Securities Law Commons^™

Regulation S - Rules Governing Offers And Sales Made Outside The United States Without Registration Under The Securities Act Of 1933, Caroline Mary Rutherford Lee

LLM Theses and Essays

Underpinning a regulatory regime is a dichotomy between achieving certainty of outcome and achieving perceived fairness. While such a discussion may seem out of place in the context of a regulatory regime dealing with offshore offerings, it nonetheless serves to emphasize some of the considerations encountered in the following examination of Regulation S. Part Two of this thesis outlines the development of the disclosure regime that is evidenced in the United States Federal Securities Regulations and then goes on to examine how this regime, first established in the 1930s, dealt with the advent of globalization. Part Three then looks at …

Harmonizing Civil And Criminial Enforcement Of Federal Regulatory Statutes: The Case Of The Securities Exchange Act Of 1934, Margaret V. Sachs

Scholarly Works

Many federal regulatory statutes (including those governing antitrust, securities, and the environment) are hybrid statutes: their prohibitions are enforceable in criminal actions as well as in private or governmental civil actions (or both). Courts have long divided over whether prohibitions in hybrid statutes can be construed differently in different enforcement contexts. Resolution of this uncertainty has become urgent now that criminal enforcement of federal regulatory statutes is relatively frequent.

In this article, Professor Sachs argues that prohibitions in hybrid statutes should be limited to a single interpretation. How to apply this principle (referred to in this article as “the core …

Laws Governing Bank Securities Activities In The United States, Hanning Zhang

LLM Theses and Essays

This thesis analyzes the previous regulatory approach to bank investment activities in the United States and its effects on the banking industry, discusses regulatory changes that expanded banking powers, reviews the new legislation and potential problems in the current movement of financial reform, and suggests some solutions. Chapter II reviews previous statutory regimes on bank securities activities, including those separating traditional and investment banking under the Glass-Steagall Act and Bank Holding Company Act. The regulatory regime under the E.U. banking system is addressed to give an example of successful deregulation, by which universal banks may fully enjoy the rapid changing …

Securities Disclosure Regime - Challenges Posed By The Internet And Technology, Thomas Thomas Thoppil

LLM Theses and Essays

This thesis is an effort to evaluate the structural changes that have taken place in the securities market of the United States and its impact on securities disclosure regime mandated by the Federal Securities Act. Part 2 of the thesis discusses the securities disclosure regime and its underlying economic theories. This part also traces the challenges posed by technology and takes a quick look at the argument that the traditional norms are incompatible in dealing with those challenges. Part 3 deals primarily with structural developments in the securities market over the past five years by examining some of the innovative …

The Use Of Intellectual Property As Collateral: Gap In The Perfection Of A Security Interest, Sofia Benammar

LLM Theses and Essays

The purpose of the present thesis is to let French lawyers know which step they need to take in order to best assist their client in securing a more solid investment. Lenders want to be protected. Lenders want to be sure that they can use the intellectual property rights in a commercial environment free from superior claims by third parties. In other words, a lender who provides a large loan to a borrower wants to know how and where its security interest will be perfected and what is the best way for him to have priority over other claims. This …

The Legal Regulation Of Hedge Funds In The United States Long-Term Capital Management Episode, Jong Cheol Park

LLM Theses and Essays

Mutual funds and hedge funds are popular forms of investment in the United States and throughout the world. Mutual funds are regulated by securities' regulators in the United States. Hedge funds, however, are not regulated because of their operational flexibility in investment. U.S. regulators are concerned that if they regulate hedge funds, hedge funds will, along with their economic benefits, emigrate to offshore havens. However, if we consider the importance of the American financial markets in the world, this idea can be dismissed. Due to globalization in the capital markets, small events in the United States can have large effects …

Commercial Arbitration In The U.S.: The Arbitrability Of Disputes Arising From Statute-Based Claims, Sylvie Frankignoul

LLM Theses and Essays

A leading contemporary expert in arbitration has explained: "The concept of arbitrability determines the point at which the experience of contractual freedom ends and the public mission of adjudication begins. In effect, it establishes a dividing line between the transactional pursuit of private rights and courts' role as custodians and interpreters of the public interest." 1 A major part of the arbitrability doctrine deals with the kind of claims that can fall within the scope of agreements for private dispute resolution. Arbitration clauses are an integral part of the parties' transactions. Nevertheless, the American judiciary historically has refused to enforce …

Judge Friendly And The Law Of Securities Regulation: The Creation Of A Judicial Reputation, Margaret V. Sachs

Scholarly Works

Few judges are more revered than the late Henry J. Friendly, a member of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1959 to 1986. Leading jurists and scholars have described him as "one of our wisest judges," "a legend in his own time," "the most remarkable legal mind of his generation," "the pre-eminent appellate judge of his era," and "the most distinguished judge in this country during his years on the bench."

Are great judicial reputations-like great literary and scientific reputations- also shaped by contingencies? Or does the legal profession for some reason stand apart? This …

Securities Market And Securities Regulations In China, Fengxia Dai

LLM Theses and Essays

China is a large developing country with a socialist ideology that is currently undergoing a period of reform and transformation. In December 1990, China opened its first national securities market - the Shanghai Securities Exchange. This was soon followed in November 1991 by the first special shares denominated in foreign currencies and sold only to overseas investors. These important steps in the development of China’s securities industry indicate commitment by Chinese authorities to the two key components of the nation’s economic reform program - economic systemic reform, and opening to the outside world. China’s securities market and securities regulations contain …

The Value Of Public-Notice Filing Under Uniform Commercial Code Article 9: A Comparison With The German Legal System Of Securities In Personal Property, Jens Hausmann

LLM Theses and Essays

In contrast to the public-notice filing system under U.C.C. Article 9, the modern German law of securities in personal property lacks publicity of security interests. The German courts have developed a mesh of priority rules exhaustively described in this analysis. Despite the costs and risks arising under the formal filing system, the U.C.C. accomplishes a preferable balance of interests involved in secured transactions. It assures certainty to creditors about the priority of security interests in particular assets, whereas the German law comprehensively recognizes the debtor’s interest in the secrecy of the transaction and the need for external capital. Regarding the …

Freedom Of Contract: The Trojan Horse Of Rule 10b-5, Margaret V. Sachs

Scholarly Works

Before the late 1980s, traditional contract law played virtually no role in private litigation under section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and rule 10b-5. The reason was perceived incompatibility. The 1934 Act is regulation intended to supersede “the philosophy of caveat emptor,” whereas traditional contract law promotes bargaining free of regulation. In the late 1980s, however, the tide turned. Since that time, private rule 10b-5 litigation has become riddled with the vocabulary of traditional contract jurisprudence – the statute of frauds, merger clauses, attorneys' fees clauses, choice of law clauses, releases, and the formation of an agreement. …

The French First Demand Guarantee And The Standby Credit: A Comparative Study, Muriel Charreton

LLM Theses and Essays

Since World War II new security devices have evolved in both France and the United States. In France, the new device is known as the first demand guarantee. In the United States, it is called standby letter of credit. The underlying market forces which caused these devices to be developed are the same. But the label applied to the devices and the bodies of existing doctrine with respect to which they are formulated is different. In the French view, the difference between the two instruments is just a matter of different labels. But in the American view, the distinction between …

Are Local Governments Liable Under Rule 10b-5? Textualism And Its Limits, Margaret V. Sachs

Scholarly Works

Whether state and local governments can be sued for damages is a question that cuts across subject-area boundaries. This question, which has long confounded courts in the areas of both antitrust and civil rightslaw, now has arisen in a new area: section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and rule 10b-5. The thesis of this Article is that a local government is an inappropriate rule 10b-5 defendant, regardless of whether it is the issuer of the securities in question or an alleged participant in a scheme involving corporate securities. The only appropriate rule 10b-5 defendants are private actors.

The Integration Of Securities Regulation In Europe, The Interpenetration Of National Securities Markets And The Protection Of Investors: The Case For A European Securities And Exchange Commission, Karim Dh Suratgar

LLM Theses and Essays

This thesis examines the integration of securities regulation in Europe, focusing on the interpenetration of national securities markets and the protection of investors. It argues for the establishment of a European Securities and Exchange Commission (ESEC) to oversee this integration. The paper discusses the European Community’s efforts to establish a community-wide financial market by 1992 as part of its drive for a unified ‘Single Market’. It also highlights the challenges and risks of financial integration, emphasizing the need for investor protection. The thesis concludes that a unified European financial market offers significant opportunities for growth and profit but requires adequate …

The International Reach Of Rule 10b-5: The Myth Of Congressional Silence, Margaret V. Sachs

Scholarly Works

This article challenges the conventional wisdom that in adjudicating the international reach of rule 10b-5 courts begin with a blank legislative slate. The history of the securities laws demonstrates that this conventional wisdom is erroneous in two important respects. First, the securities markets of the 1920's were highly international, as Congress was well aware when it enacted the 1933 and 1934 Acts. Second, Congress nevertheless chose to protect only those investors whose trades occur inside the United States-“domestic traders” -- regardless of whether the securities traded are domestic or foreign. As a result, foreign traders lack standing to sue under …

Interest Rate And Currency Swaps, Christian Droop

LLM Theses and Essays

This thesis explores the evolution, mechanics, and risks associated with interest rate and currency swaps, key financial instruments in global markets since the late 1970s. Swaps involve the exchange of predetermined payments in the same or different currencies between parties, aiming to leverage their financial capabilities and reduce transaction risks. By 1987, the volume of outstanding swap transactions exceeded $1.1 trillion, highlighting their significance in capital markets..

The thesis aims to present basic swap transactions, describe associated risks, and discuss current efforts to control these risks through regulatory and contractual measures, which focus on New York law. It also examines …

Exclusive Federal Jurisdiction For Implied Rule 10b-5 Actions: The Emperor Has No Clothes, Margaret V. Sachs

Scholarly Works

Courts have long assumed the existence of exclusive federal jurisdiction over private actions implied from section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and rule 10b-5. The result is not only to restrict forum choice for rule 10b-5 claimants but also to generate a host of questions concerning the extent of federal authority: whether rule 10b-5 actions are exempt from the claim and issue preclusive effects of state court decisions; whether state courts can hear defenses and state-created claims that involve rule 10b-5; and whether federal courts can stay rule 10b-5 actions in deference to state court litigation. In …

Transfer -On-Death Securities Registration: A New Title Form, Richard V. Wellman

Scholarly Works

This article is inspired by a new form for registering corporate shares that is now available to certain stockholders of Southwestern Bell Corporation (SBC). Designed to replace stock registrations that make two or more persons appear to be co-owners, the new form, referred to herein as a transfer-on-death (TOD) registration, enables a sole owner to register a designation of a death beneficiary in whose favor a transfer on death of the registered shares may occur outside the probate process. The new registration form extends a key provision of the Uniform Probate Code (U.P.C.) that was designed to encourage development of …

Legal Factors In The Acquisition Of A United State Corporation: Litigation By Hostile Targets, Johan E. Droogmans

LLM Theses and Essays

Acquisitions of United States corporations have become increasingly complex takeover contests, where bidders and target corporations are forced into offensive and defensive litigation strategies to protect their respective interests. Targets often assert that the bidders have violated federal or state securities laws, federal antitrust laws, federal margin regulations, federal and state regulatory systems, and federal anti-racketeering laws. These lawsuits are primarily based on the principal federal regulation of takeovers in section 14(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and the Williams Act. Target litigation is customary, but entails certain disadvantages; a lawsuit rarely stops an offer, is expensive, …

Corporate Social-Reform, The Business Judgment Rule And Other Considerations, Robert N. Leavell

Scholarly Works

In recent years there has been a well-publicized movement to induce corporations to use their economic wealth and power to achieve "social-reform," rather than carry on as usual by professing to be guided only by profit-making. Social change is sought by allowing shareholders to make, or influence directly, those management decisions which significantly affect the quality of life in this country. This approach has found support on college campuses and among the commentators in this field. The Securities Exchange Commission and the courts also have endorsed this approach by legitimating such a role for shareholders despite the fact that it …

The Relevance Of Tort Law Doctrines To Rule 10b-5: Should Careless Plaintiffs Be Denied Recovery?, Margaret V. Sachs

Scholarly Works

Private litigation under section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and rule 10b-5 is at present riddled with tort law doctrines. Familiar tort concepts such as aiding and abetting, respondeat superior, plaintiff's duty of care, in pari delicto, and contribution have been imported into the rule 10b-5 private action by a number of lower federal courts. The United States Supreme Court had not addressed the relevance of any of these doctrines until its decision this year in Bateman Eichler, Hill Richards, Inc., v. Berner. By disallowing a defense of in pari delicto on statutory enforcement grounds, Bateman plainly …

Protection Available To A U.S. Citizen Who Buys Securities From Foreigners: Relief In The U.S. For Sales At Home And Abroad; Protection Under U.K. And Thailand Laws, Narestr Kesaprakorn

LLM Theses and Essays

This paper will examine regulations relating to transactions by foreigners in the United States securities markets and compare with investor protection in the U.K. and Thailand. It will also examine the manner in which the U.S. seeks to control extraterritorial securities transactions.

Regulating Foreign-Based Institutions For Collective Investment: The German Statute, The American Experience, And The Oecd Standard Rules, Charles Baskervill Robson Jr.

Scholarly Works

The purpose of this article is to provide a framework for the comparative and critical examination of the West German Statute Concerning the Distribution of Foreign Investment Shares and the Taxation of their Proceeds of 28 July 1969 and the OECD Standard Rules. The reference point for this framework is the United States Investment Company Act of 1940 which is not only the most pervasive of the regulatory schemes affective collective investment institutions but also undoubtedly the scheme most familiar to most readers. This article will identify a number of the areas in which the American experience with the Investment …

Tax Significance Of Payments In Satisfaction Of Liabilities Arising Under Section 16(B) Of The Securities Exchange Act Of 1934, Lawrence Lokken

Georgia Law Review

IT is commonly believed that trading by a corporate officer or director, or other person close to the decision making processes of a corporation, in stock of the corporation can pose peculiar dangers and raise substantial questions of fairness, especially if such trading is speculative in nature. A corporate manager's investment in the shares of his company represents a personal financial commitment to the future of the company and admittedly is beneficial to all. Yet, when an insider speculates, his knowledge of corporate plans and affairs can give him an unfair advantage over other investors in timing his transactions so …

An Appeal For Revision Of The Georgia Securities Act, Michael H. Trotter, F. Dean Copeland

Georgia Law Review

THE recent revision of Georgia corporate law as now embodied in the Georgia Business Corporation Code has generated considerable interest in the possible need to revise the Georgia Securities Act [hereinafter the "Act"]. A Committee on Securities Laws of the Banking and Corporate Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia was ap- pointed to consider the need for a revision of the Act, and that Committee has now recommended that a larger committee be appointed to study and revise the Act.

The Texas Gulf Sulphur Opinion In The Appellate Court: An Open Door To Federal Control Of Corporations, Robert N. Leavell

Scholarly Works

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has written an opinion in the Texas Gulf Sulphur case which seems to me unfortunate and in large part unnecessary. This comment is a brief statement of why I feel this to be the case.

Corporate Finance Under The Georgia Business Corporation Code Of 1968, Pasco M. Bowman, Ii

Georgia Law Review

T HIS Article will review the financial provisions of the new Georgia Business Corporation Code (B.C.C.), which will become effective April 1, 1969. On that date, the Code will automatically apply to virtually all existing domestic business corporations, other than banks, trust companies, railroads and the several other types of corporations which obtain their charters from the Secretary of State. Existing domestic insurance companies will be subject to the B.C.C. to the same extent as they are now subject to the present general corporation law.0 The B.C.C. is only one part of a comprehensive revision and restatement of Georgia's corporation …

Barchris: A Revaluation Of Prospectus Liability?, Dom H. Wyant, Robert W. Smith

Georgia Law Review

THE decision of District Court Judge McLean in Escott v. Bar- Chris Construction Corp.' is a landmark decision. The case does not enunciate any new and startling legal concepts, for practitioners in the area of registration of publicly-held securities have been long aware of the potential statutory liabilities contained in section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933. But the text of section 11 was analogous to the book of a play that had not yet been read on stage. The hapless defendants in BarChris provided the cast, and a highly readable and well-reasoned opinion by Judge McLean breathed meaning …

The Texas Gulf Sulphur Opinion In The Appellate Court: An Open Door To Federal Control Of Corporations, Robert N. Leavell

Georgia Law Review

THE United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has written an opinion in the Texas Gulf Sulphur case which seems to me unfortunate and in large part unnecessary. This comment is a brief statement of why I feel this to be the case.

The decision has received much attention in the press and among the public generally, but for the wrong reasons. It seems difficult to believe that a lawyer who has kept abreast of developments in this area would have said the insiders involved could go ahead and trade as they did without disclosing what they knew …

False And Misleading Proxy Statements, J. B. B.

Georgia Law Review

Congress passed the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in recognition of the need for governmental regulation to protect investors and security holders from fraudulent and deceptive practices occurring in the securities markets. The 1934 Act expressly attaches civil and criminal liability to violations of certain provisions. The Act also contains provisions which simply prohibit particular conduct. Courts have indicated, however, that these prohibition sections and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Rules issued thereunder imply civil liability for their violation.