News

Erin A. James has joined Friday, Eldredge and Clark's Rogers office where she will be the newest associate in the mergers and acquisitions practice group. Her practice will involve all aspects of business mergers and acquisitions, general business formation and choice of entities, including structuring, due diligence, negotiation and documentation.

On October 7, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a rule proposal to provide a safe harbor exemption permitting an individual acting as an unregistered broker or dealer, or “finder,” to engage in capital-raising activities on behalf of smaller private companies without registering as a broker-dealer. The SEC’s proposal (Release No. 34-90112; File No. S7-13-20) aims to address concerns that have been raised by small businesses when attempting to identify “finders” to engage potential investors while raising capital. In today’s capital markets, the SEC has not previously recognized a “finders” exemption or exception, nor has the SEC provided general guidance on “finders”, other than interpretive positions taken by the SEC staff in no-action letters, prompting some to observers to refer to the use of finders as the “gray market.”

Friday, Eldredge & Clark is proud to announce the hiring of Isabel Thoma and Julio R. Olaya Jr. Isabel joins the firm’s Rogers office where she will practice in the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group. Her practice will include all aspects of business mergers and acquisitions, including structuring, due diligence, negotiation and documentation. Julio joins the firm’s Little Rock office where he will work primarily on issues related to medical malpractice and will assist clients with labor and employment issues.

Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP is pleased to announce that 26 attorneys are recognized as “Leaders in Their Field” in eight practice areas in the 2019 Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

For most taxpayers, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) should provide a welcome reduction to their tax bills. Taxpayers should see the act’s immediate impact on their tax bills as they work to finalize and file their 2018 tax returns.

Attorneys Robert T. Smith and Blake D. Lewis presented at the Arkansas Society of CPA’s 57th Annual Arkansas Federal Tax Institute. Additionally, Blake served as co-chair to the two-day event.