Business Organizations Law Commons^™

Front Matter

DePaul Business & Commercial Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Hearing On Next Generation Infrastructure: How Tokenization Of Real-World Assets Will Facilitate Efficient Markets, Hilary J. Allen

Legislative Testimony & Comments

Chairman Hill, Ranking Member Lynch, and Members of the Committee: Thank you for inviting me to testify at today’s hearing. My name is Hilary Allen, and I am a Professor of Law at the American University Washington College of Law. I am also a member of the CFTC’s Technology Advisory Committee, although I have prepared this testimony on my own behalf and not on behalf of either of these organizations. I teach courses in corporate law and financial regulation, and my research focuses on financial stability regulation and financial technologies. I have authored many articles for law reviews and the …

Reckless Parties Should Foot The Bill: Advocating For State Agency Search And Rescue Service Reimbursement, Anna Vanbuskirk

UMKC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Duty, Breach, Deterrence: The Ncaa’S Legacy Of Immortalizing Competitive Glory Over The Well-Being Of The Student-Athletes It Aims To Protect, Gabi A. Grillon

Barry Law Review

No abstract provided.

Alexander S. Glover Jr., Et Al., Order On Plaintiffs' Motion To Dismiss Counterclaim Of Defendant Railroad Valley Mining Company, Llc, Kelly L. Ellerbe

Superior Court of Fulton County: Metro Atlanta Business Case Division Opinions

No abstract provided.

A Theory Of Corporate Fiduciary Duties, Benjamin Johnson

BYU Law Review

Corporate law lacks a general theory of a board’s power as fiduciary, and consequently, the law governing corporate fiduciary duties is notably unstable. This Article offers a novel theory that grounds corporate fiduciary duties in stronger microeconomic and legal foundations. The theory, coined the Judicial Monitoring Model (JMM), shows that even imperfect judicial monitoring makes shareholders and boards better off, even when there is no claim of a breach of the duties of loyalty or care as currently understood. The JMM synthesizes the law governing corporate fiduciary duties and other doctrines that protect principals, beneficiaries, and creditors from the risk …

The Esg Gap, Sharon Hannes, Adi Libson, Gideon Parchomovsky

BYU Law Review

The corporate world is undergoing a transformation: there has been a dramatic influx in demand for companies to promote environmental, social, and governance (ESG) values. Yet these preferences do not necessarily translate into effective corporate actions. In this Article, we underscore the structural problems that prevent such preferences from steering the corporate ship full steam ahead toward ESG goals. We analyze the central actors in the corporate sphere that can potentially bring about such change on the ground: managers, institutional investors, and activist hedge funds. We demonstrate that none of these actors have the two central elements required for promoting …

Two Steps Too Far: New Limitations On The Use Of The Texas Two-Step To Resolve Mass Tort Liability In Bankruptcy, Samuel E. Bartz

University of Miami Business Law Review

This paper explores the mechanisms by which companies have utilized corporate restructuring through divisive mergers in conjunction with the available protections and tools of the United States Bankruptcy Code to resolve mass tort liability without placing the entirety of the business under bankruptcy. Popularized in Texas, a divisive merger is a mechanism by which an existing business entity divides itself into two new entities, allocating all pre-existing assets and liabilities to each as they see fit. Although intended to be a means by which to easily sell assets of a business, it has been more popularly used to resolve mass …

Esg Implementation In Emerging & Frontier Markets: Lessons Cultivated From Sri Lanka And Beyond, Ahmed Qaisi

University of Miami Business Law Review

Crippling debt accrued within emerging and frontier market nations forces developing governments to enact policies contrary to the well-being of their overall economies. The influence of credit rating agencies as well as organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (“IMF”) have handcuffed governments into implementing Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) policies that are unrealistic and unfeasible and have therefore caused detrimental societal impacts. This note examines how the application of ESG policies and governmental corruption resulted in Sri Lanka’s devastating economic collapse. Also scrutinized are those countries which have taken on debt but have managed well throughout …

Is Florida At War With The Mouse Or Free Speech: Understanding The Dissolution Of Disney’S Reedy Creek And The Threat To Corporate First Amendment Rights, Julia Gibson

University of Miami Business Law Review

On April 22, 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Florida Senate Bill 4C, which stripped Walt Disney World of its status as an “independent special district,” with its Reedy Creek Improvement District. The legislation was passed in response to the corporation’s public criticism of the Parental Rights in Education Act. After months of speculation regarding the solution to the grave tax and debt consequences of the bill, the Governor signed Florida House Bill 9B to reinstate the district under a State elected board and under a new name—the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

This Comment delves into the longstanding history …

Esg, Sustainability Disclosure, And Institutional Investor Stewardship, Giovanni Strampelli

Washington and Lee Law Review Online

This Article sheds new light on the link between sustainability disclosure and institutional investors’ stewardship activities aimed at promoting improvements in the ESG performance of investee companies. On the one hand, sustainability disclosure is one of the information elements that may be relevant to institutional investors’ stewardship activities. On the other hand, improving the quality of sustainability reports provided by investee companies is often the ultimate goal of investor engagement initiatives. The role of climate and social disclosure is problematic from both perspectives. First, institutional investors, especially those with broadly diversified portfolios, are unable to use sustainability information directly and …

Nutrien V. Agreeta, Order On Def's Emergency Motion To Partially Quash 3 Nonparty Subpoenas, John J. Goger

Superior Court of Fulton County: Metro Atlanta Business Case Division Opinions

No abstract provided.

The Business Judgment Rule In Stakeholder Capitalism, Thiago Spercel

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

The tension between shareholder primacy and stakeholder capitalism embodies a fundamental debate about the purpose of a corporation. These two perspectives offer contrasting views on whether a company should primarily serve the interests of its shareholders or consider the broader spectrum of stakeholders in its decision-making process, taking into account environmental, social and governance factors alongside financial performance. The Dodd-Berle debate from the 1930s and Milton Friedman’s teachings in the 1970s regarding the purpose of a corporation and the tension between shareholder primacy and stakeholderism have been reinvigorated. On the one hand, ESG considerations have become increasingly important in risk …

Give It A Nudge: A Comparative Analysis Of The Values And Application Of Voluntary Environmental Programs In The United States, Pianpian Wang

Dissertations & Theses

In recent years, companies have increased their voluntary commitments to reducing carbon emissions and implementing sustainability goals. While existing research mainly focuses on government-organized voluntary environmental programs (VEPs), exploring corporate voluntary commitments is essential. The business sector’s active role in environmental management is noteworthy. Traditionally, governments have relied on command-and-control regulations and market incentives to compel companies to protect the environment. However, companies are now demonstrating a willingness to go beyond legal requirements. Naturally, we seek answers to whether these commitments are effective, what factors can contribute to their authenticity, and how we compare these voluntary commitments to other VEPs. …

Rethinking Jurisdictional Maximalism In The Wake Of Mallory, Sayer Paige

Fordham Law Review

Jurisdiction-by-registration is the idea that by virtue of registering to do business in a state, corporations prospectively consent to jurisdiction on claims made against them in that state. For decades, this concept has stagnated behind the minimum contacts analysis developed by International Shoe Co. v. Washington and its progeny. Among other reasons, plaintiffs and states were not sure whether jurisdiction-by-registration withstood the Due Process Clause. But as the U.S. Supreme Court continued to narrow the limits of contacts-based jurisdiction, plaintiffs returned to registration based jurisdiction to recapture corporate defendants. Courts largely rejected these assertions. Then, in Mallory v. Norfolk Southern …

Getting Merger Guidelines Right, Keith N. Hylton

Faculty Scholarship

This paper is on the new Merger Guidelines. It makes several arguments. First, that the Guidelines should be understood as existing in a political equilibrium. Second, that the new structural presumption of the Merger Guidelines (HHI = 1,800) is too strict, and that an economically reasonable revision in the structural presumption would have increased rather than decreased the threshold. Whereas the new Guidelines lowers the threshold to HHI 1,800 from HHI 2,500, an economically reasonable revision would have increased the threshold to HHI 3,200. I justify this argument using a bare-bones model of Cournot competition. Third, it seems unlikely, …

The Implementation Of The Model Law On Cross-Border Insolvency: International Divergences And Challenges Ahead, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency (‘MLCBI’) was enacted by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (‘UNCITRAL’) in 1997. Since then, it has been adopted by 62 jurisdictions and has led to many debates and interpretations about its potential, scope and limits. This article provides a general overview of some of the international divergences existing in the implementation of the MLCBI across jurisdictions. It also discusses some of the challenges that need to be overcome to make the MLCBI a more effective tool to deal with cross-border insolvency.

The Harm In The Fiduciary Myth, Kelli Alces Williams

BYU Law Review

Fiduciary law has become the doctrine of choice in scholarship aiming to protect vulnerable parties from powerful decisionmakers. But fiduciary law cannot fill all the gaps in those impersonal, public relationships because the beneficiary class is large, disparate, and widely dispersed. Public leaders and decision makers cannot zealously pursue the interests of all parties vulnerable to their decision making and they are often driven by various personal interests in choosing which set of beneficiary interests to prioritize. The persistent myth that leaders of large groups are fiduciaries and that fiduciary obligation is the answer to all power imbalance problems harms …

Inequity In Equities: Spacs And The Expansion Of The Retail Market, Usha Rodrigues, Michael Stegemoller

BYU Law Review

Federal securities law creates a divide between the haves and the have-nots: On one side are the wealthy, who can invest in private companies; on the other side stand the rest of us, noses pressed up against the glass. Ordinary (or retail) investors are on the outside looking in because generally they can only invest in companies after they have gone public. Even the traditional process of going public typically keeps coveted initial public offering (IPO) shares in the hands of the rich. Put differently, even as a private firm debuts on the public markets, the wealthy take their cut …

Wright Et. Al. V. Oppenheimer, Order On Motions To Dismiss, Kelly L. Ellerbe

Superior Court of Fulton County: Metro Atlanta Business Case Division Opinions

No abstract provided.

John And Cynthia Kearney, Et. Al. V. Oppenheimer, Order On Motions To Dismiss, Kelly L. Ellerbe

Superior Court of Fulton County: Metro Atlanta Business Case Division Opinions

No abstract provided.

Esg & Caremark: Shareholders Might Lack Adequate Tools To Voice Esg Concerns And To Hold Boards Of Directors Accountable For Esg Oversight, Meryl Roux Jimenez

University of Miami Business Law Review

Environmental, Social, and Government (“ESG”) practices are no longer an area that corporations can ignore. A corporation’s failure to oversee an ESG risk can lead to a reputational scandal for the company, which, ultimately, hurts shareholders. The only primary legal recourse for shareholders to hold a board of directors accountable—for breaching its fiduciary duty to oversee a risk— is to bring a Caremark action in court. While most Caremark actions have proved favorable to shareholders in the past two decades, it is an imperfect and reactive framework for ESG related claims. Corporations are pulled in two opposite directions: maximizing shareholders’ …

Lendingpoint V. Bdo And Powell, Order On Discovery Disputes, Kelly L. Ellerbe

Superior Court of Fulton County: Metro Atlanta Business Case Division Opinions

No abstract provided.

A Legal Analysis Of The Competition And Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act Of 2021, Nicholas Owczarzak

Honors Theses

This legal analysis examines the “Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act of 2021” proposed by Senator Amy Klobuchar, which would amend Section 7 of the Clayton Act to prohibit more anticompetitive mergers and acquisitions. Senator Klobuchar and other antitrust law experts disagree with how courts currently evaluate mergers using the Chicago School of Thought, and Klobuchar sought to strengthen antitrust laws which would change the way mergers are evaluated. This bill mainly aimed to create a lower burden of establishing an anticompetitive merger, from mergers that may “substantially lessen competition” to mergers that may “create an appreciable risk of …

The Fiduciary Duty Of Dissent, Joseph W. Yockey

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Racial Targets, Atinuke O. Adediran

Northwestern University Law Review

It is common scholarly and popular wisdom that racial quotas are illegal. However, the reality is that since 2020’s racial reckoning, many of the largest companies have been touting specific, albeit voluntary, goals to hire or promote people of color, which this Article refers to as “racial targets.” The Article addresses this phenomenon and shows that companies can defend racial targets as distinct from racial quotas, which involve a rigid number or proportion of opportunities reserved exclusively for minority groups. The political implications of the legal defensibility of racial targets are significant in this moment in American history, where race …

The Impossibility Of Corporate Political Ideology: Upholding Sec Climate Disclosures Against Compelled Commercial Speech Challenges, Erin Murphy

Northwestern University Law Review

To address the increasingly dire climate crisis, the SEC will require public companies to reveal their business’s environmental impact to the market through climate disclosures. Businesses and states challenged the required disclosures as compelled, politically motivated speech that risks putting First Amendment doctrine into further jeopardy. In the past five years, the U.S. Supreme Court has demonstrated an increased propensity to hear compelled speech cases and rule in favor of litigants claiming First Amendment protection from disclosing information that they disagree with or believe to be a politically charged topic. Dissenting liberal Justices have decried these practices as “weaponizing the …

1l Q&A Lunch, Cardozo Business Law Society

2023–2024 Flyers

No abstract provided.

Criminal Subsidiaries, Andrew K. Jennings

Fordham Law Review

Corporate groups comprise parent companies and one or more subsidiaries, which parents use to manage liabilities, transactions, operations, and regulation. Those subsidiaries can also be used to manage criminal accountability when multiple entities within a corporate group share responsibility for a common offense. A parent, for instance, might reach a settlement with prosecutors that requires its subsidiary to plead guilty to a crime, without conviction of the parent itself—a subsidiary-only conviction (SOC). The parent will thus avoid bearing collateral consequences—such as contracting or industry bars—that would follow its own conviction. For the prosecutor, such settlements can respond to criminal law’s …

Impact Ipsa Loquitur: A Reverse Hand Rule For Consumer Finance, Edward Janger, Susan Block-Lieb

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.