Showing results for: “FTC policy statement unfair methods of competition”
Lay *and* Skilling Found Guilty
See here! Skilling was found guilty of 19 counts (incl. conspiracy, fraud, false statements and insider trading). Lay was found guilty on 6 counts (fraud and conspiracy). I imagine both men will make model prisoners, although Lay might be the better prisoner, since he is very good at closing his eyes to bad things and ... Lay *and* Skilling Found Guilty
Vonage IPO flop magnifies FWP snafu.
As you’ve probably heard, Vonage’s IPO was a flop. It closed down 12.6% from its IPO price of $17. This represented the weakest first day performance of an IPO in nearly two years. It also greatly magnifies the apparent technical violations of the Securities Act I blogged about yesterday (see here). As Voange disclosed in ... Vonage IPO flop magnifies FWP snafu.
Lawyer Licensing: Where's the Data?
Larry Ribstein and Jonathan Wilson are discussing the merits of lawyer licensing at Point of Law. I am especially interested in the discussion of whether lawyer licensing actually protects consumers of legal services from dishonest and incompetent lawyers. Wilson argues that removal of lawyer licensing may well result in lower prices for legal services, but ... Lawyer Licensing: Where's the Data?
Some Reactions to FTC Report on "Gouging"
I posted on the FTC Report findings earlier. In sum, the FTC was able to identify only isolated and sporadic incidences of pricing behavior which were not explained by changes in supply and demand conditions at the local, regional, and national level. In addition, the FTC investigation did not reveal any antitrust violations. The reactions ... Some Reactions to FTC Report on "Gouging"
W$J Letters to the Editor; Organ Sales; Prostitution
You might have noticed that prostitution was on my list of things to talk about while blogging on truthonthemarket. Had I been blogging a decade ago, both prostitution *and* organ sales would have been on my list. You see, I have maintained for over a decade that the Supreme Court’s plurality opinion in Planned Parenthood v. ... W$J Letters to the Editor; Organ Sales; Prostitution
Vonage commits technical violation of Securities Act
I blogged earlier about Vonage taking advantage of recently liberalized SEC rules that allow the use of written marketing materials during the IPO waiting period (see here). Specifically, they emailed a letter to their customers regarding a directed share program. They then followed up the letter with a voicemail blast (see here). All this is ... Vonage commits technical violation of Securities Act
Defining Words
Words and their meanings can be tricky as an absolute matter; moreso when used as tools in the law. I have vague recollections of the interesting cases from first year contracts class where the contracting parties had gotten themselves all tied up by attributing differing meanings to the same words. Good times, good times. And the ... Defining Words
The FTC Report on Price Gouging (And Its Absence)
The Federal Trade Commission was directed to investigate the possibility of price gouging and manipulation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The FTC released its 222 page report today (HT: Antitrust Review). It is a comprehensive analysis of local, regional, and national prices before and after Katrina and Rita. One of the key tasks charged ... The FTC Report on Price Gouging (And Its Absence)
Anticompetitive Barriers to E-Commerce
GMU Law, the Mercatus Center, and the Journal of Law, Economics, and Policy are sponsoring a symposium on this topic Wednesday at Hazel Hall (the law school building) at GMU. The symposium has a nice mix of economic research and legal analysis. It looks very interesting and includes a keynote address by Kenneth Starr. The ... Anticompetitive Barriers to E-Commerce
Shareholder vs. Stockholder
Along the lines of the last paragraph of this post, when I was a second year law firm associate I drafted a brilliant “Comparison of Rights� section for an S-4 registration statement as required under Reg S-K, Item 1004(a)(2)(v). The section compared the rights of owners of common stock under Minnesota law and Delaware law. ... Shareholder vs. Stockholder
Rules.
I basically like rules. Rules, laws, parameters, boundaries. I tend to be more of a visual thinker, so rules allow me to create mental boxes into which I can visually put ideas. And, setting aside my own cognitive style, rules keep the world organized. We all know what to expect from each other if we ... Rules.
Economic Illiteracy of the Week?
Via Ted Frank at Point of Law, the House has overwhelmingly passed a price gouging bill that will not help consumers, but on the bright side, is likely to provide a fresh example for microeconomics instructors teaching the consequences of price controls. The award for economic illiteracy of the week goes to the whole House, ... Economic Illiteracy of the Week?
