and the general partnership were mirror images of one another and opposites on a spectrum of corporate governance, limited liability, and taxation. Partnerships, seen as small, livelihood enterprises between active-owner partners, had personal liability but pass-through taxation. Corporations, seen as larger, capital-intensive enterprises with passive-owner shareholders, had limited liability but double taxation. The tax distinctions survive today, but the stereotypical partnership does not; in fact, the modern partnership is more corporation-like than partnership-like.

Today, …

Private Ordering And Improving Information Flow To The Board Of Directors: The Duty To Inform Bylaw, Jennifer O'Hare

University of Richmond Law Review

It seems that almost every day there is another report of a corporate scandal at a public company. Whether the scandal involves sexual harassment by senior management or widespread illegal conduct by employees, the first question asked by investors and the media is usually, “Where was the board?” And the board’s response is almost always, “We didn’t know.” Directors of public companies rely on officers to provide the information the board needs to manage the corporation, but, strangely enough, officers may not even be legally required to provide information to the board. The Delaware General Corporation Law is silent on …

Corporate And Business Law, Christopher L. Mclean

University of Richmond Law Review

The past two years have produced a number of pieces of legislation from the Virginia General Assembly that serve to bring the set of Virginia business entity statutes up to date with its peers around the country. Part I highlights changes to the Virginia Stock Corporation Act (“VSCA”) and the Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act (“VNSCA”). Part II highlights changes to the Virginia Securities Act (“VSA”) and other statutes affecting Virginia business entities. Part III reviews two significant cases that the Supreme Court of Virginia decided over the past two years with respect to Virginia corporate law. Those decisions provided guidance …

Private Ordering In The Old Dominion: A Solution To Frivolous Litigation Or The Elimination Of A Fundamental Shareholder Right?, Rebekah Biggs

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Corporate And Business Law, Laurence V. Parker Jr.

University of Richmond Law Review

Over the past three years, there have been a number of legislative changes to Virginia's business entity statutes. In Part I,this article highlights the changes to the Virginia Stock Corporation Act ("VSCA") and the Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act ('"VNSCA"). Part II highlights changes to the Limited Liability Company Act ("LLC Act"). Part III summarizes Virginia's new intrastate crowdfunding law. The Supreme Court of Virginia has also addressed several significant issues over the last three years, including the applicability of appraisal rights in a stepped transaction. Part IV reviews several of the significant cases during this period.

Merger And Acquisition Due Diligence Part Ii- The Devil In The Details, James A. Sherer, Taylor M. Hoffman, Kevin M. Wallace, Eugenio E. Ortiz, Trevor J. Satnick

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Our prior scholarship examined the legal and technical challenges involved in modern Merger & Acquisition ("M&A") due diligence practices associated with transactions ("Deals"), given recent but steady advances in technology and related increases in sophistication seen in Deal participants-primarily the organizations or assets targeted (the "Targets") as part of the Deal, and the organizations that pursued and/or resulted from the Deal (the "Acquirers"). We then proposed a framework addressing five particular verticals of interest and concern: data privacy ("DP"), information security ("IS"), e-Discovery, information governance ("IG"), and the due diligence and record keeping associated with the Deal itself ("Deal Information") …

Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen: Battling Corporate Corruption In Brazil And The Problems With A Decentralized Enforcement Model, Michelle A. Winters

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

Corporate Governance In Search Of The Shareholder-Manager Balance Of Power, Razeen Sappideen

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

Assessing Effectiveness Of International Private Regulations In The Csr Arena, Martijn W. Scheltema

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

Managing Conflicts Of Interest In China's Public Sector: Fighting Corruption At The Early Stage, Hao (Victor) Wu, Xiaoqi (Claudia) Sun

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

Corporate And Business Law, Laurence V. Parker Jr.

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Issuing New Shares And Preemptive Rights: A Comparative Analysis, Marco Ventoruzzo

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Issues, Mike Koehler

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

This article provides an overview of 2012 Foreign Corrupt Practice Act enforcement and examines the top FCPA issues from the year. The goal of the article is to place FCPA enforcement in better context and provide readers a more informed base in analyzing enforcement trends, assess- ing enforcement agency rhetoric and policy positions, and in sifting through the mounds of information disseminated by FCPA Inc.

Business Insolvency And The Irish Debt Crisis, Paul B. Lewis

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

Introduction: Contains Cover, Table Of Contents, Letter From The Editor, And Masthead, Joel Hermsdorfer

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology is proud to present its Annual Survey issue of the 2011-2012 academic year.

Corporate And Business Law, Laurence V. Parker

University of Richmond Law Review

In the 2011 session, the Virginia General Assembly passed House Bill 2358, Benefit Corporations, to be codified as article 22 (the "Benefit Corporations Article") of the Virginia Stock Corporation Act ("VSCA"). The Benefit Corporations Article is largely based on legislation prepared in other states and allows a Virginia corporation to elect in its articles of incorporation to be treated as a "benefit corporation." These for-profit corporations are required to pursue not only profitability but also a general public benefit and, if one so elects, one or more specific public benefits. In Section II of this article, the author discusses the …

The Future Of Hedge Fund Regulation: A Comparative Approach: United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, And Germany, Anne Riviere

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

Stakeholder Theory In Corporate Law: Has It Got What It Takes?, Andrew Keay

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

There has been much debate for many years regarding what should be the objective of the large public corporation. This issue is important for a number of reasons, not least of which is that the theory nominated will underpin corporate governance and dictate, to a large extent, the kind of corporate governance system that will exist. As far as the corporation’s objective is concerned, two theories have been dominant: the shareholder primacy theory and the stakeholder theory. The former is operative in what I will call “Anglo-American jurisdictions,” namely jurisdictions that model their law and practice on one or both …

Congress, Corporate Boards, And Oversight: A Public Law/Private Law Comparison, Paul S. Miller

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Corporate And Business Law, Laurence V. Parker

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Corporate Privacy Trend: The “Value” Of Personally Identifiable Information (“Pii”) Equals The “Value” Of Financial Assets, John T. Soma, J. Zachary Courson, John Cadkin

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Corporate America’s increasing dependence on the electronic use of personally identifiable information (“PII”) necessitates a reexamination and expansion of the traditional conception of corporate assets. PII is now a commodity that companies trade and sell. As technological development increases, aspects of day-to-day business involving PII are performed electronically in a more cost effective and efficient manner. PII, which companies obtain at little cost, has quantifiable value that is rapidly reaching a level comparable to the value of traditional financial assets.

Electronic Discovery In Large Organizations, Jason Fliegel, Robert Entwisle

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The continuing expansion and virtually limitless array of technology and media available to store electronic information has had an immeasurable impact on the amount of information large organizations create and maintain. In many instances, this information continues to be available long after it has served the originator’s purposes. Yet, such information is not exempt from discovery in litigation, and attempting to identify, preserve, collect, review, and produce that information results in a significant burden on litigants, while the failure to do so can result in draconian sanctions or adverse publicity.

Branding The Small Wonder: Delaware's Dominance And The Market For Corporate Law, Omari Scott Simmons

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Universal Corporation Business Overview: Presentation To The University Of Richmond And Questions With Preston Wigner, General Counsel, Christopher L. Rathlev

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

George C. Freeman, III presented a business overview of Universal Corporation at the University of Richmond on September 5, 2007. Prior to joining Universal Leaf Tobacco Company in 1997, Mr. Freeman served as a law clerk for the Honorable Richard S. Arnold, Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and for the Honorable Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He also spent time as an associate with Hunton & Williams, an international law firm. Mr. Freeman was elected General Counsel and Secretary of Universal Corporation in February 2001 and Vice …

Reconciling Shareholder Limited Liability With Vicarious Copyright Liability: Holding Parent Corporations Liable For The Copyright Infringement Of Subsidiaries, Joshua M. Siegel

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.