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SOX Changes the Ink from Red to Black
In the last year and a half, public companies have been entrenched in their compliance or plan to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). Regardless of the size, industry or profitability of the company, this task is proving to be much more consuming than originally thought. The first surveys of direct costs associated with compliance indicate a flow of red ink in the billions. The indirect cost may, by all accounts, be just as large. Do these staggering costs have any benefit other than compliance and therefore survival?
SOX has been characterized by many as a hastily prepared, poorly written piece of legislation. Most agree some reform was necessary after the revelation of the alleged and acknowledged misconduct by and systematic failures of several corporations and their advisers. However, the sweeping, all-inclusive nature of the most significant change in securities regulation in 50 years is all but overwhelming to many public companies. While SOX was intended to restore faith in the capital markets and is supported by many, it is not without its criticisms.
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later
The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.
The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs
The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.
Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations
This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough
There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.
A Lawyer's System for Active Reading
Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.