Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Most states recognize that corporate directors and upper-level officers owe the corporation the duties of care, loyalty, and obedience. The duty to act in good faith has emerged in some jurisdictions as an equally important fiduciary duty imposed upon directors and officers. Historically, directors and officers were frequently exonerated of personal liability for business decisions because of courts' long-standing deference to the business decision under the business judgment rule or because the transaction was deemed fair to the corporation and its shareholders overall. In the wake of recent corporate scandals, however, officers and directors are under ever-increasing scrutiny by shareholders, the courts, state governments, and the federal government. Many corporate commentators bemoan the fact that conduct once protected under the business judgment rule may not be viewed with such deference in the future.

The Antitrust Exemption for Joint Newspaper Operating Arrangements

The Newspaper Preservation Act, 15 U.S.C.S. §§ 1801-1804, provides a limited exemption from antitrust laws for joint operating arrangements between newspapers in a particular locality. The objective of the legislation is to preserve independent reporting and editorial operations of the two newspapers while allowing shared production facilities that through a lowering of costs would allow both newspapers to survive.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board

Municipal bonds and other securities offerings by governmental entities generally are exempt from federal securities law registration requirements. However, information about such offerings is available from sources other than the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Trademark Law

(Federal False Advertising and False Designation of Origin Claims)

Duty of Loyalty: Confidentiality

The duty of loyalty prohibits a director from using her corporate position to obtain a personal profit or to gain a personal advantage. A director is privy to information that may not be known to others outside the corporate sphere. As part of the duty of loyalty, a director cannot take advantage of corporate information for her own personal interests.