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The U.S. Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have mounted an unprecedented number of legal challenges to mergers since Biden came to office in 2021. The Justice Department lost a merger in the insurance industry but won an effort to stop a book publisher merger. Deal advisers said companies had already braced for a tough antitrust regime under Biden and some had been emboldened by the regulators' recent court losses. "The (regulators' guidelines) do provide more transparency but that transparency also reveals some concerns that they are quite hostile to consolidation. The new antitrust guidelines also reflect the White House's focus on labor issues.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Joe Biden's, Biden, Department's, Kenneth Schwartz, Flom, Fiona Schaeffer, Milbank, Elizabeth Warren, Warren, Diane Bartz, Richard Chang, Chizu Nomiyama, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, U.S . Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard Inc, FTC, Meta, Justice Department, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines Inc, Amazon.com, Amazon, Flom LLP, Global, LSEG, Intelligence, Democrat, Congress, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, WASHINGTON, Skadden, Slate

☆ SEC punts on whether syndicated loans are securities, in closely watched appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Alison Frankel | Thomson Reuters | Alison Frankel Has Covered High-Stakes Commercial Litigation As A Columnist For Reuters Since A Dartmouth College Graduate | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Law firm alerts have gone so far as to call the appeal an “existential threat” to the entire syndicated loan market. The SEC later added to the suspense by requesting two more extensions from the 2nd Circuit, noting the complexity of the issue. On the other hand, any remaining uncertainty will be resolved as soon as the 2nd Circuit issues a ruling. But it’s a good bet that the trustee's lawyers from McKool will urge the 2nd Circuit to read the SEC’s silence as proof of the complexity of the issue. An earlier version incorrectly reported that Judge Michael Park was part of the 2nd Circuit panel that heard oral argument.)

Persons: Cromwell, JPMorgan Chase, Marc Kirschner, Paul Gardephe, Manhattan, Gardephe, McKool Smith, Jose Cabranes, Joseph Bianco, Myrna Perez, ”, Malcolm Stewart, Christopher Johnson, McKool, SEC wouldn’t, Michael Park, Alison Frankel, Leigh Jones Organizations: Sullivan, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, U.S, Circuit, SEC, 2nd, JPMorgan, Millennium, U.S . Justice Department, District, Trading Association, Securities Industry, Financial Markets Association, Justice Department, U.S . Treasury Department, Thomson, Reuters Locations: U.S .

All eyes are onJudge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over the first pretrial hearing Tuesday in the DOJ's prosecution of Donald Trump. Since the confirmation, a least one other Cannon case made national headlines. Judge Aileen Cannon gave her confirmation testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee over Zoom on July 29, 2020. There, she prosecuted cases involving narcotics, fraud, firearms, and immigration cases, according to her Senate confirmation document. Cannon during her confirmation hearing thanked Rubio as well as fellow Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida for their "continued support."

Persons: Aileen Cannon, Donald Trump, Cannon, Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Department's, Trump, Jack Smith's, Bill Barr, behead, Mercedes Cubas, Federalist Society —, Steven Colloton, Gibson, Dunn, Crutcher, Josh Lorence, Ron DeSantis, Lynne Sladky, Lorence, Bobby Flay, DeSantis, Republican Sen, Marco Rubio, Rubio, Rick Scott of, " Rubio, Democratic Sen, Dianne Feinstein, they'd, Pelosi, Paul Hoeffer, Hoeffer, Cannon's, Fort, Paul G Organizations: Trump, Lago, Service, US, Justice Department, Department, FBI, Fox News, Senate, Democratic Rep, Zoom, Committee, Duke University, El, El Nuevo Herald, Miami Herald, University of Michigan Law School, Federalist Society, Crutcher LLP, Southern, Southern District of, GOP, White, Republican, Democratic, Rogers, CNN Locations: Mar, Wall, Silicon, Trump's, Lago, Florida, Alexandria, Cortez of New York, Cali , Colombia, Miami , Florida, Cuba, Spain, El Nuevo, Iowa, Washington ,, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, Athens, Greece, Vero Beach , Florida, Marco Rubio of Florida, Rick Scott of Florida, Cortez, Fort Pierce , Florida, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach

The crypto industry is in a tug-of-war with the SEC and its Democratic chair Gary Gensler, who has described the crypto market as a "Wild West" riddled with fraud. Saying most crypto tokens are securities, the SEC has cracked down on crypto trading platforms, including the top U.S. exchange Coinbase, in an effort to bring the industry under its oversight. Crypto firms have long disputed the SEC's jurisdiction but until Thursday no court had supported that view. The two sources, for example, said firms are considering ways to use the Judge's ruling for their defense. However, she also ruled Ripple's direct sales of XRP to investors should have been registered as securities, handing the SEC a partial victory.

Persons: Coinbase, Gary Gensler, Robert Frenchman, Mukasey Frenchman, Analisa Torres, XRP, Crypto, Teresa Goody Guillén, Spokespeople, Binance, Carol Goforth, Stuart Alderoty, Philip Moustakis, Jody Godoy, Chris Prentice, Hannah Lang, Tom Hals, Michelle Price, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Ripple Labs, Democratic, Mukasey Frenchman LLP, San Francisco, U.S, District, Baker, Hostetler, University of Arkansas, Reuters, Circuit, Seward, Washington , D.C, Thomson Locations: Mukasey, New York, Washington, New York , Connecticut, Vermont, Washington ,

SummaryLaw Firms FTX founder allegedly misappropriated customer funds for European acquisitionFTX failed to find a buyer for the company in bankruptcy saleNEW YORK, July 13 (Reuters) - Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX sued insiders at FTX Europe AG late Wednesday, seeking to recover $323 million that FTX had invested in an ill-fated expansion into European crypto markets. After FTX filed for bankruptcy in November, it sought to sell FTX Europe, only to conclude that no buyer would offer meaningful value for the company, according to FTX. FTX acquired Digital Assets for nearly $400 million in three transactions in 2020 and 2021, hoping to obtain regulatory approvals and expand into European markets. FTX filed for bankruptcy protection in November, saying it was unable to completely repay customers who had deposited funds on its exchange. Prosecutors have charged Bankman-Fried, 31, with stealing billions of dollars in FTX customer funds to cover losses at its affiliated hedge fund Alameda Research.

Persons: FTX, Sam Bankman, Patrick Gruhn, Robin Matzke, Brandon Williams, Cosima Capital, Williams, Fried, Gruhn, Steven Holley, Stephen Ehrenberg, Brian Glueckstein, Christopher Dunne of Sullivan, Cromwell, Read, Clinton, Dietrich Knauth Organizations: FTX, AG, DA AG, Assets, Matzke, Gruhn, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Trading, Bankruptcy, District of, Cromwell LLP, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Europe, Delaware, Matzke, Oregon, Alameda, U.S, District of Delaware

☆ Elizabeth Holmes now has a shorter prison sentence, but she'll still owe victims $452 million along with her former Theranos partner. She might never have to fully pay up.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A federal court ordered Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani to pay $452 million. Defendants hit with such orders to pay victims may see it come out of any eventual wages they earn. So how will Holmes and her former business partner Sunny Balwani navigate a $452 million restitution order? Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes arrives at federal court with her partner Billy Evans on November 18, 2022. According to the restitution order, Holmes and Balwani are responsible for $125 million in restitution to Murdoch, $40 million to Walgreens, and $14.5 million to Safeway.

Persons: Elizabeth Holmes, Sunny Balwani, Rupert Murdoch, Holmes, Daniel Richman, Evan Gotlob, Saul Ewing, Billy Evans, Justin Sullivan, Justice Department's, It's, Balwani, Insider's, Murdoch, Gotlob, There's Organizations: Morning, News Corp, Walgreens, Safeway, Forbes, Federal, Office, Columbia Law School, Justice, US, Prosecutors Locations: California, Arizona, Manhattan, Boston, Northern California

Reuters GraphicsIndia is among the world's top exporters of services, doubling its share in global services trade to over 4% from 2% in 2005, according to WTO estimates. Sunil Talati, president of government-aided Services Export Promotion Council, said total services exports could overtake goods exports in the next five years to $750 billion. A report by Knight Frank consultancy last week said demand for office space has risen sharply in smaller cities, driven by expanding operations of global accounting and multinationals, pushing up rents by up to 10%. Domestic accounting firms are also moving to smaller towns and raising wages. "With the Big Four and other global firms coming to our cities, we are going even deeper to open offices in smaller cities."

Persons: Ernst & Young, Diksha Mehta, Debasish Mishra, PwC, Padmaja Alaganandan, Narendra Modi, Sunil Talati, Swagatika Parmanik, Knight Frank, Kshitij Patel, Shah, Manoj Kumar, Kripa Jayaram, Sam Holmes Organizations: Business, Diksha, Reuters Graphics India, Deloitte, KPMG, Export Promotion Council, Reuters, PwC, IBM, Manubhai, Shah LLP, Thomson Locations: BHUBANESWAR, India, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Vadodara, Kochi, Chandigarh, Patiala, Australian, Europe, New Delhi, Asia, Odisha, Bhubaneswar, Gujarat, Ahmedabad

CNN —The student newspaper for Northwestern University said at least three former students of its football program detailed what it described as a pattern of racism from coaches and players. “I didn’t feel like I could be anything other than White,” former player Ramon Diaz Jr. said, according to the paper. Northwestern University announced Monday it had fired longtime head football coach Pat Fitzgerald. The move came after allegations of hazing within the Wildcats football program. One teammate asked him why he didn’t play soccer instead of football,” The Daily Northwestern’s reporting said.

Persons: “, Ramon Diaz Jr, White, Pat Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald, ”, ” Fitzgerald, didn’t, Schill “, Bryan Harlan, Dan Webb, Strawn, ’ Diaz, –, “ Diaz, ‘, Mayo ’, Jon Yates, Coach Fitzgerald, ” Yates Organizations: CNN, Northwestern University, The Daily, Wildcats, Winston, Strawn LLP, The, The Daily Northwestern, ‘ Cinco, Mayo, ” CNN, University Locations: The Daily Northwestern, Illinois, The Daily

☆ Steve Bannon ordered to pay nearly $500,000 in legal fees to firm that represented him in subpoena fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Kara Scannell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A New York judge has ordered Steve Bannon to pay his former attorneys nearly $500,000 in unpaid legal fees for work on various legal matters, including his fight against a subpoena by the congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack. In a six-page order issued Friday, Judge Arlene Bluth ordered Bannon to pay $480,487.87 in unpaid bills as well as “reasonable legal fees” to his former lawyers who brought the lawsuit. “Defendant cannot receive the benefit of plaintiff’s legal representation and then insist he need not pay for it. An attorney representing Bannon in the litigation over past legal fees did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bannon was convicted at trial of contempt of Congress for failing to respond to the subpoena and is appealing.

Persons: Steve Bannon, Davidoff Hutcher, Citron, Bannon, Arlene Bluth, ”, Bannon “, “, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, US, Southern, of, Manhattan Locations: York, of New York

☆ UK firms most upbeat in 10 months despite economic headwinds, survey shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - British companies were the most upbeat about their trading prospects in 10 months in June and their hiring plans increased again but rising interest rates could prompt consumers to rein in spending, according to a survey published on Sunday. Trade body Make UK and accountants BDO said their measure of business optimism hit its highest since August 2022, helped by the survey's gauge of inflation pressure dropping to its lowest in nearly two years. The survey's employment index posted its fifth consecutive monthly increase with rises in the number of self-employed and part-time workers, despite a slowdown in output growth with manufacturers seeing the worst output reading since May 2020. The Bank of England, which is trying to curb the highest inflation rate among the world's big rich countries, is worried about long-term price pressures in the labour market and it is widely expected to continue raising interest rates. Reporting by Suban Abdulla Editing by William SchombergOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Suban Abdulla, William Schomberg Organizations: ., BDO, BDO LLP, The Bank of England, Thomson

☆ Biden names two Republican nominees for FTC commissioner, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 3 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden has nominated Virginia Solicitor General Andrew Ferguson and Utah Solicitor General Melissa Holyoak to fill Republican slots at the Federal Trade Commission, the White House said Monday. The FTC "operates best at full strength, and I will look forward to working with them," she said. A native of Virginia, Ferguson has an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Holyoak is the Utah Solicitor General with the Utah Attorney General's Office. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Utah, as is her law degree.

Persons: Joe Biden, Andrew Ferguson, Melissa Holyoak, Lina Khan, Khan, Ferguson, Holyoak, Biden, Donald Trump's, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Chuck Grassley, Myers, Amgen's, Black Knight, Diane Bartz, Kanishka Singh, Eric Beech, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, U.S, Senate, FTC, Democratic, Facebook, Amazon.com, Albertsons, Senate Republican, University of Virginia, University of Virginia School of Law, Utah Attorney General's, Myers LLP, Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Center for, University of Utah, Activision, Horizon Therapeutics, Black, Thomson Locations: Utah, Virginia

☆ Odey Asset Management to move Adrian Courtenay's fund to Green Ash Partners -letter to investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - Odey Asset Management is in advanced talks to move its special situations fund managed by Adrian Courtenay to Green Ash Partners, said a letter to investors dated July 3. Green Ash Partners is a boutique investment manager based in Switzerland and the UK with over $1 billion in assets under management, according to its website. The discussions are subject to due diligence as well as board and regulatory approvals, the letter said. "Similar discussions are ongoing in relation to other funds managed by OAM LLP and we will provide further updates about all funds in due course," the letter said. Reporting by Nell Mackenzie; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Adrian Courtenay, Green, Crispin Odey, Odey, Nell Mackenzie, Chris Reese, Leslie Adler Organizations: Odey, Management, Green Ash Partners, redemptions, Financial Times, Tortoise Media, Thomson Locations: Switzerland

Edward Blum, the founder of the group that brought Thursday's Supreme Court case, made it clear in a statement that he would be watching schools' reaction closely. But such programs could draw legal challenges claiming that schools are simply using other criteria as a substitute for race. A divided appeals court rejected the parents' claim, but many legal observers say the Supreme Court could choose to take up the case. Some employment lawyers also warned that Thursday's decision, while focused on colleges, nevertheless could encourage more legal challenges to corporate diversity and inclusion programs. But in practice, corporate programs can sometimes give the appearance of granting preferences to particular groups, and the Supreme Court ruling could fuel opposition to them, said Krissy Katzenstein, a partner at Baker McKenzie in New York who represents employers.

Persons: McKenzie, John Roberts, Roberts, Dayna Bowen Matthew, George Washington, Brian Fitzpatrick, Edward Blum, Blum, Evan Caminker, Krissy Katzenstein, Baker McKenzie, Joseph Ax, Dan Wiessner, Tom Hals, Amy Stevens, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Baker, . Constitution, Vanderbilt University, University of Michigan, Companies, Thomson Locations: ., California, Virginia, New York

NEW YORK/LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) - Global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity fell 36% year-on-year in the second quarter, but investment bankers and lawyers expressed optimism that the stock market's recovery will gradually restore chief executives' dealmaking confidence. "Global uncertainty is what is impacting M&A most - it just makes people uncomfortable. It's easier to say, I'll pass on a deal - nobody gets fired for passing on a deal. M&A volumes in the United States declined by 30% to $318.4 billion, while Europe and Asia Pacific volumes shrank 49% and 24% respectively. Not a single so-called mega-deal, which typically refers to transactions worth over $25 billion, was signed during the quarter.

Persons: Michael Aiello, Weil, Raymond McGuire, Steve Baronoff, Bunge, John Collins, Morgan Stanley, there’ll, Ethan Klingsberg, Deringer, Manolo Falco, Scott Miller, Sullivan, Cromwell, Howard Ellin, Flom, Dwayne Lysaght, Eric Schiele, Kirkland, Ellis, Anirban Sen, Andres Gonzalez, Stephen Coates Organizations: Manges LLP, Lazard Ltd, Bank of America, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Magellan Midstream Partners, Viterra Ltd, Carrier Global, Investment, Citigroup Inc, JPMorgan Chase, Antitrust, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Horizon Therapeutics, Thomson Locations: United, Europe, Asia, Skadden, Slate, New York, London

Reverse discrimination lawsuits are common, but there is little court precedent on the legality of whole diversity programs. The Supreme Court in a 1979 ruling upheld a chemical company's policy that at least half of its trainees for skilled craft positions be Black. By calling out specific admissions policies, such as giving "pluses" to minority students, the court's decision is likely to embolden critics who claim workforce diversity programs similarly give unfair advantages to certain groups. The Pfizer case was brought by Do No Harm, a conservative activist group that has challenged several diversity programs in healthcare. Those broad policies are likely insulated from legal challenges, according to Doug Brayley, a Boston-based partner at law firm Ropes & Gray.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Gray, Thursday’s, John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, “, ”, Dan Morenoff, George Floyd, Andrea Lucas, Lucas, Donald Trump, Roberts, Edward Blum, Blum, Doug Brayley, ” Brayley, Daniel Wiessner, Alexia Garamfalvi, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Harvard University, University of North, REUTERS, American Civil Rights, Opportunity Commission, Republican, Democratic, Pfizer Inc, Pfizer, Conservative, Gray, Thomson Locations: University of North Carolina, Washington , U.S, Boston, Albany , New York

WASHINGTON, June 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was among those affected by a wide-ranging hack centered on a piece of software called MOVEit Transfer, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. The report comes as the hackers behind the massive breach claimed credit for stealing data from two major law firms, Kirkland & Ellis LLP and K&L Gates LLP. Kirkland and K&L did not immediately return messages left after hours. The group has previously insisted it doesn't deliberately steal data from government organizations, but that doesn't mean that data hasn't been compromised. Bloomberg cited a person familiar with the incident at HHS as saying that tens of thousands of records could have been exposed.

Persons: Ellis, cl0p, Gates, Kirkland, doesn't, Cl0p didn't, Jon Clay, TrendMicro, Raphael Satter, Lincoln Organizations: U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, Bloomberg, Kirkland, Gates, HHS, Progress Software, Thomson Locations: Russian

[1/2] A worker arrives at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, October 1, 2013. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan/File PhotoWASHINGTON, June 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was among those affected by a wide-ranging hack centered on a piece of software called MOVEit Transfer, a source at HHS said on Wednesday. "While no HHS systems or networks were compromised, attackers gained access to data by exploiting the vulnerability in the MOVEit Transfer software of third-party vendors," a health department official familiar with the matter said. Hackers behind the massive breach also claimed credit for stealing data from two major law firms, Kirkland & Ellis LLP and K&L Gates LLP. Kirkland and K&L did not immediately return messages left after hours.

Persons: James Lawler Duggan, Ellis, cl0p, Gates, Kirkland, doesn't, Cl0p didn't, Jon Clay, TrendMicro, Raphael Satter, Lincoln Organizations: Department of Health, Human Services, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S . Department of Health, HHS, Kirkland, Gates, Bloomberg, Progress Software, Thomson Locations: Washington, Russian

Law Firms Fenwick & West LLP FollowJune 28 (Reuters) - Bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX sued one of its former top lawyers, accusing him of aiding fraud by company founder Sam Bankman-Fried and silencing whistleblowers who reported wrongdoing at the company. A lawyer for Friedberg and a spokesperson for FTX did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Bankman-Fried has been criminally charged in federal court in Manhattan with stealing billions in FTX customer funds to plug holes at the Alameda hedge fund and fund speculative investments. Friedberg served as an adviser to Bankman-Fried and his companies while working at law firm Fenwick & West. He became an in-house attorney at both FTX and Alameda in 2020.

Persons: FTX, Sam Bankman, Daniel Friedberg, Friedberg, cryptocurrency Friedberg, Bankman, Fried, Fenwick, Andrew Goudsward, David Bario Organizations: Fenwick, Bankruptcy, Alameda Research, Friedberg, FTX, Reuters, West, Thomson Locations: Delaware, FTX, Alameda, Manhattan, U.S

The deal fits the Italian group's plan to increase the share of gas in its total hydrocarbon production and is expected to boost its earnings immediately, Eni said in a statement. Eni, which is controlled by the Italian government, owns 63% of Vaar and is the main beneficiary of cash dividends from the Oslo-listed unit. VAAR EXPANDING IN NORWAYUnder the agreement, Eni will acquire Neptune's entire portfolio other than its operations in Germany and Norway. The German operations will be carved out prior to the Eni transaction and the Norwegian operations will be acquired by Vaar directly from Neptune in a separate deal, the two groups said in a statement. The Vaar transaction will close immediately prior to the Eni deal with the proceeds from the Norway sale remaining with the business purchased by the Italian group.

Persons: Italy's Eni, Eni, Claudio Descalzi, Descalzi, Vaar, Torger Roed, Rothschild, Ernst, Young, Shadia Nasralla, Terje Solsvik, Alvise Armellini, Jason Neely, Simon Cameron, Moore, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Eni, MILAN, Italy's, Neptune Energy, Vaar Energy, LNG, Eni's Gas, Royal Bank of Canada's, Neptune, China Investment Corporation, Carlyle Group, CVC Capital Partners, HSBC, White, Case, Thomson Locations: Europe, Algeria, Indonesia, Milan, Russia, Oslo, Norway, Vaar, NORWAY, Germany, Norwegian, Neptune, Neptune Norway, Italian, Britain, Netherlands, LNG, London

Law Firms Fenwick & West LLP FollowNEW YORK, June 23 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday denied Sam Bankman-Fried's push to get a law firm that advised his now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange to hand over documents he says can help him beat fraud charges. The onetime billionaire, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing from FTX customers and lying to investors and lenders, last month said the documents could prove he relied on legal advice from Silicon Valley law firm Fenwick & West and did not believe he was breaking the law. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is overseeing Bankman-Fried's case, in a written order on Friday called the request for a subpoena a "fishing expedition." A spokesman for Bankman-Fried, 31, declined to comment. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fenwick, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Luc Cohen, Mark Porter Organizations: Fenwick, West, U.S, District, Thomson Locations: U.S, Silicon Valley, New York

☆ We just learned the identities of the 2 bail guarantors keeping George Santos out of jail
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

A judge has unsealed the identities of George Santos's mysterious bail sponsors. A third bail guarantor never came forward, a judge wrote. Additional identifying information in the bond documents remains sealed. US Magistrate Judge Anne Shields allowed them to be bail sureties anyway because they "agreed to be personally responsible" for Santos. If anything, Seybert wrote, Santos has drawn even more attention to their identities — giving more reason to make them public.

Persons: George Santos's, They're, Santos's, —, Gercino Antônio dos Santos, Elma Santos Preven, Santos, haven't, Anne Shields, Shields, Joanna Seybert, Davis Wright Tremaine, Ghislaine Maxwell —, Jeffrey Epstein, he'd, Joseph Murray, Seybert, Goldman Sachs, Murray, George Santos, Lokman Vural, Getty Images Murray, you'll, Defendant's, Seth Wenig, Samuel Bankman, Lewis Kaplan, who's, Kaplan, Larry Kramer, Andreas Paepcke, Kramer, Paepcke Organizations: Service, Congressional, US, World Trade Center, Citigroup, Goldman, Baruch College, New York University, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, AP, Stanford University Locations: New York, Washington, York, Brazil, Central Islip , New York, Central Islip

Violations were found in 25-50% of audits reviewed, depending on the audit standard at issue, the SEC said. "Marcum neglected its essential gatekeeper function in service to its own growth," said SEC Chair Gary Gensler in a statement. The SEC found the deficiencies were not limited to Marcum's SPAC clients. In addition to the civil penalty, settlement requires Marcum undertake remedial actions including hiring an independent consultant to review its policies procedures and to abide by certain restrictions when taking on new clients. Reporting by Chris Prentice; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marcum, Nikola, Gary Gensler, Chris Prentice, Conor Humphries Organizations: Nikola, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, SPACs, Marcum, DraftKings Inc, Thomson

☆ Allied to sell UDC portfolio to KDDI Corp for C$1.35 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 21 (Reuters) - Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (AP_u.TO) on Wednesday said it has entered into an agreement to sell its urban datacenter portfolio to Japanese telecommunications provider KDDI Corporation (9433.T) for C$1.35 billion ($1.02 billion). The portfolio comprises Toronto's 151 Front Street West and 905 King Street West, along with a leasehold interest in 250 Front Street West. Allied will use around C$1 billion of the sale proceeds to retire debt and the balance to fund its upgrade and development activity over the remainder of 2023 and into 2024, the company said. Scotiabank, CBRE and Aird & Berlis LLP are advisers to Allied for the transaction, while BofA Securities, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and Nishimura & Asahi are acting as advisers to KDDI. ($1 = 1.3222 Canadian dollars)(This story has been corrected to change to Canadian dollar from U.S. dollar throughout and adds conversion)Reporting by Pratyush Thakur in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil and Pooja DesaiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Berlis, Borden Ladner Gervais, Pratyush Thakur, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Pooja Desai Organizations: Real, Investment Trust, KDDI Corporation, King Street, West, Scotiabank, BofA Securities, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Nishimura, Asahi, Thomson Locations: CBRE, Bengaluru

☆ Hunter Biden's jail-free plea deal isn't the end of his legal troubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Hunter Biden's criminal plea deal still needs approval from a judge — which isn't guaranteed. The plea deal, however, still must be approved by a judge. Most plea deals skate through court without any problems, but judges do occasionally reject plea deals in high-profile cases. With a plea deal, prosecutors bind themselves to recommend a particular sentence. It's unusual for a judge to reject a plea deal if the sentencing recommendations are too harsh.

Persons: Hunter, Biden, —, Hunter Biden isn't, Delaware —, Donald Trump —, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Ahmaud, Sarah Krissoff, Pitney, it's, Neama Rahmani, Rahmani, Jill Biden, Ashley Biden, Patrick Semansky, Krissoff, aren't, It's, Department's, David Weiss, Susan Walsh, Randy Zelin, Wilk Auslander, Zelin, He's, he's Organizations: Prosecutors, Service, Department, Washington Post, Pitney LLP, United States, West, AP, Republicans, Congress, Justice Department, Wilk, US, Biden Locations: Delaware, Manhattan, Ukrainian, Ukraine

Law Firms Duane Morris LLP FollowJune 20 (Reuters) - David Weiss, the top federal prosecutor in Delaware, wrapped up the most closely watched investigation of his career on Tuesday when U.S. President Joe Biden’s son Hunter agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax crimes. Weiss, 67, who was appointed to his post by Republican then-President Donald Trump, agreed to stay on the job into the Biden administration to complete a long-running probe into Hunter Biden’s finances. Hunter Biden, 53, agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes and reached an agreement on a gun-related offense that could allow him to avoid a conviction, according to court filings. “I don’t think he’s thinking about the politics at all,” said Thomas Ostrander, who worked with Weiss at law firm Duane Morris. Weiss was nominated to be U.S. attorney in Delaware by Trump in 2018 with the support of Delaware’s two Democratic U.S. senators.

Persons: Duane Morris, David Weiss, Joe Biden’s, Hunter, Weiss, Donald Trump, Biden, Hunter Biden, “, ”, Thomas Ostrander, “ He’s, James Comer, General Merrick Garland, Obama, Weiss ’, Anne Marie Fahey, Delaware's, Ostrander, Delaware’s, Christopher Tigani, Andrew Goudsward, David Bario, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Republican, Democratic, U.S, Trump, Democratic U.S, Reuters, Politico, Wilmington Trust, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Delaware, China

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