PLI SmartBrief

Reading this on a mobile device? Try our optimized mobile version here: http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/ejlfCfbwocfarKoZNuba

February 5, 2013

Forward

Archive

Advertise

Legal News in Brief

Corporate Spotlight

U.S. sues S&P and McGraw-Hill over mortgage-bond ratings
The Justice Department has sued credit rating agency Standard & Poor's and parent McGraw-Hill, claiming S&P intentionally understated the credit risk of mortgage-backed securities. McGraw-Hill's share price fell the most in 25 years. Bloomberg (2/5), Reuters (2/4), Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (2/4)

SEC is expected to move forward with fiduciary duty this summer
The Securities and Exchange Commission could be ready this summer to seek feedback about how a uniform fiduciary duty for brokers and financial advisers would work and for ways to conduct a cost/benefit analysis. Observers say a proposal in Congress to establish a self-regulatory organization for advisers has been met with bipartisan opposition. InvestmentNews (free registration) (2/3)

National News

Banks ease credit for some types of loans, Fed says
U.S. banks are narrowing profit margins and loosening auto-loan requirements to bring in more business, the Federal Reserve says. Consumer demand for car loans is up compared with October, but home-mortgage applications are flat. Banks told the Fed that they aren't significantly relaxing credit standards for business loans or commercial real estate loans. USA Today (2/4)

Legislative Dispatch

Conflicts of interest at the top stymie SEC prosecution
For the Securities and Exchange Commission to prosecute a case, three out of five commissioners must agree. As more commissioners recuse themselves from cases, those votes get harder to come by. Analysts say cases involving more than 20 companies affect at least one commissioner, and that number is likely to rise as the Dodd-Frank Act increases the SEC's regulatory scope. The Wall Street Journal (2/4)

Other News

Federal courts will be monitored by new Senate subcommittee
The Blog of Legal Times (2/1)

Employment Focus

Employers should challenge NLRB rulings, U.S. Chamber says
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is urging employers to challenge rulings by the National Labor Relations Board from the past year. A federal appeals court recently ruled that recess appointments made by President Barack Obama to fill three slots in the NLRB were unconstitutional. The Wall Street Journal (1/31)

Other News

Calif. hospital chain says it won't follow recent NLRB rulings
Reuters (1/31)

Supreme Court and Federal Court Watch

Case could help clarify patent eligibility
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit will hear a case that could have implications for patent law. The case involves financial-transaction patents held by Alice Corp. that initially were overturned. A panel of the Federal Circuit overruled that decision 2-1, and the entire court now will review the case. The National Law Journal (free registration) (2/4)

Other News

Cases could bring debate over NLRB appointments to high court, attorney says
The Blog of Legal Times (2/4)

Professional and Business Development

Aim for the stars -- but keep an eye on the road ahead


YouTube/JBaldoni52

It's fine to have sky-high ambitions, but you should make sure your hopes and dreams don't distract you from the banal but vital process of running a business, says John Baldoni. "Aspiration is a process of reaching for the stars. But before you can reach for the stars, you check the ground upon which you are standing," he says. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (2/1)

PLI News

Best Practices and Pitfalls To Avoid in Corporate Internal Investigations
Corporations are being scrutinized today as never before. Public and private companies face pressure not only from government entities but also from private plaintiffs calling conduct into question. On the Securities Law Practice Center, check out Jones Day's new resource guidebook, which will serve as a reference for corporate clients facing key decisions on how and when to perform internal investigations.

Significant New Regulations Affecting the Operations of Foreign Banks in the U.S.
At the Feb. 6 One-Hour Audio Briefing International Banking, Part I: The Federal Reserve's Proposed Prudential Regulations for Foreign Banks, the first of a four-part series on international banking, learn about the scope of coverage, capital and liquidity requirements, and more.

Become A PLI Member | Upcoming PLI Seminars & Webcasts | On-Demand Learning
PLI Treatises & Course Handbooks | About PLI

SmartQuote

Failure changes for the better, success for the worse."

--Seneca the Younger,
Roman philosopher, statesman and playwright

Subscriber Tools

Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy

Advertise

Account Director: Aaron Lawrence (202) 499-2123

Download Media Kit