Posts by associatemanagingeditor
Is the Corporate Forum Shopping Spree Coming to an End?
By: Parker Reynolds In June, Representatives Ken Buck (CO-04) and Zoe Lofgren (CA-19) introduced a bipartisan bill entitled the “Bankruptcy Venue Reform Act of 2021” as H.R. 4193.[1] The recently presented bill also gained traction and support in the Senate with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introducing an identical version as S.…
Read MoreLet the Games Begin . . . Or Not
By: Aya Abdellatif The investment world has seen unprecedented popularity lately with Robinhood and other apps aimed at new investors.[1] These apps often have bright colored screens, calculate the odds and potentials for certain investment outcomes, and can send congratulatory messages along with features such as confetti, when a user places a trade.[2] All of…
Read MoreRevolving Door Regulators: How the Tax Code is Written by Industry Lawyers & Attorneys
By: Carson Hicks The New York Times published an article last month describing a “revolving door” system between the Department of the Treasury and several top accounting firms.[1] It outlined nine specific instances where insiders, mostly lawyers from firms such as Deloitte and PwC, took senior regulatory positions in Treasury’s tax policy office, only to…
Read MoreLost in the Clouds: The Implications of the FTC’s Decision to Rescind the Vertical Merger Guidelines
By: Will Jackson On September 15, 2021, the Commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) voted to rescind the Vertical Merger Guidelines (“VMG”).[1] This decision represents a willingness by the agency to expand the scope of their enforcement actions and to disrupt the previous order of antitrust enforcement, while also creating ambiguity for businesses attempting…
Read MoreBlizzard in Hot Water for “Frat Boy Culture”
By: Alyssa Taylor Trigger Warning: sexual harassment, suicide. This summer, after two years of investigation, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) filed a lawsuit against the video game company Activision Blizzard (Blizzard).[1] DEFH’s complaint accused Blizzard, the creator of popular games World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Call of Duty of fostering a…
Read MoreSex, Money, & Politics: Big Tech Made FOSTA-SESTA Global for Sex Workers
By: Charli Vark The world’s oldest profession has thoroughly ensconced itself in the digital age.[1] Modern sex workers advertise online for any number of services, including mass distributed pornographic videos, anonymous steamy phone sessions, full-service sexual encounters, and more.[2] Many sex workers have escaped job-related violence and coercion by using the leverage of prolonged and…
Read MoreSolving the Internet’s Toll Bridge Problem by Reviving the Essential Facilities Doctrine
By: Louis Naiman Online commerce has a toll bridge problem.[1] Technology platforms, such as Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Apple, use their dominant market positions to impose economic chokepoints on third-party companies and consumers.[2] This past summer, however, the House Judiciary Committee passed a series of bills intended to introduce robust competition into online commerce.[3] To…
Read MoreHalf Baked: Not the Dave Chappelle Comedy . . . Ben & Jerry’s Opposes Trademark Applications Filed by Marijuana Company
By: Riva Smith On July 26, 2021, the iconic ice cream company, Ben & Jerry’s, filed a notice of opposition against a marijuana company, MJ Munchies, Inc. (“MJ”), with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”)[1]. MJ filed two applications in October 2018 seeking registration for the HALF-BAKED mark covering dessert items and beverages.[2] Ben…
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