On October 3, 2016, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac investors received good news in their suit against the United States over its seizing of company profits. After reviewing 56 documents that had been deemed privileged by the government, Federal Claims Court Judge Margaret M. Sweeney ruled that the government had improperly withheld 52 of the […]
Congress Urges Stricter Scrutiny of Chinese Capital in Hollywood
Lawmakers are urging a tougher stance on Chinese acquisitions in certain industries involving national security, but with a twist: now, Hollywood is in focus.
Tech Giants Invest in Local Cloud Infrastructure to Build Credibility in Europe
Silicon Valley’s tech giants, including Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, have recently invested billions of dollars into Europe’s cloud market. Amazon, already running data centers in Germany, is planning on opening additional centers in France and Great Britain. Google is also opening a new data center in the Netherlands, adding to its already existing […]
Snapchat Poised for IPO in 2017
Everyone’s favorite message disappearing app is reportedly preparing the paperwork to file an IPO as early as next March. Snap Inc., parent company of Snapchat, received a valuation of $17.8 billion in May, but a public offering next year could potentially price the company at $25 billion or more.
Recap: “Venture Capital Speaker Series—The Tech Counsel”
On October 12, 2016, the Berkeley Center for Law, Business and the Economy (BCLBE) welcomed Dave Kling (’97), Vice President, Deputy Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Facebook for a Q&A discussion about his career, his role at Facebook, and the variety of legal challenges Facebook faces as a company.
Federal Government May Have Spied on Your Yahoo Account
On Tuesday, October 4, 2016, Reuters revealed that Yahoo secretly scanned user emails for the federal government in 2015. Anonymous former Yahoo employees alleged that members of either the National Security Agency or Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a warrant under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligent Surveillance Act (FISA), asking Yahoo to create software […]
Recap: Venture Capital Speaker Series – Kevin Kennedy, Simpson Thacher
On October 10, 2016, the Berkeley Center for Law, Business and the Economy (BCLBE) hosted Kevin Kennedy, partner in Simpson Thacher’s corporate department and co-chair of the firm’s pro bono committee, for a discussion on navigating capital markets. Mr. Kennedy is also a member of the Boalt Hall Alumni Association.
Judge and Airbnb at Odds over San Francisco Rental Ordinance
The enduring conflict between San Francisco leaders and Airbnb, chiefly over the city’s housing crisis, was reignited on Thursday, October 6, 2016 in federal district court. U.S. District Judge James Donato expressed concern over a bid by Airbnb to stop a San Francisco law which imposes fines on the rental company, and other similar tech […]
Controversial EB-5 Investment Program Extended until December
After almost expiring last month, Congress renewed the EB-5 Immigrant Investment Program – which provides U.S. visas in exchange for large investments in U.S. businesses – until December 9. Although touted to create jobs where they are needed the most, allegations of fraud have marred the program’s effectiveness and caused some to question whether it […]
Justices to Rule on Meaning of ‘Personal Benefit’ in Insider Trading
On October 5, 2016, the Supreme Court heard its first insider trading case in over 20 years. The case is Salman v. United States, and involves the insider trading conviction of Bassam Salman in 2013. Salman was convicted of placing profitable stock trades after receiving confidential information from his future brother-in-law, who was a part […]