Kandel, Klitenic, Kotz & Betten, LLP, lawyers in Towson, MD, Maryland

Business Conduct Codes

Business Conduct Codes for New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Listed CompaniesMore...

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. More...

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Transfer agents and issuers of securities, pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code, may require a guarantee of the validity of the signature of the person transferring the securities in order to prevent a fraudulent transfer. The Securities and Exchange Commission has designated institutions that may issue such guarantees, and the Securities Transfer Association has developed the Medallion Signature program for those institutions to follow in guaranteeing signatures.More...

Formation and Operation of a Nonprofit Corporation

Nonprofit corporations are a useful tool for organizing for charitable, educational, religious, literary, or scientific purposes while reducing the risk of individual liability in accomplishing those goals. A nonprofit corporation is often referred to as a 501(c)(3) corporation due to the tax code provision under which most nonprofit corporations are considered exempt from federal taxation.More...

Restrictions on Short Sales of Securities

A short sale of a security is a sale of the security by an investor before the investor actually owns the security being sold. The investor profits if the value of the security declines between the time of the sale and the time of delivery of the security. Short sales may also allow an investor to lock in changes in value shares already held or to hedge against significant changes in value in securities.More...