Facebook shares continued to tumble last week, falling more than 13% and closing just under $160 per share on Friday, March 23rd. Facebook is under fire after the revelation that Cambridge Analytica, a voter-profiling company, accessed the private information of more than fifty million Facebook users without their permission. The data was used by Cambridge […]
Bayer Faces U.S. Hurdles for Monsanto Antitrust Nod
The road to success is not a bed of roses. Although their deal was approved by more than thirty authorities around the globe, Bayer A.G. (“Bayer”), the German conglomerate chemical firm, still faces a legal challenge in the United States to win antitrust approval to buy American seeds supplier Monsanto Company (“Monsanto”). The U.S. government […]
How SoftBank, World’s Biggest Tech Investor, Throws Around Its Cash
The venture capital investing world is ruled by risk, and people are willing to take those risks trusting in little more than their personal instincts. One investor who has done so with mastery is Softbank Group tech magnate, Masayoshi Son, UC Berkeley alumni. In 1981, Son founded SoftBank as a software distributor, leading to investments […]
U.S. Supreme Court’s Pending Review of American Express Merchant Fees
Eleven states including Ohio, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont, are involved in a lawsuit against American Express. These states argue that American Express’ unfair practice of prohibiting retail merchants from advising customers to use a credit card with lower transaction costs violates federal antitrust laws. In the […]
Telegram Seeks Over $1 Billion in Potentially Historic Initial Coin Offering
Telegram Messaging, a private digital communication application boasting approximately 180 million users, is poised to raise more than a billion dollars in potentially the largest ever I.C.O. (Initial Coin Offering). Over the past two months Telegram has already raised $850 million dollars for its newest concept, “Telegram Open Network” or “TON.” Moreover, over the next […]
Apple in Talks to Buy Cobalt Directly from Miners
In an effort to avoid potential production issues of its devices, for the first time ever, Apple Inc., is in talks with miners to buy cobalt directly from them. Cobalt prices have soared of late because of an expected growth in demand thanks to the electric vehicle boom and there has been some fear of […]
The Weinstein Company Reaches Deal to Sell Assets
On March 1, 2018, the board of directors at The Weinstein Company confirmed that the company is to sell its assets to an investor group led by Maria Contreras-Sweet and Ron Burkle. New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman confirmed the deal and also announced that the parties had committed to create a victims’ compensation […]
Recap: BCLB Leadership Lunch Talk: “Vice Chancellor Tamika Montgomery-Reeves – The Corporate Judge”
Berkeley Law students had the privilege to meet the Honorable Tamika Montgomery-Reeves at the Leadership Lunch Talk hosted by the Berkeley Center for Law and Business (BCLB) on February 14, 2018. Vice Chancellor Montgomery-Reeves received her law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2006 and a B.A. from the University […]
The Self-Driving Technology Mega-Lawsuit Abruptly Settles
Waymo has settled its lawsuit against Uber for allegedly stealing its confidential self-driving technologies. Its decision brings an abrupt end to a high-profile Silicon Valley lawsuit and enables Uber to move past the damaging press coverage. The case has important implications for tech companies’ willingness to refrain from fighting, and showcases how business and legal […]
Airbnb Reinvents Itself as Core Business is Halted by Regulations
In March 2017, Airbnb received more than $1 billion from investors and was valued at $31 billion. Airbnb was expected to continue its impressive growth, and several analysts anticipated that Airbnb would go public in 2018. However, increasing regulations stymied Airbnb’s momentum in the market, forcing the rental giant to reinvent itself. Airbnb responded to […]