Its incredible how every business discussion these days centers on China. While the U.S. and Europe struggle to get things moving, China continues to dominate the world's leading economic indicators. GNP. check. GDP. check. FDI. check. As more U.S. companies shift production to China, competitive forces have upped the ante for businesses to deliver the best price … [Read more...]
The Ultimate Hidden Fee: U.S. Based Multinational Companies Face $122 Billion Tax Burden Under Proposed Bill
And Why Relocating to Switzerland May be the Best Corporate Strategy There’s nothing more annoying than finding hidden fees buried deep inside obtuse and mangled contract language. The only thing worse than finding hidden fees is learning about these punishing provisions from someone else—after you’ve signed the agreement. If you thought hidden fees … [Read more...]
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: SEC Switches Position and Issues Disclosure Guidance on Material Risks Impacting International Climate Change Accords.
SEC Wants to Know: Is Your Carbon Footprint a "Material Risk" to International Climate Change Agreements? Climate Change is a red hot area right now and is a top priority of discussion this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. It seems that everyone is throwing their hat into the ring in one way or another. Now the Securities and … [Read more...]
The Great Firewall of China: How Lessons from the Apartheid Era Can Lift the Information Curtain
Corporate Codes of Conduct Played a Major Role in the Collapse of Apartheid in South Africa and Are a Viable Means to End Digital Censorship in China. The remarks of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday that “we stand for a single Internet where all of humanity has equal access to knowledge and ideas” echoed the stern tone of Ronald Reagan … [Read more...]
Minimize Corporate Governance Issues in Closely-held Corporations with Multiple Large Shareholders
A must read study examining corporate governance issue in closely-held corporations was recently published by the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation. Closely-held Corporations Integral part of Global Economy The study is important to business owners and shareholders all over the world given the integral role closely-held corporations play … [Read more...]
2010 Index of Economic Freedom Released: United States Ranks Eighth
The Wall Street Journal and the Heritage Foundation released its annual 2010 Index of Economic Freedom. Of the world's 20 largest economies, Hong Kong ranked first while the U.S. came in at number eight. According to the Wall Street Journal article, The U.S. is Not as Free as It Used to Be, a number of factors contributed to the United States’ … [Read more...]
2009 Corruption Perception Index Released: Can You Guess Where the U.S. Ranked?
They say timing is everything. Following on the heels of my last post about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, comes Transparency International's hot-off-the-presses 2009 Corruption Perception Index The Index focuses on corruption in the public sector and uses surveys to establish how much corruption is perceived to exist within the country. This year's worst included … [Read more...]
SEC Steps Up Enforcement of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Is Your Company Ready?
Last month, I was honored to attend a press conference and speak with Robert F. Kennedy’s daughter, Kerry Kennedy, founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights. The press conference centered on Mrs. Kennedy’s recent tour of the toxic drilling sites in the Amazon province of Sucumbios in Ecuador in connection with the ongoing Chevron … [Read more...]