Why ESG Matters for Big Law Firms
by Philip Chang Modern investors use myriad non-financial metrics to assess the economic sustainability of potential companies to invest in. One of the most relevant viability standards is Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”).[1] The “environment” factor in ESG refers to a company’s efforts to conserve the natural world. From a corporation’s perspective, this concerns a… Keep Reading
AS INFECTION RATES DECREASE, A NEW WAGE EMERGES: VACCINE MANDATES IN THE WORKPLACE
by Hannah Berookhim From smallpox to HIV, the United States is no stranger to disease outbreaks. But it seems COVID-19 has affected every aspect of American life more than any other virus to date. While the country by no means has the greatest number of COVID-19 deaths per capita, it does lead the world in… Keep Reading
SARE Debtors and the Post-COVID-19 Effect on the Efficient Market: How SARE Debtors Must Now Prepare for Bankruptcy Filings
by Shantal Malmed The COVID-19 pandemic initially caused a reduced cash flow making it difficult for landlords to make timely mortgage payments. As much of the workforce is now remote, tenant income has decreased, and the commercial and residential real estate markets have suffered. Landlords whose incomes stem from revenues produced by single residential properties,… Keep Reading
Tokenization of Real Estate: Revolutionizing Real Estate through Digitalization and Reduced Market Barriers
by Christina Mkrtchyan In an era of growing digitalization of markets, real estate is no exception. Since 2016, digitalizing real estate investments into tradeable tokens has revolutionized the industry by broadening market participation, automating middleman processes, increasing liquidity, and improving transparency. This article explores what tokenization is, how it works, its advantages and challenges, and… Keep Reading
The Effects of the GameStop Market Disruption
by Marquis Cardwell The GameStop market disruption has exposed the strength of self-directed investors and the power of online forums, which will force investment institutions to adapt their strategies to the rapidly growing market forces. This market disruption was spurred by r/wallstreetbets, a Reddit forum that actively targets stocks that have a possibility of exploiting… Keep Reading
Wind Energy ETFs and REITs for the Win(D)
By Lindsey Sporrer Introduction The United States is on track to realize the current administration’s goal of having 100% green electricity power the nation’s grid by 2035 and the more-ambitious goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.[1] Of the ways to achieve this green electricity goal including solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, eligible biomass, and low-impact small… Keep Reading
Community Credit Unions, California State Credit Unions, and Community Banks: American Bankers (2019) Reignites the Tax Exemption Debate and Highlights an Opportunity
By Johnathan Bender I. Introduction: Already serving over 122.3 million members throughout the United States and with over $1.5 trillion in assets, credit unions (CU) have successfully competed with both small and large commercial banks for consumers over many decades.[1] As the CU membership field requirements are being relaxed and the services offered are being… Keep Reading
DEMANDING DIVERSITY: MONEY TALKS
By Hailey Hoyt In the modern law firm, professional inclusivity should be a standard practice. Unfortunately, at this point in time, even with heightened awareness and expectations of diversity, firm demographics remain largely unchanged from a decade ago. Despite the longstanding, stagnant nature of firm demographics, sheer practicality now demands that firms diversify or be… Keep Reading
Will the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Start Regulating Commercial Lending to Small Businesses? A brief analysis of the current state of commercial regulation and evaluating its future
By Scott Natsuhara We now live in a world where we are accustomed to heavy disclosures and regulations in our daily banking transactions. It may be hard to believe that before the Frank-Dodd Act, opening a bank account or applying for a loan required only a fraction of the paperwork. Neither did applying for new… Keep Reading
The Shift Away from Traditional Commercial Real Estate Leasing
By Marquis Cardwell The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented economic and social consequences that have adversely affected how companies operate. Various stay-at-home orders implemented across the country forced companies to cease in-person operations while still being responsible for the obligations under their leases. According to a report conducted by Motus, approximately 11 billion square feet… Keep Reading