Johnson & Johnson currently faces suits from 4,800 plaintiffs nationwide alleging that its talc-based products cause ovarian cancer. The women claim that for over three decades, Johnson & Johnson ignored studies linking its talc products to ovarian cancer. On October 17th, the Eastern District of Missouri reversed a $72 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson. […]
Weinstein Company Under Investigation by New York Attorney General’s Office
On Monday, October 23, the office of New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman launched an investigation into the Weinstein Company. Mr. Schneiderman’s inquiry into the working conditions at the Weinstein Company is at least partially designed to determine if sexual harassment, abuse of power, or any of the other number of claims leveled against […]
Dodd-Frank Liquidation Rules Should Not be Scrapped
The debate regarding how to effectively handle a failure of major financial institutions has reignited under the Trump Administration, prompting critical reaction from overseas regulators. In April, President Trump ordered the Treasury Department to review current Dodd-Frank rules and determine if an improved bankruptcy process could be a better option. Some Congressional republicans agree that […]
Uber: Two Stock Prices but Not One Deal
The potential billion-dollar transaction between Uber and the Japanese investment company, SoftBank, was announced several months ago, though the deal has yet to close. SoftBank’s Chief Executive Officer, Masayoshi Son, plans to invest $10 billion in the ride-sharing giant to become a significant shareholder in the company. The investment is comprised of a $1 to […]
Is a Training Intern Entitled to Wages under the FLSA? The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals Says “Maybe”
Businesses who take on unpaid training interns or participants under job shadowing programs may want to take notice of this ruling from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which indicates that it is possible for those participants to be entitled to wages under the Fair Labor and Standards Act. Scott Axel was having trouble finding […]
Recap: “BCLBE Leadership Lunch Talk – Funding Innovation”
On October 23, 2017, the Berkeley Center for Law, Business and the Economy (BCLBE) welcomed Chris Young ‘05, Head of Legal at GoFundMe, for a Q&A discussion about his career, his position as a company counsel at a venture-backed startup, and the crucial role attorneys play in the startup world. A graduate of SDSU and […]
Aramco Still Plans to Go Public in 2018 in Largest IPO in History
Early last year, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, announced that talks of an Aramco initial public offering (IPO) were in progress. Aramco is by far the largest oil company in the world, with the Crown Prince and other Saudi officials valuing the company above $2 trillion. The public sale of just 5% of […]
Grab Expands its Runway with Record Debt Funding
Singapore based ride-sharing start-up, Grab, announced on October 20, 2017, that it was moving forward with the single largest debt financing deal secured by a Southeast Asian company to date, at $700 million. Originally conceived as a taxi-hailing service, Grab, formerly GrabTaxi, is one of the most popular mobile applications in Southeast Asia, servicing Singapore, […]
The Struggle for Transparency in Political Advertising
On October 19, 2017, Senators Mark Warner, Amy Klobuchar, and John McCain introduced new campaign finance legislation. The “Honest Ads Act” seeks to compel greater disclosure surrounding online political advertising. More specifically, the bill would force large digital platforms (those with at least 50 million monthly views) to keep a public file of paid political […]
Uber Discrimination Lawsuits in Tech
Three Latina female engineers have filed suit against Uber for gender and race discrimination. The suit, filed in San Francisco on October 24, 2017, alleges that Uber violated the Equal Pay Act by using a “stack ranking” system. The promotion vehicle is alleged to be an unreliable qualitative method that systematically undervalues female employees and […]