Legal News

The Ballard Spahr Zoning and Land Use Team is continuing to monitor all aspects of the Philadelphia land use approval process during the COVID-19 emergency, including the issuance of zoning and building permits, regulation of construction work, and changes to relevant court filing deadlines....By: Ballard Spahr LLP

The first half of 2020 has presented governments, business and individuals with an unprecedented set of circumstances to grapple with. As thoughts start to turn towards emerging from the crisis, people around the world have started to consider what the “new normal” will look like. As they do so, what is increasingly apparent, is that there will be clear winners and losers arising from this war against an invisible and elusive enemy....By: Bracewell LLP

Abry Partners has acquired HealthEZ, according to a news release. HealthEZ, founded in 1982 and based in Minneapolis, is an independent, third-party administrator of employer-sponsored, self-funded medical plans....By: McGuireWoods LLP

In a year of many firsts, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Bureau of Competition published new Vertical Merger Guidelines on June 30, 2020 (Guidelines) — the first set of such guidance since 1984. These finalized Guidelines are meant to incorporate and respond to the public comments solicited on a draft version of the guidelines published by the agencies in January 2020....By: Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) previously issued a restart guidance for resumption of construction. Pursuant to the guidance, construction projects subject to permits issued by the DOB, or otherwise regulated by the New York City Construction Codes and the New York City Electrical Code, may proceed provided such projects comply with the Interim Guidance for Construction Activities During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency issued by New York State.   The initial 30-day...By: R...

On July 3, 2020, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) released the Second Edition of their Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “Resource Guide”). As reported on previously... the Resource Guide was originally released in November 2012. The second edition consists of a compilation of information and analysis regarding the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), including the statutory requirements of the FCPA, and u...

Businesses around the world have been substantially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are likely to be managing the effects and remaining uncertainties for some time. In this context, we expect to see a shift in risk allocation in the European private M&A market to deal protection mechanisms more synonymous with a buyer’s market and specific provision for COVID-19, such as tailored warranties and covenants. Please see full Publication below for more information....By: Orrick, Herrington & ...

The Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice this week announced the final version of their first jointly-issued Vertical Mergers Guidelines (the “Guidelines”).  The Guidelines were issued along a party-line vote, with the three Republican FTC Commissioners and the Republican-led DOJ supporting the Guidelines and the two Democratic FTC Commissioners vehemently opposing them....By: Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

Reaction to recent trial losses; focus of enforcement will remain on mergers between competitors - On June 30, the US Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission published new Vertical Merger Guidelines clarifying the analytical framework the agencies use to evaluate transactions between companies that are not current or potential future competitors – so-called "vertical" transactions....By: Cooley LLP

On June 30, 2020, in an en banc opinion authored by Justice Karen L. Valihura, the Supreme Court of Delaware reversed the Delaware Court of Chancery’s dismissal of a stockholder lawsuit arising out of the merger between Towers Watson & Co. (“Towers”) and Willis Group Holdings Public Limited Company (“Willis”). City of Fort Myers Gen. Emps.’ Pension Fund v. Haley, C.A. 2018-0132-KSJM (Del. June 30, 2020). As we discussed in our prior post, plaintiffs, who had been stockholders of Towers, al...