The LexisNexis Top 25 Business Law Blogs of 2010

In a clear case of voting error, LexisNexis decided to include Compliance Building in the LexisNexis Top 25 Business Law Blogs of 2010.

I’m regular reader of most of those 25 blogs and think they’re wonderful. I’m happy to be included with such great content sites.

For some reason, LexisNexis is not satisfied with just 25 top blogs. They want to continue the competition and narrow the 25 to a single best business law blog. You need to be registered order to vote.  (Registration is free and supposedly does not result in sales contacts.) Then vote by checking the box next to your favorite business law blog.

I included the 25 winners below. You should read them too and go vote for one of them.

The Business Law Blog
By Daniel J. Ryan
A blog about law, start ups and small business by Daniel J. Ryan of the Trinity Law Group.

Business Law Post
By Arina Shulga
This blog focuses on legal aspects of operating new and growing businesses.

Business Law Prof Blog
By Multiple Authors
Commentary and analysis of business law issues, from several contributors including Professor J. Scott Colesanti of Hofstra Univ. School of Law, Prof. Joshua P. Fershee of the Univ. of North Dakota School of Law, and Prof. Stefan J. Padfield of the Univ. of Akron School of Law.

California Corporate & Securities Law
By Keith Bishop
Keith Bishop, a partner with the California law firm Allen Matkins, covers California securities laws and regulations, corporate governance, the California Department of Corporations, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the California Secretary of State, pending legislation and rule making, quirky California laws, and other topics.

Compliance Building
By Doug Cornelius (That’s me)
Doug Cornelius blogs about compliance and business ethics, focusing on compliance issues applicable to real estate private equity firms, with occasional posts about social media, web 2.0 and knowledge management.

Conference Board Governance Blog
Editor, Gary Larkin
Worldwide business insights from the Conference Board.

The Conglomerate
By Multiple Authors
Seven Law Professors blog about business, law, economics and society, including Gordon Smith, BYU Law School, Christine Hurt, Univ. of Illinois College of Law, Vic Fleischer, Univ. of Colorado Law School, Fred Tung, Emory Law School, Lisa Fairfax, George Washington Univ. Law School, David Zaring, Wharton School Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department, and Usha Rodrigues, University of Georgia School of Law.

Corp Gov Net
By James McRitchie
Designed to facilitate the ability of institutional and individual shareowners to better govern corporations, enhancing both corporate accountability and the creation of wealth.

TheCorporateCounsel.net
By Broc Romanek and Dave Lynn
The CorporateCounsel.net is self described as the practical Corporate & Securities Law Blog.

Corporate Law and Governance
By Robert Goddard
U.K. based Senior Lecturer at Aston Law, part of Aston Business School, blogs about important developments, news and provides other corporate law and governance insights.

The Corporate Library Blog
By Nell Minow, Paul Hodgson, Dr. Kimberly Gladman, Corp. Lib. Research and Ratings Teams
The Corporate Library Blog is designed to engage readers in a conversation about current events and trends in corporate governance, risk analysis and sustainable investing.

Delaware Corporate and Commercial Litigation Blog
By Francis G. X. Pileggi
Francis Pileggi of Fox Rothchild LLP offers Delaware business litigation case summaries primarily from Delaware’s Chancery Court and Supreme Court, and provides commentary.

The D&O Diary
Published by Kevin M. LaCroix
Kevin LaCroix writes a periodic journal that contains items of interest from the world of directors & officers liability, with occasional commentary.

FCPA Compliance and Ethics Blog
By Thomas Fox
Tom Fox blogs about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, FCPA compliance, indemnities and other forms of risk management, tax issues faced by multi-national US companies, insurance coverage issues and protection of trade secrets.

FCPA Professor
By Mike Koehler
A forum devoted to discussing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by Mike Koehler, Asst. Business Law Professor at Butler University.

Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance
By Harvard Law School Program on Corporate Governance
A recognized source for insights and site seeking to facilitate research and public discussion about the latest developments in corporate governance and financial regulation.

The Investment Fund Law Blog
By Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
Updates and insights on legal issues facing investment fund managers and investors.

M&A Law Prof Blog
By Brian JM Quinn
Boston College Law School Professor Brian JM Quinn provides commentary and insights regarding Corporate Takeovers, Mergers and Acquisitions, as part of the Law Professor Blogs Network.

Nancy Rapoport’s BlogSpot
By Nancy Rapoport
This blog discusses governance in higher education, businesses, and in law firms, bankruptcy ethics, popular culture & the law, current corporation news and professional responsibility generally.

New York Business Litigation and Employment Attorneys Blog
By David S. Rich
Features questions and answers about business litigation and employment law and updates and commentary on national, New York, and New Jersey developments in these same areas of law.

PLI Securities Law Practice Center
By Kara O’ Brien
The Securities Law Practice Center provides the latest securities news, analysis and resources, featuring frequently updated content covering the latest developments in the securities field.

Race to the Bottom
By J. Robert Brown, Jr.
Race to the Bottom is a faculty and student collaborative blog that provides analysis of the laws and regulatory measures governing today’s corporations.

SEC Actions
By Thomas O. Gorman
Tom Gorman, of Porter Wright’s Washington, DC office, writes about SEC investigations, Civil and Criminal Enforcement Actions, Class Actions and Internal Investigations.

SEC Tea Party
By Robert Fusfeld
A compilation of writers provide commentary on SEC Administrative

Securities Law Prof Blog
By Barbara Black
Covers corporate law news, issues and regulatory developments relating to securities law.

More Information on the Custody Rule

With the removal of the 15 client rule exemption from registration with the SEC, many private funds are going to have to comply the custody rule Rule 206(4)-2. Private equity firms will have the most problems trying to meets the demands of the rule.

The SEC is trying to help. They updated the Staff Responses to Questions About the Custody Rule.

Apparently they have been getting lots of questions about how the surprise examination should work.

Question IV.4

Q: Is there an example of a report that may be issued by the independent public accountant performing a surprise examination of the adviser?

A: Yes. As stated within the Commission’s Guidance for Accountants (see Release No. IA 2969), the surprise examination is a compliance examination to be conducted in accordance with AICPA attestation standards. The AICPA has issued an illustrative surprise examination report to reflect the reporting specified in the Guidance for Accountants. The illustrative report is available on the AICPAs website at http://www.aicpa.org/InterestAreas/AccountingAndAuditing/Resources/
AudAttest/AudAttestGuidance/DownloadableDocuments/
FINAL_Surprise_Exam_Report_File_for_AICPA_org_REVISED_7.22.10.pdf
.

Additionally, the AICPA published this illustrative surprise examination report in the May 2010 edition of the Audit and Accounting Guide — Investment Companies. (Posted September 9, 2010)

Question XIII.3

Q: Within the Guidance for Accountants contained in Release IA-2969, the Commission indicated that two types of reports issued under the AICPA professional standards (Type II SAS 70 or AT 601 compliance attestation) would be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the internal control report. Are there other report formats that can be used to satisfy the Custody Rule?

A: Yes. The AICPA recently developed a report that under AT 101, Attest Engagements, of the AICPA’s professional standards that would be acceptable under the Custody Rule. An illustrative report is currently available on the AICPA’s website at http://www.aicpa.org/
InterestAreas/AccountingAndAuditing/Community/InvestmentCompanies/
DownloadableDocuments/Custody_report_September_1final.pdf
. (Posted September 9, 2010)

Sources: