PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS
EXPANDING THE CORPORATE OPPORTUNITY DOCTRINE
Important disclaimer: the contents are for general informativepurposes and do not constitute legal or other professional advice.Readers should seek legal or other professional advicein relation to any particular matters they may have Corporate opportunity doctrine is a legal principle rooted in case law which mandates that directors, officers and controlling shareholders......
EXPLORING THE RATIONALE BEHIND GLASS-STEAGAL
Readers, who have basic knowledge of the U.S. financial system history, have certainly heard about the famous “Glass-Steagall” Act, which was one of the measures enacted in response to the financial collapse experienced during great Depression. Due to conflict of interest concerns and due to incompatibility of high risk inherent......
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CORPORATE FIDUCIARY DUTIES: DECEPTIVE SIMPLICITY OF THE CONCEPT
Important disclaimer: the contents are for general informative purposes and do not constitute legal or other professional advice. Readers should seek legal or other professional advice in relation to any particular matters they may have. More than four centuries have passed since the first corporations ever were established and respectively......
CORPORATE CHRONICLE FROM DELAWARE
It is of no secret that Delaware is the go-to jurisdiction when it comes to registering business entities in the US. To understand the magnitude of Delaware’s popularity in this area consider two of the following facts: 1) the number of businesses registered in this state exceeds its overall population.......
APPLYING COACHING TOOLS TO PUBLIC POLICY OBJECTIVES
Industrial revolutions coupled with progression of capitalism and the competitive nature of human beings has led to a society that is more than ever obsessed with goal-setting, achievement and efficiency. No wonder a new profession known as coaching has emerged in the second half of the last century and has......
CSDR MANDATORY BUY-IN REGULATIONS: WHAT THE FALLINGS-OUT ARE ABOUT
Mandatory buy-ins are one of the most controversial rules in the EU Securities Market that are set to enter into force in the near future. Ever since their adoption, the regulators and the industry participants have been in strong disagreements about their effectiveness for ensuring the safety of securities settlement......
JUDGES, DISCRETION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Policymakers across the world have reached wide if not absolute consensus that courts are a key component to economic development. The OECD has long recognized the crucial role judicial systems play in determining economic performance by guaranteeing the security of property rights and the enforcement of contracts [1]. It occasionally......
COVID-19: Key measures taken by governments and central banks
Response to the coronavirus pandemic How Global Central Banks are Responding to COVID-19 When times get tough, central banks typically act as the first line of defense. However, modern economies are incredibly complex—and mishaps like the 2008 financial crisis have already pushed traditional policy tools to their limits. In response,......
Helicopter yes, or Helicopter no
Synopsis This is an unconventional monetary policy tool. It involves printing money and distributing it to the public. Imagine waking one morning to find extra cash in your account, a gift from your country’s central bank. But the concept of so-called helicopter money has been seriously debated by economists for......
World ‘may not have time’ to prepare for AI safety risks, says leading researcher – The Guardian
The world “may not have time” to prepare for the safety risks posed by cutting-edge AI systems, according to a leading figure at the UK government’s scientific research agency. David Dalrymple, a programme director and AI safety expert at the Aria agency, told the Guardian people should be concerned about......
German Unemployment Holds Steady as Economic Momentum Withers – WSJ
Germany’s unemployment rate held steady in the last month of 2025, though actual jobless numbers inched higher, signaling an economy that still lacks momentum. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.3% in December, where it has been since March, data from Germany’s Federal Employment Agency published Wednesday said, matching a......
Collapse of ‘zombie’ UK firms forecast to fuel unemployment in 2026 – The Guardian
The UK is poised for a rise in unemployment in 2026 fuelled by the collapse of “zombie” companies that have struggled to adapt to a rise in business costs, according to a report. At the start of what could be a pivotal year for the economy, the Resolution Foundation said......
Intel hopes its new chip can be the future of AI. An executive explains how – CNN
Intel, fresh off a historic investment from the Trump administration, has a plan to radically reshape the company’s strategy. And if you think it involves AI… You’re right. Once the dominant player in chips, Intel has struggled to keep pace with rivals over the past decade, ceding ground to Qualcomm......
UK construction hit by worst run since global financial crisis – The Guardian
Britain’s construction sector has recorded its worst run since the financial crisis almost two decades ago, with housebuilding mired in the deepest slump since the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020. UK construction output shrank for the 12th month in a row in December, the longest unbroken run of......
America’s economy looks set to accelerate – The Economist
“I think 2026 can be a very good year.” What could be a slurred festive toast is in fact the cheerful forecast of Scott Bessent, America’s treasury secretary, who expects the calendar’s turn to herald faster economic growth. His optimism has foundation. The effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill......
BEA Outlines Plans for More Catch Up on Inflation, GDP Data – WSJ
A Commerce Department agency laid out further plans to catch up on publishing economic data that was delayed by the fall’s government shutdown. The Bureau of Economic Analysis said Wednesday it will publish a report covering October and November personal income, consumer spending and personal-consumption expenditures inflation data on Thursday,......
What flying cars, quantum computing and fusion have in common – The Economist
FLYING CARS have been humanity’s dream since European futurists mused about them at the dawn of the automobile age in the late 19th century. Time and again humanity has been disappointed. “We wanted flying cars, instead we got 140 characters,” lamented Peter Thiel, a venture capitalist, in 2011. X, then......
The cost of AI slop could cause a rethink that shakes the global economy in 2026 – The Guardian
The US dictionary Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2025 was “slop”, which it defines as “digital content of low quality that is produced, usually in quantity, by means of artificial intelligence”. The choice underlined the fact that while AI is being widely embraced, not least by corporate bosses keen......
Investors head into 2026 remarkably optimistic – The Economist
As ever, the biggest question for investors to ponder over the coming year is an impossible one: are share prices set to soar or plunge? The answer will determine not only whether shareholders have a brilliant or dreadful time, but whether stockpickers have made winning choices and asset allocators have......
Employers Add 41K Jobs in December as Labor Market Rebounds – USNews
Employers added 41,000 jobs in December, according to a monthly survey of company hiring from private payroll processor ADP released on Wednesday. Economists had expected a gain of 45,000 jobs after November’s upwardly revised 29,000 loss. All of the gains came in the services sector, with education and healthcare adding......
Do Tariffs Cause Inflation? New Studies Offer Surprising Answer – WSJ
The highest tariffs in almost a century haven’t caused the massive surge in inflation many economists feared. But that shouldn’t have come as a surprise, according to two new studies. Economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco combed through data from 1886 to 2017 and found that previous......
UK economy entering 2026 amid sharp private sector downturn, says CBI – The Guardian
Business leaders have warned that Britain is entering 2026 amid a sharp economic downturn in the private sector, after companies “put the brakes on” investment and hiring before the autumn budget. In a gloomy snapshot after months of tax speculation, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said private sector output......
Deutsche Bank shares exceed book value for first time since 2008 – The Financial Times
Deutsche Bank shares have traded above their book value for the first time since the start of the global financial crisis, marking a milestone in the turnaround of Germany’s largest lender after years of legal setbacks, writedowns and restructuring. The stock rose to €33.95 in early trading on Monday, climbing......
OpenAI faces a make-or-break year in 2026 – The Economist
Sam Altman is like a juggler on a unicycle. Building all-knowing chatbots powered by cutting-edge artificial-intelligence models is too meek an ambition for OpenAI’s boss. To keep his audience rapt, he has thrown ever more balls into the air. Custom chips? Of course. E-commerce? Why not. Business consulting? Too easy.......
How the K-Shaped Economy Is Hurting Everyone But the Rich – Bloomberg
Talk of the K-shaped economy is brewing once again. The moniker first gained traction in 2020 to describe the divergence between how rich and poor Americans were experiencing the pandemic recovery. Now, with consumption increasingly concentrated in the top echelons of wage earners, economists are concerned that the US economy......
Despite a record year, airlines are grappling with big challenges – The Economist
Rovaniemi airport in Finland, gateway to the home of Father Christmas in Lapland, surpassed 1m arrivals for the first time in 2025. Airlines serving fans of reindeer and ice swimming are not the only ones breaking records. In 2025 the industry’s net profits will have hit an all-time high of......
US asset managers break M&A spending record – The Financial Times
US asset managers spent a record amount in 2025 on mergers and acquisitions as industry consolidation accelerated. The sector reported $38bn worth of transactions last year, more than double the total in 2024, according to market data provider LSEG. The number of deals in 2025 hit 378, the highest annual......
What to expect from stocks in 2026 – CNN
The S&P 500 just completed a three-peat of double-digit gains. Will 2026 be a four-peat? After three years of stellar gains, Wall Street widely expects the good times to keep rolling in 2026 — but with varied views on how much stocks will rally. Wall Street forecasts reviewed by CNN......
The K-shaped economy reigned in 2025. It’s not going away in 2026 – CNN
Marcus Satterfield has a good job in Virginia Beach and makes decent pay, and he has never really had to fret about providing for his young daughter – especially around the holidays.Normally, the living room would be flush with presents and toys. He’d host Christmas breakfast and dinner....
The Difference Between Generative AI And Traditional AI: An Easy Explanation For Anyone
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a buzzword across sectors for the last decade, leading to significant advancements in technology and operational efficiencies. However, as we delve deeper into the AI landscape, we must acknowledge and understand its distinct forms....
Corporate AI Is a Threat to Freedom
If AI remains under the control of profit-maximizing firms, liberal democracy could become an illusion. The public urgently needs to understand that freedom depends on defending human agency from incursions by machines designed to shape thinking and feeling in ways that favor corporate, rather than human, flourishing....
🎧PODCAST: Slop stars: why AI-generated content could help creators
In a world of infinite content, who wins and who loses? Our correspondent explains what the proliferation of AI-generated art means for human artists. What the prevalence of male-female friendships tell us about a society. And why you should propose with a yellow-gold ring....
Understanding Fintech: Enhancing Financial Services and Everyday Life
Financial technology, commonly known as fintech, revolutionizes how financial services are delivered and consumed. At its essence, fintech helps businesses, entrepreneurs, and consumers efficiently manage their financial activities, leveraging cutting-edge software and algorithms accessible via computers and smartphones....
What the Economy Is Really For — And Why Tariffs Miss the Point
The money to support well-paid American jobs exists—it’s just being hoarded at the top. Economist William Lazonick argues that this is not just unfair; it’s a failure of the whole economic system. For the last 40 years, millions upon millions of hard-working Americans have been clocking in, doing their part......
Five Structural Trends Transforming the Global Economy
Amid rising instability, powerful demographic, technological, and financial forces are steering the global economy toward greater uncertainty. The best-prepared decision-makers will be those who recognize the stakes early and adjust accordingly....
Law of Supply and Demand in Economics: How It Works
The law of supply and demand compares supplier preferences (i.e. supply) with consumer preferences (i.e. demand). All else being equal, supply rises while demand declines as the price increases. ...
Institutional Redesign for Economic Change
Economics now recognizes the importance of institutions for growth, as evidenced by the winners of the Nobel Prize in economics for the last two years. And yet, the institutions that comprise innovation systems have become semi-fossilized in many countries, and policymakers rarely think about how to reform them....
PODCAST: IPO dreams: tech’s surprising turn
Ahandpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. Several tech companies are rumoured to be pursuing blockbuster public deals. This interest is out of character....
GDP vs. GNP: What’s the Difference?
Gross domestic product (GDP) is the value of the finished domestic goods and services produced within a nation’s borders. Gross national product (GNP) is the value of all finished goods and services produced by a country’s citizens, domestically and abroad. GDP and GNP are calculated differently, but each represents the......
Will AI Kill the Firm?
For centuries, the firm has organized economic life, translating human labor into value through hierarchy and routine. But as agentic AI begins to perform the managerial work of coordinating and decision-making, the institutions that once defined modern capitalism are starting to give way....
How AI is changing banking without losing the human touch
Many people begin their day by talking to their phones, asking questions or receiving personalised suggestions – often without realising that they are interacting with artificial intelligence (AI). For example, someone may ask their iPhone, “Good morning, Siri. What’s the weather like today?” ...
Collateral: Definition, Types, and Examples
Collateral is a valuable asset that a borrower pledges as security for a loan, serving thus as a guarantee for the lender.For example, when a homebuyer gets a mortgage, the home serves as the collateral for the loan. For a car loan, the vehicle is the collateral. A business that......
Innovation that Works for Women
For decades, women have had to navigate systems and products that were not built with them in mind. Now, as research and investment finally begin to catch up, companies and investors need to recognize that meeting women’s needs is the right strategy for the bottom line....
PODCAST: Can 2026 match 2025?
What went right in 2025? What could go wrong in 2026? Recorded last week for the FT’s digital conference The Global Boardroom, Katie Martin and Rob Armstrong talk with Ian Smith, the FT’s senior markets correspondent, about the incredible resilience of the US stock market, and the challenges ahead....
How Prediction Markets Turned the World Into a Casino
When it comes to what you can gamble on these days, all bets are off.On prediction markets — platforms where people bet against each other on the outcomes of real-world events — traders are wagering on the chances of a major meteor striking Earth before 2030, whether Taylor Swift will......
How Global AI Governance Could Work
Societies differ in their views on privacy, experimentation, market openness, and safety, so no single regulatory model can ever accommodate everyone’s preferences. But a shared architectural foundation based on certain core principles would give every country the flexibility to strike its own balance between risk and innovation....
AI and the future of work
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the workplace represents one of the most significant technological shifts in generations. This transformation is reshaping not just how we work, but what it means to work in the 21st century—and ushering in an era of human-machine partnership that redefines the modern workplace....
PODCAST: Disney and OpenAI team up
Cryptocurrency entrepreneur Do Kwon is sentenced to 15 years in prison on two counts of fraud, and the Walt Disney Company will allow OpenAI to use its characters in its flagship products. Plus, football fans are outraged over ticket prices for next year’s World Cup. And, you’ll meet the hardliner......
From core to cloud: leading the next generation of bank modernisation
Core banking systems were built for a world centred around high-street branches and statements by snail mail – one that no longer serves today’s customers. Today, mounting pressure from competitors, regulators and customers is driving banks to invest in cloud-native platforms that deliver operational resilience, real-time transaction processing and open......
AT1: Investors’ Risky Bets that Keep the Banks Running (by Hayk Khekoyan)
When you hear the word CoCo you probably think of a leather bag with the famous Chanel logo on it, or the 2017 critically acclaimed and commercially successful animated movie of the same name. What you probably do not think about is a complex financial instrument, created with the purpose......
Is Artificial Intelligence Going to Replace Us All? (by Hayk Khekoyan)
Nowadays it seems borderline impossible to spend even a few hours without coming across the subject of “Artificial Intelligence”. There is just way too much talk, hype, arguments, doomsday prophecies or bold optimistic statements on how this or that technological advancement or tool, or AI in general is going to......
Did the 2022 World Cup Really Cost More than All the Previous Ones Combined? (by Hayk Khekoyan)
As the World Cup final is played in Lusail, a city that did not even exist a few years ago, Qatar 2022 will go down in the history books for many reasons, not all of them exactly football‑related. Nothing in the world exists as a separate entity in a vacuum:......
The Growing Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Business (by Hayk Khekoyan)
These days it is borderline impossible to spend a day in the business world without hearing the phrase “emotional intelligence”, its abbreviation “EI” or the closely related term “EQ” (emotional quotient, similar to intelligence quotient colloquially known as IQ). While the concept of emotional intelligence is becoming increasingly prevalent throughout......
The Streaming Wars: Part 2 (by Hayk Khekoyan)
Last year I wrote about the so-called “Streaming Wars”. This term is used to describe the process of the rising number of streaming video on demand (VOD) services from all sorts of corporations trying to position themselves in an ever-growing and yet such a tight market. The world is a......
Working Less or Working Smarter and Better? (by Hayk Khekoyan)
Work less, earn more. That is the plan for most people. Barring the rare cases of people actually loving their work, for most of us a job is simply a means to survive. If you haven’t won the genetic lottery to be born into outrageous wealth, just staying alive requires......
To the Moon or to the Ground? The Jury is Still Out on Bitcoin (by Hayk Khekoyan)
Bitcoin is back. Back to inexplicably losing more than half of its value in six months, back to being one of the biggest controversies in the world, but definitely not back to its all-time highs of more than $60,000 achieved twice during 2021. “When you find yourself in a hole,......
How to Increase Savings in Armenia (by Alexandra Ouzounian from The Pingry School, New Jersey)
Financial literacy is broadly defined as an individual’s financial knowledge and ability to use financial tools to execute his or her financial goals. The people of Armenia demonstrate a level of financial literacy (Figure 1) and gross savings rate (Figure 2) that is lower than the average financial literacy of......
Personal data protection: EU perspective (by Diana Javadyan)
Nowadays, more than ever, data protection issues are actual and crucial in terms of both data protection standard setting and data protection standard implementation. Recent Fintech developments, e-communities, artificial intelligence application and other technological advancements throughout the world bring up the need of robust data protection framework and protected data......
The Streaming Wars that will Shape the Future of Entertainment (by Hayk Khekoyan)
When the CEOs of Netflix and Blockbuster met in the distant year 2000 to discuss a merger between the two, Netflix was a 3-year-old company valuing itself at a measly $50 mln compared to Blockbuster’s market capitalization of around $5 bln (Sloan, 2020). Perhaps, having taken note of the phrase......
Why You Should Consider Learning Cybersecurity (by Hayk Khekoyan)
3.12 million. This is the estimated number of cybersecurity specialists needed globally as cyberattacks around the world keep growing in both frequency and magnitude (Duffy, 2021). The last few months alone have seen some of the biggest security breaches in history, more on which later. The most important development in the......
Will Energy Ever Be the Same Again? (by Hayk Khekoyan)
As recently as the year 2013, the largest publicly traded corporation in the world was an oil company. Exxon Mobil had a market capitalization well north of $400 bln at the time, which was quite the feat considering there were no trillion-dollar companies in the world yet. Fast forward......
A Possible Future of Money (by Hayk Khekoyan)
If you have not spent the last few years in a cave or on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the words cryptocurrency or digital currency should sound familiar. I will not pretend to know or try to explain all the details of the technology behind Bitcoin,......
The Simple, Yet Quite Complex Global Issue (by Hayk Khekoyan)
For almost a week in the end of March one of the most important marine routes of the world was blocked by a giant vessel, approximately matching in size with New York’s famous Empire State Building. It took almost another week after the vessel was removed for the traffic jam......
The Consequences of the Mass Investment Platforms (by Hayk Khekoyan)
By January 11 not as many people had heard about the American company Gamestop as they have today. As of January 11 Gamestop cost around 1.5 billion USD and was a network of computer games and electronics’ stores situated in several states of the USA as well as in a......
Why We Need Governments (by Hayk Khekoyan)
The man regarded as the father of economics devoted a great deal of time and a big chunk of his work talking about how free markets produce the best outcomes for everyone involved. Adam Smith, in his book “The Wealth of Nations”, told us about the invisible hand that guides......