| Employees' Duty of Loyalty |
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| Generally, an employee owes the duty of undivided loyalty to his or her employer. Courts take varying approaches to the issue of an employee's duty of loyalty. Some jurisdictions do not acknowledge a separate cause of action for an employee's breach of loyalty unless there is a fiduciary relationship between the employer and the employee. The claim is usually pleaded as a breach of a fiduciary duty. Some jurisdictions recognize a separate claim for an employee's breach of the duty of loyalty but also acknowledge its relationship to a fiduciary breach. A common thread in all jurisdictions is that employees who occupy a position of trust and confidence owe their employers a higher duty of loyalty than lower-level employees. The scope of the duty of loyalty depends on the particular fact circumstances and the nature of the employment relationship.
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| Director and Officer Liability under ERISA |
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| Under ERISA, ''employers'' must make all necessary contributions to multi-employer pension plans pursuant to the plans' terms or the terms of a collective bargaining agreement. Every employee benefit plan must have a funding procedure and fully explain how and under what circumstances payments are to be made to the plan. If these responsibilities are not carried out or carried out in an untimely manner, a civil enforcement action can be brought against the plan or the employer. An "employer" is defined as "any person acting directly as an employer, or indirectly in the interest of an employer, in relation to an employee benefit plan.
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| Injunctive Relief Under Federal Antitrust Laws |
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| Injunctions may be sought to prevent a violation of federal antitrust laws from occurring or to halt an ongoing violation of the federal antitrust laws. Section 15 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C.S. § 25, provides for injunctions sought by the government. The section gives U.S. District Courts jurisdiction to prevent and restrain violations of the Clayton Act and directs U.S. Attorneys, under the supervision of the Attorney General, to file actions seeking to prevent and restrain the violations. Section 16 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C.S. § 26, authorizes "any person, firm, corporation, or association" to seek injunctive relief against threatened loss or damage by a violation of the antitrust laws. More... |
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| Sales of Foreign Options and Futures to U.S. Customers |
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| The United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulates the offer and sale of foreign futures and options contracts to customers in the United States. Part 30 of rules of the Commission requires that sellers of such contracts must register with the Commission or seek an exemption from registration and that any seller, whether or not registered, must not engage in fraudulent activities. More... |
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| Section 31 or SEC Transaction Fees |
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| Under Section 31 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C.S. § 78ee, the Securities and Exchange Commission recovers costs of regulating securities markets and transactions. Section 31 fees, which exceeded $1 billion in 2004, are "designed to recover the costs to the Government of the supervision and regulation of securities markets and securities professionals, and costs related to such supervision and regulation, including enforcement activities, policy and rulemaking activities, administration, legal services, and international regulatory activities." 15 U.S.C.S. § 78ee(a). More... |
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