| Duty of Loyalty: Confidentiality |
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| The duty of loyalty prohibits a director from using her corporate position to obtain a personal profit or to gain a personal advantage. A director is privy to information that may not be known to others outside the corporate sphere. As part of the duty of loyalty, a director cannot take advantage of corporate information for her own personal interests.
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| The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act |
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| Corrupt payments to foreign officials to obtain or keep business are prohibited by the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. There are five elements of a violation of the provisions of the Act prohibiting bribery of foreign government officials.More... |
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| The Federal Antitrust Law Exemption for State Action |
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| Federal antitrust laws are considered inapplicable to economic regulation by the States. In Parker v. Brown, 317 U.S. 341 (1943), the Supreme Court reasoned that in the "dual system of government" of the United States, any subtraction by Congress from the sovereign powers of the states must be explicitly stated. Nothing in the Sherman Act (the first federal antitrust law) or in the legislative history of the Sherman Act indicated a Congressional intent to subject state regulatory activities to the Sherman Act.More... |
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| Director and Officer Liability under OSHA |
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| Employers have a general duty under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)1 to provide a workplace free from "recognized" hazards. A violation of this duty can lead to criminal sanctions2 in addition to civil penalties. An employer can also be exposed to liability under occupational safety and health regulations promulgated by the Secretary of the Department of Labor. Directors and high-level executive officers must act to reduce or eliminate workplace dangers or risk OSHA liability. More... |
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| Business Judgment Rule |
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| The business judgment rule protects a director(s) from personal liability if he or she has performed diligently and carefully in legitimate furtherance of corporate objectives and purposes and has not acted fraudulently, illegally, or otherwise in bad faith. The business judgment rule may be codified, but it is largely a matter of judicial interpretation and application. The business judgment rule is frequently invoked in shareholder damage suits against a director or board of directors. Courts generally acknowledge that the business judgment rule either does or may apply to corporate officers. More... |
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