Category: Student Blog

The FTC’s Attempts to Limit Merger and Acquisitions Over-broad Non-competes

BY: Conner Ahler, RBFL Editor The Federal Trade Commission blocked a non-compete agreement between two firms in the process of selling and purchasing gas stations in response to pressure from the Executive Branch to increase competition in the American economy. Employment non-compete agreements are usually the type under such scrutiny, making this action unique. The […]

Regulation of the Metaverse

BY: Harrison Hayne, RBFL Editor While speculation about the metaverse has cooled in recent months, it is doubtful that the metaverse will bow out quietly given the billions of dollars invested in its success by major technology players. A multitude of metaverse platforms are still hoping to use the metaverse to transition the human experience […]

U.K. Pension Industry’s Reliance on LDIs

BY: Chelsea Wong, RBFL Editor On September 23rd, 2022, Former Prime Minister Liz Truss shook the entirety of the United Kingdom with an announcement of a budget plan. That budget plan was set to abolish the 45% income tax rate of U.K.’s highest earners and deregulate other industries. Before people had time to argue or […]

Insider Trading by Members of Congress

BY: Tyler Bial, RBFL Student Editor With the ever-increasing polarization of American politics, both sides of the aisle have amplified their calls to restrict congressional insider trading in recent years. While Congress passed the STOCK Act in 2012 as an attempt to combat congressional insider trading, the STOCK Act is widely regarded as a failed […]

What is Rule 17 and Rule 17a-4?

BY: Imara Joroff, RBFL Student Editor In 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reached a record number of ordered money totaling $6.4 billion. This same year, the SEC reached a $1.8 billion settlement with sixteen firms for repeated violations on Rule 17a-4 – Texting Scandals. Rule 17a-4 details the “manner and length of time […]

SEC Rule 14a-8: Should the SEC Narrow the Grounds on Which Registered Issuers May Exclude Shareholder Proposals?

BY: Joseph Brav, RBFL Student Editor SEC Rule 14a-8[i] requires corporations to include eligible shareholders’ proposals in their proxy materials to be voted on at the next shareholder meeting. However, 14a-8 has various exceptions that corporations can rely on to exclude shareholder proposals. 14a-8’s most controversial exception is known as the “ordinary business exception,” which […]

Finfluencers, Meme Stocks, and Regulatory Response

BY: Megan R. Miller, RBFL Student Editor “Finfluencer” activity has exploded in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Bloomberg Wealth, “finfluencers” are online personalities who share financial advice, particularly on social media. Social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are full of young people offering investment, budgeting, and other financial advice […]

Robinhood IPO – Continued Regulatory Issues After Going Public

BY: Aspen Schneider, RBFL Student Editor Throughout its eight years of operation, Robinhood has faced many problems. The company has been penalized by multiple regulatory bodies for a variety of offenses. In response to the penalties, Robinhood has made hopeful additions to the board of directors and made various improvements within the platform. However, regardless […]