On March 14, 2012, more than three million people read Greg Smith's bombshell Op-Ed in the New York Times titled "Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs." The column immediately went viral, became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter, and drew passionate responses from former Fed chairman Paul Volcker, legendary General Electric CEO Jack Welch, and New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg. Mostly, though, it hit a nerve among the general public who question the role of Wall Street in society -- and the callous "take-the-money-and-run" mentality that brought the world economy to its knees a few short years ago. Smith now picks up where his Op-Ed left off.
His story begins in the summer of 2000, when an idealistic 21-year-old arrives as an intern at Goldman Sachs and learns about the firm's Business Principle #1: Our clients' interests always come first. This remains Smith's mantra as he rises from intern to analyst to sales trader, with clients controlling assets of more than a trillion dollars.
From the shenanigans of his summer internship during the technology bubble to Las Vegas hot tubs and the excesses of the real estate boom; from the career lifeline he received from an NFL Hall of Famer during the bear market to the day Warren Buffett came to save Goldman Sachs from extinction-Smith will take the reader on his personal journey through the firm, and bring us inside the world's most powerful bank.
Smith describes in page-turning detail how the most storied investment bank on Wall Street went from taking iconic companies like Ford, Sears, and Microsoft public to becoming a "vampire squid" that referred to its clients as "muppets" and paid the government a record half-billion dollars to settle SEC charges. He shows the evolution of Wall Street into an industry riddled with conflicts of interest and a profit-at-all-costs mentality: a perfectly rigged game at the expense of the economy and the society at large.
After conversations with nine Goldman Sachs partners over a twelve-month period proved fruitless, Smith came to believe that the only way the system would ever change was for an insider to finally speak out publicly. He walked away from his career and took matters into his own hands. This is his story.

In recent years, stunning advances in telecommunications, capital mobility, and distribution channels have not only greatly increased the number of transactions and ventures subject to multiple taxation, but also have made it easier - for those who know what to look for - to plan around such taxes. Tax and legal professionals, entrepreneurs, and business managers must have a fundamental understanding of the state and local tax implications of key transactions. Those who are able to identify state and local tax issues also can make more effective use of tax consultants because challenges and opportunities can be spotted as they arise before basic negotiations are concluded and the outline of the deal solidified. Written by a team of CPAs, professors, and tax lawyers with over 120 years of combined experience, State and Local Taxation: Principles and Planning, Third Edition, covers the important tax issues of today's global business environment. The authors draw upon numerous real-life examples to identify and explain the fundamental principles of state and local taxation and how to incorporate these principles into strategic business planning. Key Features: Shows how to identify state and local tax issues and spot challenges and opportunities as they arise Details the principles of multi-state taxation and provides an understanding of their effect on business operations Explores the role of state and local tax issues in a strategic business environment and dis-cusses taxation from a strategic planning perspective Explains the economic implications of management decisions involving the application of tax laws Presents an overview of major state and local taxes including income tax, sales tax, property tax, and employment taxes WAV offers instructional material for classroom use

Solid guidance for selecting the correct strategic basis for mergers and acquisitions

Examining how M&A fits in corporate growth strategies, "Maximizing Corporate Value through Mergers and Acquisitions" covers the various strategic reasons for companies entering mergers and acquisitions (M&A), with a look at those that are based on sound strategy, and those that are not.Helps companies decide whether M&As should be used for growth and increased corporate valueExplores why M&A deals often fail to deliver what their proponents have represented they wouldExplains which types of M&A work best and which to avoid

With insider guidance on what boards of directors should be aware of when evaluating proposed deals, "Maximizing Corporate Value through Mergers and Acquisitions" provides a sound foundation for understanding the risks involved in any mergers and acquisitions deal, before it's too late.

Corporate groups outside the US are often controlled by a complex of ownership links, which typically form a pyramidal structure: a private holding company sits at the top of a control pyramid of several tiers of companies; firms in the lowest tier are the group's publicly listed companies. The usual practice of expropriation in such groups is to pass bad assets to companies down the pyramid and to pass the proceeds up the pyramid via internal transactions. For this collection Larry Lang has selected some of the most significant previously published articles by leading academics which investigate this process and its consequences. The volume explores the nature of ownership structure in countries outside the US and examines how controlling owners expropriate minority shareholders. It includes articles which analyse the pros and cons of the various finance and accounting issues resulting from this separation of ownership and control, and presents some country-specific studies which examine the impact of this disjunction. The editor has written an authoritative introduction which provides explanatory information and points the way for future research in this area.

This unique collection of new, previously unpublished papers demonstrates the importance of corporate governance throughout the different stages of the life-cycle of firms and organisations, and in particular in the crucial transitions between stages. In so doing it redresses an imbalance created by the wealth of literature and research devoted to the study of corporate governance in mature firms only. The book gives equal consideration to the monitoring and control functions of corporate governance mechanisms, and to the resource and strategic roles of governance in the decision-making process. In so doing it attempts to provide a framework through which to understand the factors that affect the balance between the possible functions of corporate governance. It is suggested in these papers that an analysis of the firm's governance life-cycles cannot be separated from the economic and institutional dynamics in a particular country, and as such the book reviews the role of the corporate governance life-cycle in different industrial and institutional contexts.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals, an increasing interest in Environmental, Social and Governance factors, the climate crisis, stakeholder pressure, the lessons of corporate scandals and the COVID-19 pandemic have triggered a massive change in how companies approach finance and accounting practices. From being a 'nice-to-have' to becoming a 'must-have', Responsible Finance and Accounting positions itself as a key pillar in tomorrow's better world for business, society, and planet. In this book, leading researchers and practitioners in the field of CSR, from the schools and corporate partners of the Council on Business & Society, give you key insights into green finance and social and environmental reporting, national, international and corporate stakes in green taxonomy and carbon tax, and triple capital accounting. It also details how to model effective and low-cost social impact reporting, ethics in finance and accounting, and strategies for microfinance and finance-related social innovation. Each insight is accompanied by key takeaways, food for thought and micro-case study sections. This accessible book will be a valuable resource for scholars, instructors and upper-level students across finance and accounting as well as corporate social responsibility and business ethics. It will also serve as a guide for professionals aiming to deepen their understanding of new finance and accounting practice.

Following the transition of industrial nations to knowledge economies, the financing of technological innovation has become a central issue in public policy, corporate finance and business management. This detailed book examines the role of intellectual property rights in facilitating the financing of technological innovation as well as the role of policy makers, investors and managers in this process. The book's central finding is that public policy plays a key role in promoting the corporate disclosure of intellectual property-related information to enhance the efficiency of capital markets. This not only reduces the costs of capital for technology-driven firms but ultimately spurs innovation and economic growth.Intellectual Property Rights and the Financing of Technological Innovation will strongly appeal to research students and academics, policy makers, intellectual property professionals, equity analysts, credit rating analysts and executives in the pharmaceutical industry. Contents: 1. Introduction 2. The Intangible Economy 3. Patent Information and Corporate Credit Ratings: An Empirical Study of Patent Valuation by Credit Rating Agencies 4. IPR Management and Company Valuation in the Pharmaceutical Industry: An Exploratory Study 5. IPR Management, Corporate Disclosures, and Stock Market Valuations in the Pharmaceutical Industry 6. Towards Forward-looking Financial Reporting Bibliography Index

The definitive guide to best practices for mastering techniques of the insider-led transition planning

A must have book for business owners, key employees, and their advisors who need to be aware of the full spectrum of succession options, "Buyouts" provides objectives, advice, steps, and a host of examples on the full spectrum of insider-led buyouts. A road map for CPAs, it presents the parameters for many of the major industry segments, techniques for managing risk, providing retention and performance incentives for key personnel and insights into getting deals financed.Features advice and examples of insider led buyoutsEssential guidance on succession options for business owners, key employees, and their advisorsThe 411 on selling your company for a fair price, maintaining control over the process, and realizing lifelong goals

Transition planning is becoming a hot business topic as millions of business owners head into retirement. The fact is that only a limited number of privately held companies will be successfully sold to third parties. A road map for CPAs, "Buyouts" presents the parameters for many of the major industry segments, techniques for managing risk, providing retention and performance incentives for key personnel, as well as insights into getting deals financed.

This book, first published in 1986, is a close analysis into management's financial disclosure practices of the first half of the twentieth century. With criticisms of existing financial disclosure practices continuing to today, this study aims to make sense of the present through an examination of past practices, difficulties and solutions.

Philip Brown is one of the most admired and respected accounting academics alive today. He was a pioneer in capital markets research in accounting, and his 1968 article, co-authored with Ray Ball, "An Empirical Evaluation of Accounting Income Numbers," arguably had a greater impact on the course of accounting research, directly and indirectly, than any other article during the second half of the twentieth century. Since that time, his innovative research has focused on issues that bridge accounting and finance, including the relationships between net profit reports and the stock market, the long-run performance of acquiring firms, statutory sanctions and voluntary corporate disclosure, and the politics and future of national accounting standards to name a few. This volume brings together the greatest hits of Brown's career, including several articles that were published in out-of-the-way places, for easier use by students and researchers in the field. With a foreword written by Stephen A. Zeff, and an introduction that discusses the evolution of Brown's research interests and explains the context for each of the essays included in the volume, this book offers the reader a unique look inside this remarkable 50-year career.

The conditions for successful manufacturing have changed considerably in recent years. New technologies such as information technology and biotechnology are considered important players in eradicating poverty in developing countries, but the risky nature of projects based on new technologies forces firms to raise investment capital by means other than conventional capital markets. This book examines the role of venture capital institutions in financing technology-based ventures both in developed and developing countries. It also explores that part of venture capital activity which is hitherto vastly under-researched; namely the ability of venture capital institutions to render a whole host of value-added support functions. These include setting up management teams and designing strategic plans for fledgling enterprises. The latter issue is operationalized through a series of carefully chosen case studies. Financial Systems, Corporate Investment in Innovation, and Venture Capital will be a valuable text for scholars and students of the theory and practice of financing innovation. It will also be a valuable source for governments, NGOs, financial institutions and multilateral agencies interested in the practicalities of promoting technology-based small and medium enterprises.

The most up-to-date guide on making the right capital restructuring moves

"The Art of Capital Restructuring" provides a fresh look at the current state of mergers, acquisitions, and corporate restructuring around the world. The dynamic nature of M&As requires an evolving understanding of the field, and this book considers several different forms of physical restructuring such as divestitures as well as financial restructuring, which refers to alterations in the capital structure of the firm.

"The Art of Capital Restructuring" not only explains the financial aspects of these transactions but also examines legal, regulatory, tax, ethical, social, and behavioral considerations. In addition to this timely information, coverage also includes discussion of basic concepts, motives, strategies, and techniques as well as their application to increasingly complex, real-world situations.Emphasizes best practices that lead to M&A successContains important and relevant research studies based on recent developments in the fieldComprised of contributed chapters from both experienced professionals and academics, offering a variety of perspectives and a rich interplay of ideas

Skillfully blending theory with practice, this book will put you in a better position to make the right decisions with regard to capital restructuring in today's dynamic business world.

This book analyzes the European Great Recession of 2008-12, its economic and social causes, its historical roots, and the policies adopted by the European Union to find a way out of it. It contains explicit debates with several economists and analysts on some of the most controversial questions about the causes of the crisis and the policies applied by the European Union. It presents the cases of Iceland, Greece and Ireland, the countries that first declined into crisis in Europe, each of them in a different way. Iceland is a case study for reckless banking practices, Greece of reckless public spending, and Ireland of reckless household indebtedness. At least seven other countries, mostly from the peripheries of Europe, had similarly reckless banking and spending practices. In the center of the book are the economic and social causes of the crisis. Contemporary advanced capitalism became financialized, de-industrialized and globalized and got rid of the "straitjacket" of regulations. Solid banking was replaced by high-risk, "casino-type" activity. The European common currency also had a structural problem - monetary unification without a federal state and fiscal unification. The other side of the same coin is European hyper-consumerism. A new lifestyle emerged during two super-prosperous periods in the 1950s to 1960s, and during the 1990s to 2006. Trying to find an exit policy, the European Union turned to strict austerity measures to curb the budget deficit and indebtedness. This book critically analyzes the debate around austerity policy. The creation of important supra-national institutions, and of a financial supervisory authority and stability mechanisms, strengthens integration. The correction of the euro's structural mistake by creating a quasi-fiscal unification is even more important. The introduction of mandatory fiscal rules and their supervision promises a long-term solution for a well-functioning common currency. These measures, meanwhile, create a two-tier European Union with a fast-track core. This book suggests that the European Union will emerge stronger from the crisis. This book will be of particular interest to students and researchers of economics, history, political science and international finance, but will also prove profitable reading for practitioners and the interested public.

This book analyzes the European Great Recession of 2008-12, its economic and social causes, its historical roots, and the policies adopted by the European Union to find a way out of it. It contains explicit debates with several economists and analysts on some of the most controversial questions about the causes of the crisis and the policies applied by the European Union. It presents the cases of Iceland, Greece and Ireland, the countries that first declined into crisis in Europe, each of them in a different way. Iceland is a case study for reckless banking practices, Greece of reckless public spending, and Ireland of reckless household indebtedness. At least seven other countries, mostly from the peripheries of Europe, had similarly reckless banking and spending practices. In the center of the book are the economic and social causes of the crisis. Contemporary advanced capitalism became financialized, de-industrialized and globalized and got rid of the "straitjacket" of regulations. Solid banking was replaced by high-risk, "casino-type" activity. The European common currency also had a structural problem - monetary unification without a federal state and fiscal unification. The other side of the same coin is European hyper-consumerism. A new lifestyle emerged during two super-prosperous periods in the 1950s to 1960s, and during the 1990s to 2006. Trying to find an exit policy, the European Union turned to strict austerity measures to curb the budget deficit and indebtedness. This book critically analyzes the debate around austerity policy. The creation of important supra-national institutions, and of a financial supervisory authority and stability mechanisms, strengthens integration. The correction of the euro's structural mistake by creating a quasi-fiscal unification is even more important. The introduction of mandatory fiscal rules and their supervision promises a long-term solution for a well-functioning common currency. These measures, meanwhile, create a two-tier European Union with a fast-track core. This book suggests that the European Union will emerge stronger from the crisis. This book will be of particular interest to students and researchers of economics, history, political science and international finance, but will also prove profitable reading for practitioners and the interested public.

Enables critical thinking about the current state of risk management and ERM Demonstrates contemporary shortcomings and challenges from real life cases Draws from a global selection of cases from well-known organisations Provides a basis for developing more effective risk management approaches

The book provides a rigorous introduction to corporate finance and the valuation of equity. The first half of the book covers much of the received theory in these areas such as the relationship between the risk of an equity security and the return one can expect from it, the effects of leverage (that is, the borrowing policies of the firm) on the return one can expect from the firm's shares and the role that dividends, operating cash flows and accounting earnings play in the valuation of equity. The second half of the book is more advanced and deals with the important role that "real options" (that is, as yet unexploited investment opportunities) play in the valuation of equity.

Actuarial Principles: Lifetables and Mortality Models explores the core of actuarial science: the study of mortality and other risks and applications. Including the CT4 and CT5 UK courses, but applicable to a global audience, this work lightly covers the mathematical and theoretical background of the subject to focus on real life practice. It offers a brief history of the field, why actuarial notation has become universal, and how theory can be applied to many situations. Uniquely covering both life contingency risks and survival models, the text provides numerous exercises (and their solutions), along with complete self-contained real-world assignments.

* The first primer on investor stewardship, addressing both theoretical frameworks and practical considerations * Based on the renowned ICGN training course on stewardship, also developed by the authors * Includes a detailed case study on Volkswagen's 'Dieselgate' scandal, to highlight real-world corporate governance issues and inspire professionals and students to come up with their own ideas on ESG

This book provides insight into the multi-dimensional process of coordinating and supervising mutual funds. This book focuses on the management of mutual funds within financial markets, with an emphasis on how corporate governance and benchmarking influence asset and portfolio management. Chapters explore four important aspects of this process in particular detail: corporate governance, benchmarking, asset management and portfolio management. The author shows that the mutual fund industry provides wider access to payment systems and to a savings safety-net that operates similarly to deposit insurance. Furthermore, he demonstrates that the Indian government's focus is on establishing the right of every person to have access to affordable basic financial services offered by banks and non-banks.

Praise for "Business Valuation and Federal Taxes Procedure, Law, and Perspective" Second Edition

"The Honorable David Laro and Dr. Shannon Pratt present a comprehensive primer on federal tax valuation controversies that will benefit both tax practitioners (attorneys and CPAs) and valuation practitioners. . . . It serves as a valued reference source and an introductory text for legal and valuation training."
--Roger J. Grabowski, Duff & Phelps Corp. from the Foreword

" I]t is refreshing to see these two close observers of valuation issues collaborate on this intriguing volume. What the reader gets is something like a mural--depicting the life of a business appraisal from conception to preparation to the occasional ultimate use by a trier of fact."
--Ronald D. Aucutt, Esq.McGuireWoods LLP, from the Foreword

"This offering from Judge David Laro and Dr. Shannon Pratt fills in some persistent gaps in the business valuation literature, as well as a surprisingly fresh treatment of perennial themes."
--John A. Bogdanski, Professor of LawLewis & Clark Law School, from the Foreword

Straightforward guidance and perspective on business valuation from two of the nation's top authorities

Written by Senior Judge David Laro and Shannon Pratt, both leading experts on the subject, "Business Valuation and Federal Taxes," Second Edition provides a comprehensive overview of business valuation procedures.

The new edition offers:

Insightful perspectives of personal versus enterprise goodwill

New materials on transfer pricing and customs valuations and how recent markets have affected both the income and market approaches

Timely coverage of FAS 157 and its many changes to penalties and sanctions affecting both taxpayers and appraisers

Exploration of new court cases

Presenting knowledge and guidance to those who perform valuations as well as those who are affected by them, "Business Valuation and Federal Taxes," Second Edition is the essential guide to federal taxes and valuation, and specifically valuations relating to business interests.

An accessible guide to the essential issues of corporate finance

While you can find numerous books focused on the topic of corporate finance, few offer the type of information managers need to help them make important decisions day in and day out.

"Value" explores the core of corporate finance without getting bogged down in numbers and is intended to give managers an accessible guide to both the foundations and applications of corporate finance. Filled with in-depth insights from experts at McKinsey & Company, this reliable resource takes a much more qualitative approach to what the authors consider a lost art.Discusses the four foundational principles of corporate financeEffectively applies the theory of value creation to our economyExamines ways to maintain and grow value through mergers, acquisitions, and portfolio managementAddresses how to ensure your company has the right governance, performance measurement, and internal discussions to encourage value-creating decisions

A perfect companion to the "Fifth Edition" of "Valuation, " this book will put the various issues associated with corporate finance in perspective.

This book demonstrates how the global market for Islamic financial services has shown strong growth in recent years and shown remarkable resilience during the global financial crisis. Drawing on a range of international perspectives from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Malaysia, Pakistan, Australia and Europe, this book explores the characteristics and performance of Islamic finance and banking and discusses future prospects. It offers a comprehensive theoretical framework for Shariah governance in Islamic financial institutions, explores Shariah-compliant equities, as well as issues in productivity, technology and efficiency. It includes a number of comparative studies on Islamic and conventional banks, Islamic and conventional unit trusts, and Islamic and conventional banks' product mixes. The challenges and opportunities for the expansion of Islamic finance and banking into Europe are explored through the contexts of the UK, Germany and Italy.

Find out what your early stage business is really worth--and what you can do to increase its value even more

One of the most misconstrued concepts in business today, valuation has also rapidly become one of the most important for business owners in today's unpredictable financial atmosphere.

An experiential and practical guide drawn from author and valuation expert Neil Beaton's fifteen years of focused start-up work, "Valuing" "Early Stage and Venture-Backed Companies" equips you with a solid foundation of the ins and outs of early stage and venture-backed valuations--no matter what your field.

This step-by-step guide offers contributions from top valuation practitioners, walking you through:

New techniques for applying options methods

The pros and cons of the option pricing model

Early stage preferred stock rights

Applicable discounts for early stage companies

New procedures for implementing the probability-weighted expected returns method

Valuation theory, the consensus view on application, and the tools to apply them

The popular and widely used AICPA Practice Aid, Valuation of Privately-Held Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation

"Valuing Early Stage and Venture-Backed Companies" replaces bewildering computations with technical expertise to help you figure out what your business is really worth, and how you can increase that value starting today.

This book assesses the extent to which British news organizations gave exposure and credence to different political interpretations of economics and business news in the decade before the 2008 Financial Crisis. Through the content analysis of some 1,600 news items, this study provides compelling empirical evidence to inform often theoretical debates about neoliberal assumptions in the media. In each of the three pre-2008 case studies - economic globalization, private finance and public services, and Tesco - Merrill finds that the Telegraph, The Times, the Sunday Times and, to varying extents, the Guardian-Observer and the BBC gave limited exposure and credence to ideas from the left of the political spectrum. As such, he builds an important comparative picture of economic, business and financial journalism in the period before the defining event of the decade, the effects of which continue to resonate.

This open access book presents a comprehensive and up-to-date collection of knowledge on the state of crowdfunding research and practice. It considers crowdfunding models and their different manifestations across a variety of geographies and sectors, and explores the perspectives of fundraisers, backers, platforms, and regulators. Gathering insights from a wide range of influential researchers in the field, the book balances concepts, theory, and case studies. Going beyond previous research on crowdfunding, the contributors also investigate issues of community, sustainability, education, and ethics. A vital resource for anyone researching crowdfunding, this book offers readers a deep understanding of the characteristics, business models, user-relations, and behavioural patterns of crowdfunding.