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Getting Search Engine Optimization Right
On Aug. 13th, a techie blogger named Oilman posted an article entitled, “Shame Shame Shame Findlaw,” accusing the legal behemoth of violating Google's guidelines. Within hours, Findlaw was pilloried by the Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”) blogosphere. Terms like “ethical violations,” “multimillion dollar business models,” “potential lawsuits” and “scamming” were bandied about. Google dropped FindLaw's Page Rank from a 7 to a 5. Popular legal blogger Kevin O'Keefe outlined a course of action for Findlaw, which called for public disclosure, refunds and apologies.
The controversy unveiled Findlaw's SEM Advantage program ' which was essentially an agreement to sell a link from FindLaw.com to a law firm's Web site for up to $2,500 a month for the sole purpose of improving that site's search results. This is in violation of Google's Webmaster Guidelines, which state: “Buying or selling links that pass Page Rank is in violation of Google's Webmaster guidelines and can negatively impact a site's ranking in search results.”
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.