Authored Articles

Maybe at one time your company was reporting to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and your company’s stock was listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ). You were relieved when the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act allowed you to terminate your SEC registration, even though it meant that your stock could no longer be listed on NASDAQ.

During the past three years, a significant number of community banks and their holding companies (collectively, banks) throughout the United States elected to “go dark” by taking advantage of a provision in The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act). These banks were able to suspend their reporting obligations under Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) and deregister with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) because they had fewer than 1,200 shareholders of record.

In December 2014, Congress modified portions of Dodd-Frank to provide additional opportunities to reduce the regulatory burden on community banks. In response to this legislation, on January 29, 2015 the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) requested comment on several related proposals (and an interim rule) focused primarily on increasing the number of holding companies eligible for the reduced reporting and other requirements under the “small” holding company exclusion.

Adam Sherman, a partner in the Vorys Cincinnati office and a member of the litigation group, authored an article for Law360 titled “Not All That Is Public Should Be Publicized.”

For decades, estate planners have been using trusts to help their clients save estate taxes.

Monica Oathout, a partner in the Vorys Houston office and a member of the labor and employment group authored an article titled “Religious Liberties and LGBT Rights.”

Paige Kohn, an associate in the Vorys Columbus office, authored an article for Columbus C.E.O. titled “How Businesses Can Avoid Legal Risks of Utilizing Social Media.” The story highlighted the pros and cons of the use of social media in the workplace.

Monica Oathout, a partner in the Vorys Houston office and a member of the labor and employment group authored an article titled “Religious Discrimination and Same Sex Marriage.”

Whitney Gibson, the leader of the firm’s internet defamation practice, authored an article for Social Media Explorer titled “Strategies for Legally Generating and Monitoring Online Reviews.”

Whitney Gibson, the leader of the firm’s internet defamation practice, authored a column, which was titled “Think You're Onto the Apps Your Kids are Into?,” for WCPO.com.

Whitney Gibson, the leader of the firm’s internet defamation group, a Jordan Cohen, a member of the internet defamation group, authored an article for Privacy Law360 titled “FTC Is Cracking Down On 'Revenge Porn.’”

As the new year is in full swing, you may or may not have ditched your resolutions by now.

We hope you and your family enjoyed a happy holiday season. We’re writing to introduce you to a new e-newsletter we will begin publishing next week.

Justin Roberts, partner in the litigation group in the Cleveland office, and Sean Purcell, a partner in the corporate group in the Washington, D.C. office, authored an article for Crain’s Cleveland Business titled “Don’t Buy an FCPA Problem in an Overseas Deal.”

Ashley Manfull, an associate in the Vorys Akron office and a member of the labor and employment group, authored an article for Crain’s Cleveland Business regarding employee performance improvement plans (PIPs) and year-end reviews.

With 70 million-plus members, TripAdvisor has developed a reputation as a well-trusted source for information and trip planning options for hotels, restaurants, and various attractions. Of course, like any website, TripAdvisor is not free of false or otherwise fraudulent reviews.

Bret Treier co-authored Mergers and Acquisitions for Distributors: Expert Advice for Buyers and Sellers.

Margaret Everett, of counsel in the Vorys Cleveland office and member of the litigation group, authored an article for Crain’s Cleveland Business titled “Workers' Compensation Fraud Investigations: Old School Meets New Tools.”

Whitney Gibson, the leader of the firm’s internet defamation group, and Jordan Cohen, an associate in the internet defamation group, co-authored an article for Travel Law Quarterly titled “New York Hotel’s Policy Against Negative Online Reviews Backfires.”

Following an extended dry spell for de novo bank applications, in what could be interpreted as a gesture to “kick-start” de novo conversations, the FDIC issued in November a somewhat “out of the blue” financial institutions letter (FIL-56-2014) containing a series of Q&As relating to procedural issues surrounding applications for deposit insurance.