Saturday, November 27, 2010

36th Annual Securities Law Moot Court Competition Seeks Teams and Judges

When I was a law student Moot Court competitions were a big part of my legal education. I participated in two competitions at our school, authored and co-chaired another, and represented my school at a national competition in North Carolina. I also severed on our Moot Court Executive Board in my third year, and believe that the entire experience enhanced my law school education.

I have participated as a judge in the past at my law school, but was pleased to be asked to participate in Fordham Law School's Securities Law Moot Court Competition. I also learned that the competition is a CLE opportunity. From March 25 to March 27, Fordham Law School’s Moot Court Board will host the Thirty-Sixth annual Irving R. Kaufman Kaufman Memorial Securities Law Competition. The Competition has a rich tradition of bringing together complex securities law issues, top competitors from across the country, and esteemed jurists, academic, and practitioners. This year, the final round will feature an impressive panel: Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh (D.C. Cir.), Judge Paul J. Kelly, Jr. (10th Cir.), Judge Boyce F. Martin, Jr. (6th Cir.), S.E.C. Commissioner Troy A. Paredes, and Judge Richard A. Posner (7th Cir.). If you are a student or affiliated with a law school, there are still a few spots available for competitors – but act fast because registration closes December 6, 2010!

The Moot Court Board is seeking practitioners to serve as preliminary round judges, on March 25th and 26th, and grade competitor briefs, from February 21 to March 7. Participation is welcome from anyone with interest, with all levels of experience, whether in litigation, transactions, securities, finance, in-house, or public service. And CLE credit is available.

Additional information and online sign-up is available at law.fordham.edu/kaufmanjudge. If you have any questions, please contact Gabriel Gillett, Kaufman Editor, at kaufmanmc@law.fordham.edu or (212) 636-6882.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

TSA Workers Complain of Abuse

Great collection of clips and comments from Instapundit. Apparently the gropers are being called “Molester, pervert, disgusting, an embarrassment, creep." While lashing out against a low paid worker for the outrageous policies of his employer may not be fair, what did they expect after conducting an unncessary and fruitless invasion of privacy? A thank you? Read the collection here...

A Sucker's Play -- Each $1 in Higher Taxes Results in $1.17 of New Spending

Linked from the Tax Professor Blog, and interesting reading even if you don't know a thing about taxes. Best line of the article - "Our research confirms what the late economist Milton Friedman said of Congress many years ago: 'Politicians will always spend every penny of tax raised and whatever else they can get away with.'" More...

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

More Merrill Brokers Suing BofA over Deferred Compensation

The fallout from the turmoil created for employees as the investment banks failed in 2008 continues. Brokers, traders, salespersons and other employees are suing over compensation which was denied to them, as the investment banks attempted to balance their books. Chicago Business is reporting that four former Merrill Lynch brokers in Chicago are suing Merrill Lynch, now owned by Bank of America Corp., to pay about $3 million in deferred compensation. According to the article, Merrill Lynch is again withholding deferred compensation from employees who left the firm. The brokers claim that they resigned from Merrill after the Bank of America merger, that the change in control constituted "good cause" under their employment agreements, entitling them to their deferred compensation. More...