Vanessa Mae really wanted to compete in the Olympics, but she is better violinist than a skier. She has sold 10 million records so that is a very high bar. The International Ski Federation decided that she cheated her way into the Olympics. When Eddie the Eagle competed in the 1988 Olympics, some thought it … Read more »
Weekend Reading: Trapped Under the Sea
If you’ve ever flown into Boston’s Logan Airport or stared out over the harbor, you likely noticed the dozen egg-shaped structures sitting out on Deer Island. Those are key components of the second largest sewage treatment facility in the United States. The construction of the outflow pipes from that facility is the key point in … Read more »
Compliance Bricks and Mortar for November 14
These are some of the recent compliance-related stories that caught my attention. The SEC and the DMV by Thomas O. Gorman in SEC Actions “The SEC Should Copy the DMV” is the title of an article published in the New York Times by Joseph S. Fichera recently. The article focuses on the use of corporate … Read more »
Cheating Your Way to Marathon Victory
Tabitha Manning ran the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon setting a personal best record time of 2:54:21. But it looks like she pulled a Rosie Ruiz. For those of you not familiar with the history of the Boston Marathon, Rosie Ruiz was declared the winner of the 1980 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:31:56. At that … Read more »
The SEC Shuts Down Another Illegal Crowdfunding Site
Kickstarter has shown the world that crowdfunding is a viable option for funding great ideas. Because of US securities laws, the funding arrangement on that platform cannot be for an equity interest. That’s selling securities and that practice is subject to decades of protections built to protect consumers. The JOBS Act opened the possibility of … Read more »
Veterans Day – Remember Those Who Serve
Raymond Weeks of Birmingham, Alabama, organized a Veterans Day parade for that city on November 11, 1947, to honor all of America’s Veterans for their loyal service. Later, U.S. Representative Edward H. Rees of Kansas proposed legislation changing the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor all who have served in America’s Armed … Read more »
Weekend Reading: The Map Thief
The classic business edict is to buy low and sell high. E. Forbes Smiley took that edict to heart in his business as an antique map dealer. Unfortunately, he discovered he could get his cost close to $0 if he stole his inventory. Michael Blanding captures the story of Mr. Smiley and the world of … Read more »
Compliance Bricks and Mortar for November 7
These are some of the compliance-related stories that recently caught my attention. Fordham Law offers LL.M in Corporate Compliance, expands JD training by Sean J. Griffith in the FCPA Blog The new compliance programs are good news for law students. According to The Wall Street Journal, starting salaries for compliance officers have been rising 3.5% … Read more »
LinkedIn and Compliance for Private Funds
At the recent NRS Fall Compliance Conference I was talking with another attendee about LinkedIn and the SEC rules on advertising. The basic question was can her employees use it. That became a more nuanced discussion of the various features. One topic was the messaging feature of LinkedIn. You can send massages to people on LinkedIn. … Read more »
Post – Election Day Now What?
Now that the Republicans have taken control of Congress, can we expect changes that will affect the private fund industry? Many of the Republican firebrands that now run the legislative process in both houses have spoken about repealing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. A wholesale repeal of Dodd-Frank is highly unlikely. … Read more »