Securities Law Commons^™

Trustor As Sole Trustee And Only Ascertainable Beneficiary, William F. Fratche

Michigan Law Review

The Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, one judge dissenting, affirmed a decision of the Board of Tax Appeals holding that a profit arising from sale of the stock was taxable to the settlor individually because the declaration did not create a trust. The majority opinion argued that, although a trust may be created solely for the benefit of unborn or unascertained beneficiaries by a transfer to a third party as trustee, it cannot be done by a declaration of trust. The opinion suggested that a transfer in trust for unborn or unascertained beneficiaries creates only a resulting …

Corporations-Preemptive Right To Subscribe To Stock Issues- Necessity Of Action By The Shareholder, Frank L. Adamson S. Ed.

Michigan Law Review

In Oppenheimer v. Win. F. Chiniquy Co., a stockholder sought to compel the corporation to issue to him his pro rata share of treasury stock which had been offered to the shareholders on August 6, 1945. The final date for application was September 6, but no time for payment was specified. The shareholder wrote to the company accepting the offer before the final date, but did not tender payment until October 16. The corporation had not disposed of the shares, and the court ordered the company to issue them to the shareholder, holding that the delay was of no …

Bankruptcy-Jurisdiction Of Bankruptcy Court To Determine Attorneys' Fees For Services Rendered In Chapter X Reorganization Proceedings, Bernard Goldstone S. Ed.

Michigan Law Review

A committee for preferred stockholders entered into an agreement with petitioners, wherein it was provided that certain shares of stock of the debtor corporation, placed in escrow with the committee by four preferred shareholders, would be delivered to petitioners as added compensation for their services in the reorganization proceeding. Pursuant to this agreement petitioners performed valuable services connected with the reorganization. The bankruptcy court allowed petitioners $37,500 from the debtor's estate, but held it had no jurisdiction to pass on the amount of the allowance which should be paid under the escrow agreement. Petitioners then sued in a state court …

Corporations-Blue Sky Laws-Liability Of Officers And Directors Of Corporation For Violation, L. W. Larson, Jr.

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff sued a corporation and its president to recover money paid for purchase of stock sold in violation of the ''blue sky" laws of Michigan. The president, through correspondence, had induced plaintiff to complete the purchase. Plaintiff had judgment below against both defendants. The president alone appealed, contending among other things that he was not an "agent" within the meaning of the statute. Held, affirmed. The word "agent" in the Michigan statute1 includes officers and directors of the corporation whether they are authorized "agents" or are holding themselves out as "agents" of the corporation. Cleland v. Smart, 321 …

Quasi-Contracts -- Taxation -- Rescission Of Gift For Failure To Achieve Donor's Purpose Of Minimizing Federal Income Taxes, N. S. Peterman S. Ed.

Michigan Law Review

In 1937, plaintiff made a gift of stock in a closed corporation to his wife, the defendant. For two years defendant received cash dividends on the stock transferred to her and paid income taxes thereon. Late in 1938 the corporation was dissolved; the assets were distributed to the shareholders, and a partnership was formed. Defendant continued to report the income received by her from the partnership. In 1946, the Tax Court sustained the contention of the commissioner of internal revenue that the entire income from this partnership was taxable to plaintiff under the doctrine of Commissioner v. Tower. Plaintiff …

Mccormick: Understanding The Securities Act And The S.E.C., Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

A Review of UNDERSTANDING THE SECURITIES ACT AND THE S.E.C. By Edward T. McCormick.

Corporations-Appraisal Statutes-Time Within Which Demand For Appraisal Must Be Made, Myron J. Nadler S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

A resolution to merge the corporation in which plaintiff held shares with defendant corporation was adopted by the shareholders over plaintiff's objection. Eight days later, plaintiff made written demand on defendant corporation for payment of the fair value of his shares. The statute required that such demand be made upon the surviving corporation "within twenty days after the merger . . . was effected," and provided that a merger became effective upon issuance of a certificate of merger by the Department of State. The articles of merger were not promptly filed and the certificate of merger did not issue until …

Corporations--Section 10b Of The Securities Exchange Act--Rule X-10b-5--Duty Of Disclosure In Purchasing Shares, John E. Grosboll S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiffs (father and son) and defendants (two brothers) had owned all the capital stock of two corporations. The four constituted the entire board of directors. Defendants secretly entered into a contract with the National Gypsum Company agreeing to sell the latter the plant and equipment of one of the corporations and one third of the output of the other corporation over a three year period. Later the defendants purchased all of plaintiffs' stock in the two corporations. At that time plaintiffs knew nothing about the negotiations between defendants and National Gypsum, nor did defendants make any disclosures relative thereto. At …

Corporations--Section 16 (B) Of Securities Exchange Act-Short Swing Profits-Statute Of Limitations, Emerson T. Chandler

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiffs brought a shareholders' class action under section 16 (b) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 alleging that defendant, an officer, director, and substantial stockholder of the corporation, had realized profits from trading in the corporation's securities within a six-month period and had fraudulently concealed such profits by failing to file the statement required by section 16 (a) of the act until after suit was instituted against him over four years later by the S.E.C., thereby delaying plaintiff's discovery of the facts. Defendant moved for dismissal on the ground that suit was not brought within the two-year period …

Taxation--Income Tax--Nondeductible Losses--Intra-Family Transactions, Bayard E. Heath S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Petitioner managed his wife's as well as his own estate. On several occasions, to establish tax losses, he ordered his broker to sell certain stock on the Stock Exchange for his account, and then to buy the same number of shares of the same stock for his wife's account. Petitioner claimed losses derived from these sales when filing his income tax return, but the commissioner disallowed these deductions on the authority of section 24 (b) of the Internal Revenue Code. On the taxpayer's application to the Tax Court, it held section 24 (b) inapplicable. The circuit court of appeals reversed …

Taxation-Income Tax-Exempt Reorganizations-Recapitalization As Device For Distributing Earnings, Bayard E. Heath S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Petitioner owned more than three-fourths of the stock in a corporation whose shares had a par value of $100. Except for one share, his wife owned the remainder. Under a plan of recapitalization the stockholders received in exchange for each old share, five shares of no par stock with a stated value of $60 per share plus a portion of $400,000 worth of callable debentures issued by the corporation. At the time of this exchange the earned surplus of the corporation exceeded $850,000. The commissioner held that the full value of the debentures received was chargeable to the taxpayer as …

Constitutional Law-Taxation-Gross Receipts Taxes In Relation To Interstate Commerce-Freeman V. Hewit, Irving Slifkin S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

The scope of state taxation of interstate commerce has been redefined in two recent Supreme Court cases involving the application of state gross receipts taxes. In Freeman v. Hewit and Joseph v. Carter and Weekes Stevedoring Co., the Court discarded the cumulative burdens test, which for the past eight years had served as the basis for determining the extent of state taxation of interstate commerce, and readopted the direct and indirect burden test.

Corporations-Class Actions Under Section 16(B) Of The Securities Exchange Act Of 1934-Federal Rule 23, Richard. J. Archer

Michigan Law Review

Pursuant to section 16 (b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 an action was commenced by a shareholder to recover for the corporation profits realized by another shareholder through "short swing" transactions in securities of the corporation, the estimated profits being $50,770. Plaintiff's attorney filed an affidavit stating the reasons why recovery of the full amount was doubtful and made application for , leave to settle and compromise for $5,000. The corporation's attorney agreed to this proposal. Held, the merits of the compromise cannot be considered until in conformance with Rule 23 ( c), actual notice of the …

Corporations-Restraints On Alienation Of Stock As Against Pledgees With Notice, John F. O'Connor S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

The charter and a by-law of the plaintiff corporation contained provisions which stipulated that before a stockholder could sell or transfer any stock, he must first offer the stock to the corporation. The relevant by-law appeared on every certificate of stock. The defendant Kiernan borrowed money from the defendant corporation for which he gave a collateral note secured by the pledge of his-stock in the plaintiff corporation. The stock certificate was delivered to the defendant corporation as pledgee. After the default of Kiernan, the plaintiff corporation brought a bill in equity to enjoin the sale of the pledged stock at …

Corporations--Transfer Of Shares--Restriction By Shareholders' Agreement, John E. Grosboll

Michigan Law Review

The original shareholders of a family corporation had entered into a private agreement, noted on the stock certificates, which provided that before sale by any of the parties of any stock to a non-member, such stock must first be offered to the remaining stockholders. Defendant B, the widow of one of the founders, contracted to sell her stock to plaintiff, a non-member, without first offering it to defendants L and M, who own the balance of the stock. Plaintiff now seeks specific performance of his contract with defendant B. Defendants L and M seek to exercise their …

Corporations-Accrued Preferred Stock Dividends-Charter Amendment, T. M. Kubiniec S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

In 1943 defendant corporation's charter was amended to cancel 5 per cent cumulative preferred stock, outstanding since 1926 or earlier, and all accrued dividends in exchange for new 5 per cent ,non-cumulative preferred and non-voting common stock. Dividends had accumulated on the old preferred stock both before and after 1939 in a total amount of $50 per share. The recapitalization plan rested on a 1939 amendment to the Ohio General Code providing that the terms of outstanding stock can be changed "in such a manner as to discharge (without payment), adjust or eliminate rights to accrued undeclared cumulative dividends" by …

Corporations-The Fair And Equitable Test In Recapitalizations, Robert O. Hancox

Michigan Law Review

Changes in capital structures of corporations which modify rights of security holders generally occur under one of two circumstances: (1) reorganization of insolvent corporations which affects the rights of creditors as well as shareholders and necessitates judicial supervision; and (2) recapitalization of solvent corporations involving only the relative rights of the different classes of shareholders. It is the author's present purpose to focus attention on the effect of the latter type of modification on the most zealously guarded right of the preferred shareholder--the right to accrued dividends on cumulative preferred stock.

Corporations-Derivative Stockholders' Suits-New York General Corporation Law 61b, T. M. Kubiniec

Michigan Law Review

In a derivative stockholders' suit, the defendant corporation was granted an order for security for reasonable costs under the above statute containing a provision that plaintiff stockholders might move to vacate the security order upon subsequent joinder of stockholders holding 5 per cent of the outstanding shares of any class of stock of the corporation or shares having a market value in excess of $50,000. Held, two judges dissenting, order modified by deleting therefrom the provision for vacation. Baker v. Macfadden Publications, (App. Div. 1946) 59 N.Y.S. (2d) 841.

Wills--Specific Bequest Of Capital Stock--Disposition Of Stock Dividends Declared Before Testator's Death, E. M. Deal

Michigan Law Review

In her will, testatrix made several specific gifts to Miss Dorothy Spencer, including "20 shares of stock of the Times-Picayune Publishing Company," the extent of her holding at the time the will was executed. Later, the company declared a 100 per cent stock dividend and issued testatrix a certificate for an additional 20 shares. When she died, testatrix had in her possession certificates for 40 shares of the corporation's stock. Ten legatees objected to a provisional account filed by her executor which listed the 40 shares as belonging to Dorothy Spencer, claiming that the additional shares should be converted into …

The Effect Of Regulation T On Cash Transactions In Securities, Franklyn S. Judson, Frank D. Emerson

Michigan Law Review

Even a casual glance at the financial page of almost any daily newspaper will at once bring forcefully to the attention of the reader the fact that the inflationary trend now being experienced by the commodity, real estate, and labor markets is likewise a factor in the securities market. A tremendous increase in the market prices of many securities has recently been experienced. A large number are at or near all-time highs. Likewise, the volume of trading is almost without precedent in the annals of the securities business.

Constitutional Law-Public Utility Holding Company Act--Validity Of Holding Company "Death Sentence" Clause, John A. Huston

Michigan Law Review

Petitioner was the topmost holding company in a public utility holding company system which included eighty subsidiaries and served three million customers in seventeen states. By provision of section 11 (b) (1) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, the Securities and Exchange Commission was empowered to limit the operations of a holding company registered with it under the act to "a single integrated public utility system." Acting under this authority, the commission ordered petitioner, a registered company, to divest itself of all its subsidiary holdings excepting certain interests regarded by the commission as a single integrated system …

Taxation-Federal Estate Tax-Transfer In Contemplation Of Death-Release Of A Power To Amend, Milton D. Solomon S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Decedent, an attorney, in 1925, at the age of sixty-nine, established two spendthrift trusts-one for his daughter and one for his son. In 1934, he added securities to these trusts. Gift taxes were paid on these transfers. These gifts were made to support decedent's children and grandchildren and were intended to be free of all claims, tax or otherwise. Decedent retained a power to amend these trusts with the consent of the trustee and beneficiary but he believed, at the time, that the trust property would not be included in his gross estate for federal estate tax purposes. In 1937, …

Key Problems In The Apportionment Of Increase Between Successive Interests In Personalty, Erwin Esser Nemmers

Michigan Law Review

It has been said with some amount of truth that "Perhaps no other question in the law of future interests has called forth such a voluminous literature as the question of the allocation of dividends and the other accruing benefits as between the life tenant and the remainderman of shares of corporate stock."

The present writer's purpose in adding to the material on the subject is to show the relation to the case law of the rules set forth in the Restatement of Trusts and the Uniform Principal and Income Act. While difficult problems of apportionment arise in regard to …

Corporate Proxies: Ii, Leonard H. Axe

Michigan Law Review

The first installment of this article discussed the historical development of the right and power to vote by proxy, and examined the cases dealing with the regulation by by-law of the right to vote by proxy, who may act as proxy holders, and the form of the proxy. Emphasis was placed upon the practical aspects of the execution of proxies and the duties of inspectors of elections. The present installment will take up the persons entitled to appoint proxy holders, the right to examine proxies, the scope of authority conferred and exercise of power, circumstances under which a stockholder is …

Joint Adventure - Fiduciary Relation Of Parties Thereto, E. George Rudolph

Michigan Law Review

Defendant corporation and one Goldberger, the testator of the plaintiff, entered an agreement to carry on a trading account in the stock of a certain brewery over a limited period of time. By the terms of the agreement both were to contribute 50,000 shares of the stock, which were to be held by the corporation, and all purchases and sales of the stock by the corporation were to be deemed made in behalf of the account. Defendant corporation was to receive twenty per cent of the net profits for its services and the rest was to be equally divided. During …

Trusts - Division Of Proceeds From United States Savings Bonds Between Life Tenant And Remainderman, William H. Shipley

Michigan Law Review

Testator devised the residue of his estate in trust to pay the income to his wife for life and on her death to distribute the corpus to the children of the testator. The trustee bought ten-year bonds of the United· States Government known as United States Savings Bonds. The bonds did not bear interest payable at stated intervals, but were sold at a price sufficiently below their maturity value to yield a return equal to 2.9 per cent per annum, compounded semi-annually, it the bonds were held for the full ten years. The holder of such bonds may present them …

The Present Status Of Multiple Taxation Of Intangible Property, Robert C. Brown

Michigan Law Review

The decision by the Supreme Court in 1932 of the case of First National Bank of Boston v. Maine represented the culmination of a fairly brief but apparently decisive effort by that Court substantially to do away with the taxation of intangible property by more than one state. Successive decisions within the three years previous had sought to do away with such taxation of debts ( no matter how evidenced) by more than one state; and First National Bank v. Maine laid down the same rule for corporate stock.

Contracts - Agency - Statute Of Frauds - Satisfaction Of The Statute Of Frauds By A Memorandum Signed By An Agent Acting For A Partially Disclosed Principal, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff engaged a Michigan corporation to negotiate the purchase for him of certain shares of stock. The corporation obtained the promise of defendant to sell the stock to the corporation as agent for an undisclosed principal. The corporation, acting as the agent for an undisclosed vendor (defendant), sent a written confirmation of the sale to the plaintiff and sent a similar memorandum to the defendant which was signed by the corporation as agent for an undisclosed vendee (plaintiff). The next day defendant notified the corporation that he refused to deliver the shares. Plaintiff brought a suit in equity for the …

Public Officers - Liability Of Federal Officers For Quasi-Judlcial Acts, Arthur M. Hoffeins

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff sought to withdraw a registration statement which he had filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The commission denied him the right to do so and applied for a court order to enforce a previously issued subpoena to compel the plaintiff to appear before it and to produce books relating to the registration statement. After the Supreme Court had upheld the plaintiff's right to withdraw the statement, he brought an action for damages against the members of the commission for malicious prosecution, libel and slander, etc., alleging in addition that the defendants had acted maliciously and in bad faith. …

The New Schoolmaster In Finance, Hiram L. Jome

Michigan Law Review

The purpose of this article is to present the attitude and views of the Securities and Exchange Commission on various financial problems. Several phases of the commission's thinking are in the writer's opinion extreme and questionable, or even unsound. Its actions have not always been consistent with its official views. Since the writer's purpose, however, has been merely to describe and not to criticize, no attempt has been made to appraise the work of the commission.