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In Proxy Memo, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Are Urged to Stay Out of Divisive Abortion Issue

National Legal & Policy Center

Following last year’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, advocates have continued their battle for unrestricted abortion access in a new forum: Corporate America. Under the guise of two shareholder proposals that demand reports on “Impacts of Reproductive Healthcare Legislation” as the result of newly enacted state laws that limit or ban abortions, activists seek to bully The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo Inc. into advocacy for their own policies on the controversial political issue, and for the companies to steer their campaign contributions accordingly. In responses filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission this month, National Legal and Policy Center argue why shareholders of the two multinational soft drink makers should oppose the resolutions sponsored by the radical pro-abortion proponents. NLPC’s reports to the SEC can be viewed at the following links: Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. As NLPC’s filings explain, the proponents of the two shareholder proposals cite biased research, selective data, slanted opinion polls, and preconceived outcomes to make their cases. For example, the sponsors assert that it will be more difficult for the companies to recruit women to their workforces in states where abortion limits or bans have been enacted into law. But the proponents stake their claim based on a “study” that one critic said suffered from “self-selection bias,” using “an unrepresentative, highly biased sample and misleading questions.” The boards of directors for Coca-Cola and PepsiCo also ask shareholders to vote against the proposals on their respective proxy statements, but for reasons that don’t address the misleading and even deceitful claims of the proponents. Coca-Cola, in its opposition, proudly points to its coverage of travel expenses for medical procedures that are “not available in-state.” PepsiCo repeatedly emphasizes its “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” policies that “improve the attraction, retention and advancement of women,” which include “a robust and highly competitive set of flexible benefits” with “reproductive health” coverage. “Although we wish their opposition was stronger, Coca-Cola and Pepsi are right to resist these thinly veiled attempts to push their companies to take a public stance on the divisive issue of abortion, which would undermine their fiduciary responsibility to all their shareholders,” said Paul Chesser, director of NLPC’s Corporate Integrity Project. “We hope the directors and company executives are finally starting to learn that capitulating to aggressive Leftist politics is a long-term loser for the bottom line.” The so-called “Reproductive Healthcare” resolutions that NLPC opposes are Proposal No. 9 on the Coca-Cola proxy statement, and Proposal No. 7 on the PepsiCo proxy statement. Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability through research, investigation, education, and legal action. ### For more information or to schedule an interview with Paul Chesser, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or drene@nlpc.org. Please visit http://www.nlpc.org. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

April 13, 2023 09:16 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Bank of America Shareholders Asked to Increase Accountability for ‘Woke’ Chairman/CEO Brian Moynihan

National Legal & Policy Center

Bank of America ’s annual meeting is scheduled for April 25, and shareholders will be asked to vote on a proposal that would increase accountability for the company’s longtime Chairman and CEO, Brian Moynihan. National Legal and Policy Center is sponsoring Proposal No. 6 on the company’s proxy statement, which requests the Board of Directors to require the two powerful roles now filled by Moynihan to be held by two separate individuals. NLPC argues that Moynihan has inappropriately engaged the company in a multitude of divisive political issues that are not in the fiduciary interest of Bank of America or its shareholders. As an investor in the company, NLPC has filed a report to the Securities and Exchange Commission that explains its rationale for identifying an equally authoritative counterpart to keep Moynihan’s left-leaning political excursions in check. “Brian Moynihan has been around too long and has aggregated too much power, to the point where he seems to think and care little about the controversial political decisions he makes that implicate the company,” said Paul Chesser, director of the Corporate Integrity Project for NLPC. “For example, Bank of America has instituted lending and employee training programs that claim to promote racial advancement and healing, but instead are themselves racist.” In its report to the SEC, NLPC points out several examples of Moynihan’s leadership failures, including: a $421 million commitment to over 130 equity funds that provide capital exclusively to non-white and female entrepreneurs and small business owners; creating a discriminatory program that reduces interest rates for commercial borrowers that hit certain diversity quotas; zero-down payment, zero-closing cost mortgage advances for first-time home buyers only in black/African-American and Hispanic communities, without typically required home insurance or a credit score; a “Racial-Equity 21-day Challenge” training program for employees that teaches that the United States is a “racialized society” that “use[s] race to establish and justify systems of power, privilege, disenfranchisement, and oppression,” which “give[s] privileges to white people resulting in disadvantages to people of color”; handing over the financial data of 211 clients to federal agents following the January 2021 U.S. Capitol disturbance, based on those customers being profiled simply because they visited an ATM in Washington at the time of the “riot”; building a held-to-maturity (“HTM”) portfolio that is high-risk and double the size of such assets in 2020, and increasing it by over 50 percent in 2021 – a purchasing spree with over 80 percent of the securities maturing in over 10 years, giving the Company significant exposure to interest rates. Moynihan has been more than willing to place Bank of America in a globalist posture, subjugating shareholders’ interests under those of the World Economic Forum agenda of transhumanism, abolition of private property, consumption of bugs, social credit systems, and other “Great Reset” priorities. As chairman of the WEF’s International Business Council, he worked with the big four accounting firms to create stakeholder standards for companies to follow. Moynihan said after this year’s Davos confab about companies who fall short of such globalist standards, that “we shouldn’t do business with you.” WEF’s agenda, he said, “at the end of the day, will align capitalism with what society wants from it and get us going faster.” “Brian Moynihan’s ego and elitism are so far gone, that he thinks he gets to redefine ‘capitalism,’” Chesser said. “And now he assumes that he and his fellow Davos elites can establish a new social credit system that decides who is and who isn’t allowed to play in their newly redesigned ‘capitalism’ playground.” “It’s way past time for Bank of America to appoint a separate chairman to counterbalance Brian Moynihan’s proclivities – as long as the board doesn’t choose Klaus Schwab.” Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability through research, investigation, education, and legal action. ### For more information or to schedule an interview with Paul Chesser, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or drene@nlpc.org. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

April 12, 2023 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

DonorsTrust Givers Recommended $242 Million in Grants During 2022

Donors Trust

The DonorsTrust community of givers in 2022 recommended $242 million to more than 1,100 unique charities nationwide, supporting nonprofits during a year of economic uncertainty as inflation continued apace and the Federal Reserve tightened its monetary policy. “The fact our accountholders granted more dollars than ever before is a reflection of our givers’ deep-seated belief in our mission and in the power of philanthropy—not government—to change people’s lives in a meaningful way,” says DonorsTrust CEO and President Lawson Bader. The total grants to charities during 2022—$242 million—is a whopping 21% increase over the previous year, when DonorsTrust accountholders recommended granting $190 million to charity. The $190 million granted in 2021 was a 3% increase over 2020 when donors recommended $186 million. When compared to pre-pandemic grant levels, these numbers are even more significant. DonorsTrust accountholders in 2019 recommended a total of $163 million, a 33% increase compared to 2022. “Our donor-advisors’ record grant-making in 2022 is indicative of our ongoing growth as charitable givers continue to break ranks with the big banks and seek refuge with mission-driven giving-account providers that honor and share account-holders’ conservative and libertarian values.” DonorsTrust welcomed many new accounts last year and, of those accounts, 13% migrated from a big commercial bank to DonorsTrust in a bid to align their giving. This continued the trend of givers aligning their philanthropy with a giving-account provider that honors their values. Total Grant-Making in 2022 Nearly Eclipses Total Account Contributions Another remarkable thing about 2022 is that total grant-making nearly eclipsed total account contributions. DonorsTrust account-holders in 2022 contributed $299 million to their respective accounts. Compare that to the $242 million that went out the door. What’s more, all of that giving happened during a year in which the International Monetary Fund forecast half as much economic growth compared to the previous year and the annual inflation rate nearly doubled over the previous year, a hard reality that prompted one copywriter at The Economist to pen a headline that reads “ 2022 has been a year of brutal inflation.” These numbers sent an important message to DonorsTrust givers: Give even more—and that’s exactly what account-holders did, deploying much-needed dollars out of nimble giving accounts filled with charitable reserves intended for critical charities during times of crisis. DonorsTrust Givers Respond to Higher-Ed, ESG Crises During a year in which America’s top 50 donors gave a staggering amount of money to higher education, DonorsTrust givers likewise granted a considerable amount to universities, including Catholic University of America and George Mason University Foundation. DonorsTrust account-holders also directed a hefty amount of money to public-policy organizations like Consumers’ Research, an organization actively tracking anti-ESG legislation nationwide and putting corporations on notice for their liberal-leaning environmental agendas. After the Wall Street Journal reported last year that investment firm BlackRock was gobbling up real estate on behalf of public-pension funds and others (all the while pricing individuals and families out of the real-estate market), Consumers’ Research came out swinging. “It’s not so much that people are clamoring for Larry Fink and BlackRock to solve all the problems of the world; it’s that Larry would like to be in charge and he uses the immense amount of capital provided to him... to basically dictate terms to the rest of the American economy,” Will Hild, executive director of Consumers’ Research, says in an episode of Giving Ventures. Established in 1999 as a 501(c)(3) public charity, DonorsTrust is a community of donors devoted to creating a better future. Its donors support charities they believe protect our nation’s constitutional liberties and strengthen civil society through private institutions rather than government programs. Its boutique size lets it offer our donors personal attention and advice that helps them achieve their philanthropic goals. It ensures donor intentions are protected and offers simple, effective, and tax-advantaged ways to give. Since its inception, DonorsTrust has granted more than $2.5 billion to thousands of charities that protect our constitutional liberties and strengthen civil society without government funding. ### To learn more about DAFs and DonorsTrust, please visit http://www.donorstrust.org and listen to the Giving Ventures Podcast here https://www.donorstrust.org/podcast/. To schedule an interview with a DonorsTrust spokesperson, contact Carolyn Bolton at 703-535-3563 or cbolton@donorstrust.org. Contact Details DonorsTrust Carolyn Bolton +1 703-535-3563 cbolton@donorstrust.org Company Website https://www.donorstrust.org/

April 11, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Shareholders of Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo Asked to Oppose ‘Net Zero’ Proposals

National Legal & Policy Center

Ahead of the annual meetings for four major banks during the last week of this month, National Legal and Policy Center is asking its fellow shareholders to oppose 10 proposals on proxy statements brought forth by activist groups who seek to destroy the fossil fuel industry. The proposals, in similar form and wording, demand that Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and Wells Fargo align their “climate transition” and “fossil fuel lending” policies with their futile and economy-killing “net-zero” emissions goals. NLPC filed exempt solicitation reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month, which oppose the radical shareholder proposals at each of the banks. The reports can be found at the following links: Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and Wells Fargo. In their attempt to make their cases to defund the oil and gas sectors, the activist proponents have unleashed a torrent of unrealistic forecasts infected by insufficient data and deeply flawed science, all issued by a cabal of dubious “authorities.” As NLPC explains in its report on Bank of America: The proponents rely on corporate media-driven narratives which portend extreme climate catastrophe, that is inconsistent with sound scientific principles and are unlikely. Therefore, above and beyond the Company’s flawed rationale for opposing the three proposals, the urgent climate mitigation strategies demanded by the proponents are unjustified. Instead, we ask shareholders to consider the dubious “risks” of climate change versus the actual global economic and health risks of energy shortages caused by the activists’ war against fossil fuels, and versus the unviable, unrealistic near-term transition to renewable energy. In each of its reports on the four banks, NLPC points out the flaws in the activists’ proposals regarding: “Research” that isn’t really research, but is instead the product of the politicized United Nations, so-called “Net Zero” alliances, and the ineffective and non-binding Paris Climate Agreement; “Research” that is distorted by, for example, the discredited “hockey stick” chart that was removed from UN IPCC reports for years until it magically reappeared in its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6); Exaggerated emphasis on unrealistic, worst-case scenario outcomes that are embraced by sensationalist corporate media organizations; Absurd expectations placed upon nonviable renewable power sources that cannot be expected to replace fossil fuels to meet ever-increasing energy demand; Ignored environmental and humanitarian impacts due to the emphasis on renewables, such as their need for massive metals extractions, land use and destruction, and dependence on slave labor. Among the demands by the climate activist shareholders are for the banks to implement a “time-bound phase-out of…lending and underwriting to projects and companies engaging in new fossil fuel exploration and development.” Regrettably, rather than stand up to the climate activist bullies, the banks’ responses to their proposals state that they are addressing Net Zero and emissions goals, and thus the proposals are unnecessary. “These and other big banks have cowered in fear for decades before the propagandists who have brought climate alarm to every shareholder meeting the last couple of decades,” said Paul Chesser, director of the Corporate Integrity Project for NLPC. “It’s time for these boards of directors and C-suite occupants to grow a spine, gain an understanding of the actual science as informed by real, observed data, and perhaps take a remedial course in Energy Physics 101.” Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability through research, investigation, education, and legal action. ### For more information or to schedule an interview with Paul Chesser, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or drene@nlpc.org. Please visit http://www.nlpc.org. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

April 11, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Alana and Ramon Alvarez Grow Minuteman Press Franchise in Colorado Springs

Minuteman Press International Inc

Alana and Ramon Alvarez have owned their Minuteman Press franchise in Colorado Springs since August of 2019. Minuteman Press in Colorado Springs has been operating for 15 years since 2008 and is located at 6870 N. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO, 80918. After taking over the business nearly 4 years ago, Alana and Ramon have consistently grown their business and increased sales “by nearly 400% since we started,” according to Ramon. Journey to Minuteman Press Alana and Ramon “met at work 31 years ago” and the rest is history, according to Ramon. He shares, “Alana is my forever partner. After leaving the company, we lived throughout the West Coast and South America throughout our time together. I continued to work in the corporate world and Alana managed our household and led the raising of our children.” In 2019, it was time for a change. Ramon says, “Fast forward to August 5, 2019. That is when we began our small business journey, owning our Minuteman Press center in Colorado Springs. Minuteman Press International RVP Jack Panzer was instrumental in helping us acquire this existing location, which has been doing business in Colorado Springs since 2008. Jack helped us throughout the purchasing and on-boarding process, just as he does now in supporting us to grow along with excellent field support talent like Todd Golberg at the time (who is now RVP in New England), and now Sky Hittle.” Operating the Business & Ongoing Support Nearly 4 years after purchasing the business, Ramon remains excited about working with Alana, sharing: “Today, Alana and I continue commuting to our business together, excited to spend quality time with each other while creating outstanding experiences for our clients, just as we did 31 years ago when we first met. We are fortunate to be serving many clients in the Pikes Peak Region, having grown our sales by nearly 400% since we started.” Specifically, Ramon says, “Our small business has evolved into a one-stop shop for our clients, providing design, print, promotional items, direct mail, and more! We are now providing vehicle and window graphics, along with building sign replacements. We won’t stop there, ensuring we continue to listen to our clients, and treating each of them like a VIP. In spite of the digital transformation that marketing has experienced, print is everywhere, and continues to be leveraged by businesses launching or striving for growth. Print simply looks different today, with a critical role in creating an omnichannel experience for clients, like adding QR codes to drive the client’s audience to a website, scheduling form, or otherwise.” As he reflects on what it’s been like to transition from the corporate world to small business owner, Ramon says, “Having led large teams with large budgets in the Americas, I felt that being a small business owner would be relatively easy. It’s actually the hardest role I’ve ever had, yet it’s the most rewarding by far.” Ramon explains how the support he’s received as a Minuteman Press franchise owner has helped him along the way: “Minuteman Press has been supporting us in many ways, setting us up for success. In my career, I was previously an operations executive and so I wanted a proven brand, a proven system, and a proven structure to allow us to succeed as small business owners. Minuteman Press International has given us all of that.” He continues, “The Minuteman Press FLEX software, which allows us to connect with our clients for quoting, invoicing, work orders, marketing, and more, has been invaluable. The support team is also outstanding in urgently reacting to our needs, as they have extensive experience and an aptitude to serve.” Marketing & Being Active in the Community When it comes to marketing the business, Ramon shares, “No silver bullet exists in marketing our small business, and Minuteman Press has supported owners successfully who may not be experts in the industry. We focus on providing outstanding experiences for our clients through our high-performing team, delivering quality, speed, and reliability. Every customer is a VIP. We leverage direct mail, use digital marketing, networking, and other marketing opportunities, just like businesses in all industries do, focusing heavily on our target audiences and key clients.” Being active in the community is also key to Alana and Ramon’s local outreach efforts. Ramon says, “We also engage with our community, advocating for local business growth through various volunteer efforts. I serve as the current Chair of the Board of Directors for the Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC, on the Board of Directors for the Southern Colorado Better Business Bureau, on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Consult for the Pikes Peak Region Small Business Development Center, and help drive economic development in our region for our local businesses any way I can.” Ramon concludes, “By helping our community of businesses prosper, opportunities for prosperity are available for all.” Minuteman Press in Colorado Springs is located at 6870 N. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO, 80918. For more information, visit their website: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/co/colorado-springs20/ Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

April 10, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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News Release

Fitness Guru Sarah Bowmar’s Change.Org Petition to Protect Schools from Gun Violence Shows How Strong Our Voices Can Be

Bowmar

As the nation continues to reel from the mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville this week, the debate over how to protect our children is at the forefront again. Sarah Bowmar, fitness guru, entrepreneur, and mom of two, has had enough and is using the strength of her voice to demand action through her Change.org petition, which is quickly becoming one of the top signed on the platform. Bowmar’s Armed Veterans to Protect Schools petition on Change.org seeks to have armed vets, police officers, and parents inside all schools. She states, “We need change in this country. We have a mental health crisis. It's too easy to access weapons. And criminals don't follow laws. We need to protect our children, schools, and teachers. Why are our children left unprotected in such a vulnerable state, but banks, airports, and even the Apple store are better protected than most schools? If we can send billions to Ukraine, why can't we afford to arm and protect our schools?” Bowmar is known for taking action on things she’s passionate about, specifically fitness, health, and making the world a better place for her children. It’s why she became a certified nutrition specialist, personal trainer, prenatal/postpartum trainer, and co-founded multiple fitness and nutrition-based companies with her husband, Josh. She also knows the power of using your voice. As a social media influencer with successful YouTube channels in fitness and bowhunting and a combined social media following of 3 million, Bowmar connects with women worldwide, sharing tips and advice on living healthier lives. She’s now using that determination and influence in her fight to protect children from gun violence at school using Change.org, which has been cited by The Washington Post as “one of the most influential channels for activism in the country.” In fact, Change.org claims 87,011 victories in 196 countries based on petitions, and Bowmar’s is off to an impressive start. At the time of this news release, nearly 15,500 people have signed the petition, and that number is increasing by the minute. Once the petition reaches 15,000 signatures, it becomes one of the top signed on Change.org. For more information or to pledge your support for Bowmar’s petition, visit Armed Veterans to Protect Schools. About Sarah Bowmar Sarah Bowmar has an MBA in marketing and is a certified nutrition specialist, personal trainer, prenatal/postpartum trainer, social media influencer, podcast host, author, and bowhunter. She and her husband Josh have founded multiple fitness and nutrition-related businesses, including Bowmar Fitness and clean nutrition-focused companies, Bowmar Nutrition and APEX Protein Snacks. In addition, the Bowmars are avid bowhunters, going on hunting expeditions worldwide together. They also document their healthy eating and workout tips on their Bowmar Fitness YouTube channel as well as bowhunting tips on their Bowmar Bowhunting channel. Sarah Bowmar is also active in multiple charities benefiting children, and she and her husband even started their own non-profit, Kids in the Outdoors, which helps inner-city children to experience the benefits of the outdoors. Contact Details R Public Relations Madison Baber madison@rprfirm.com Company Website https://sarahbowmar.com/

April 07, 2023 04:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time

NCMA's Announces New Members to their National Committee

National Contract Management Association

The National Contract Management Association, the leading association dedicated to the advancement and expansion of the contract management profession, announced today the appointment of its new National Committee Members. The new members bring a wealth of experience and expertise in contract management which will further strengthen the association’s strategic direction and growth. "We are thrilled to welcome our new National Committee Members," said NCMA's incoming President, Denyce Carter. "Their extensive experience and diverse backgrounds will be invaluable to our community’s growth and success. We look forward to working closely with them to achieve our goals and provide the best possible education to our community." The National Committee members are seasoned professionals with impressive track records in their respective fields, and all graduates of the Contact Management Leadership Development Program (CMLDP). NCMA welcomes: Audra Charity, Sr. Contracts Administrator, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation, Chapter: Rio Grande Jami Dinsmore, CPCM, Fellow, Sr. Manager Contract Operations, Policy, Training, and Audit at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation, Chapter: Denver Sheralyn Fallon, CFCM, CPCM, Fellow, Sr. Manager of Subcontracts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Chapter: Boston Kerry Hall, Contract Manager, Leidos, Inc., Chapter: North Carolina Kameke Mitchell, Chief of Contracts for the Space Systems Command, Commercial Services Office, Chapter: Tysons Amanda Thompson, CFCM, Fellow, VP of Growth Services at JJR Solutions, Chapter: Dayton National Committees Members can make a lasting impact on NCMA. The Committees are made up of five groups including audit and risk, governance and ethics, member engagement, professional development and certification, and strategic planning. All who have served have played an instrumental role in helping to shape the associations’ strategy and direction. The National Contract Management Association (NCMA), a nonprofit organization founded in 1959 and is the world’s leading association in the field of contract management. With nearly 20,000 members, NCMA is dedicated to promoting excellence in the contract management profession through education, certification, and professional networking opportunities. NCMA strives to serve and inform the profession and industry it represents and to offer opportunities for the open exchange of ideas in neutral forums. To find out more, please visit www.ncmahq.org. Contact Details NCMA Holly DeHesa +1 281-865-3296 holly.dehesa@ncmahq.org Company Website https://www.ncmahq.org/

April 05, 2023 05:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Court Upholds Fraudulent Conveyance Claims against Bausch Health, Including Right to Enjoin Dividend of Bausch + Lomb Shares

Rolnick Kramer Sadighi LLP (RKS)

Rolnick Kramer Sadighi LLP (“RKS”) today secured a major victory in New Jersey Superior Court in its lawsuit challenging the corporate spin-off of Bausch + Lomb Corporation (“Bausch + Lomb”) from Bausch Health Companies Inc., formerly known as Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (“Bausch Health”). In March 2022, a group of investors including GMO Trust, Brahman Capital, SunAmerica Asset Management, MSD Partners, and Discovery Capital Management, filed suit to have the spin-off of Bausch + Lomb from Bausch Health declared a fraudulent conveyance. The Honorable Margaret Goodzeit, P.J.Ch., largely denied Bausch Health’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit and ruled that RKS’s clients — aggrieved investors pursuing more than $3 billion in federal court against Bausch Health for securities fraud — had stated a valid legal claim that the spin-off constitutes a fraudulent transfer under New Jersey law. In addition to finding that the plaintiffs had adequately alleged that the May 2022 spin-off of Bausch + Lomb constituted an actual fraudulent conveyance reflecting several “badges of fraud,” the Court also upheld the plaintiffs’ right to enjoin Bausch Health’s proposed dividend of the Bausch + Lomb shares. Page 34 of the Court’s decision states: “A final judgment enjoining the Dividend Distribution could be appropriate because it would preserve the status quo between the parties until the District Court provides a final determination on the merits as to the plaintiffs’ securities fraud actions.” “This ruling demonstrates that Courts are willing to protect tort victims against corporate transactions in which assets are transferred to create one strong company and one weak company,” said Lawrence M. Rolnick, Partner at RKS who represents the plaintiffs. “I am pleased that the Court upheld our clients’ right to challenge the transfer of assets to Bausch + Lomb as a fraudulent conveyance and further recognized our right to enjoin the dividend distribution...” The Court also granted plaintiffs the right to replead certain additional legal theories against the dividend that the Court dismissed as premature because the Court found that defendants currently are under no obligation to proceed with it. Following Judge Goodzeit’s decision, RKS will pursue the investors’ suit and ensure that Bausch Health cannot improperly thwart its judgment creditors. The case is captioned, GMO Trust, et al. v. Bausch Health Companies Inc., No. SOM-C-12010-22, and will go forward in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Somerset County. A copy of the Court’s decision can be provided upon request to the undersigned media contact. About RKS: Rolnick Kramer Sadighi, LLP (RKS) provides strategic litigation solutions for the investment management community. Launched in 2020, RKS is a premier securities litigation boutique dedicated to serving the investment management industry, including hedge funds, mutual funds, private equity, credit, real estate, and structured finance firms. For more information, visit RKS online: https://www.rksllp.com/. Contact Details Kivvit Arielle Goren +1 212-717-5863 agoren@kivvit.com Company Website https://www.rksllp.com/

April 04, 2023 11:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Legal Tech Disruptors vLex and Fastcase Merge to Form World’s Largest Global Law Library

vLex Group

vLex and Fastcase, two of the largest, fastest-growing legal technology companies, announced today that they are merging to form the world’s largest law firm subscriber base with more than one billion legal documents from more than 100 countries. As part of the merger, Oakley Capital and Bain Capital Credit are investing in the combined business to expand its global reach and accelerate the company’s legal artificial intelligence (AI) lab, which develops AI tools that streamline research, tracking, writing, and filing documents for the legal industry. “The legal profession has been a late adopter of technology, but lawyers are gaining more of an appetite for artificial intelligence tools in recent years,” said vLex CEO Lluís Faus. “Bringing these two highly successful businesses together will help democratize the law for legal professionals worldwide through a dynamic and robust platform that improves legal research accuracy, efficiency, and affordability.” The new combined entity will be called vLex Group, and its products will retain the name of vLex in global markets and Fastcase in the U.S. The company, which has offices in the United States, Europe, the U.K., Asia, and Latin America, will combine management teams and invest in unified global products based on the complementary strengths of both firms. It will maintain headquarters offices in Washington, D.C., Miami, and Barcelona. JEGI CLARITY ( www.jegiclarity.com ), a leading M&A advisory firm for the legal, media, marketing, information and technology industries, represented Fastcase in this transaction. Each company has been a disruptive innovator in highly consolidated markets for legal information and will offer unprecedented scale in legal tech, including the following: The new company will reach the majority of lawyers in the U.S. (~1.1 million subscribers out of 1.3 million lawyers in the U.S.) in partnership with state bar associations, and include legal materials from more than 100 countries around the world. The combined library contains over one billion legal documents, including judicial opinions, statutes, regulations, court rules, docket sheets, briefs, pleadings, motions, authored treatises, and legal news articles. vLex’s AI tools for law were named “Overall Legal Research Solution Provider of the Year” in the 2022 LegalTech Breakthrough Awards Program. Fastcase has twice been named New Product of the Year by the American Association of Law Libraries. “Our missions could not be more aligned, and by combining two of the world’s most successful legal technology disruptors, we are bringing much-needed innovation to an industry ready for a scaled alternative,” said Fastcase President Phil Rosenthal. “With both companies having more than 20 years of organic growth, the strategic support and financial backing of Oakley Capital and Bain Capital Credit will dramatically accelerate our work. Our goal is to be the most frequently used, comprehensive, and trustworthy resource for law firms of all sizes, in any part of the world.” Large Language Models (LLM) and Law News of the merger comes when competing large language models, such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Google’s Bard, create a more competitive market for generative AI. “With the rapid proliferation of LLM models, we are in a new era where content is king,” said Fastcase CEO Ed Walters. “With the merger of vLex and Fastcase, nobody has a more extensive global law library than we do. This is the biggest legal data corpus ever assembled, including highly valuable structured data with industry-standard tags and analytics. The combined library is the crown jewel of LLMs and the ultimate training data set for legal AI.” The companies are not newcomers to legal AI. vLex created one of the first AI assistants for legal research, called Vincent. It has long used an internal AI tool called Iceberg to generate structure in its own data and for law firms. Fastcase’s Docket Alarm product is one of the first legal tech companies to integrate OpenAI’s GPT-3.5, and both Fastcase and Docket Alarm use AI to create structure and tags in legal documents. The companies will use their combined financial strength to accelerate growth and to invest more in the frontiers of artificial intelligence in law. About vLex vLex is a global legal intelligence platform that provides legal professionals with access to the most extensive collection of legal and regulatory information worldwide, all on one award-winning and unique platform. The company utilizes cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence and data analytics, to help millions of users access the most relevant and accurate information. For more information about vLex, visit @vLex on Twitter or at www.vlex.com. About Fastcase Fastcase is a comprehensive legal intelligence company founded in 1999 and based in Washington, D.C. Partnering with the bar associations of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Fastcase serves more than 1.1 million lawyers worldwide. The company provides an innovative research suite of primary law, dockets, treatises, legal blogs, analytics, workflow tools, and legal news. For more information about Fastcase’s legal tools, visit the company on Twitter at @Fastcase or visit www.fastcase.com. About Oakley Capital Oakley Capital is the partner of choice for entrepreneurs and management teams with the ambition to build successful, global businesses. With a diverse team of over 140 professionals across five locations including London, Munich and Milan, the firm backs high-growth, mid-market companies across Europe. It has deep sector-expertise across Technology, Consumer and Education and a track-record of supporting businesses accelerating their growth with proven value creation strategies, including M&A, digitization, talent management and internationalization. Its unique origination capabilities help unearth attractive investment opportunities yielding consistently strong returns for all stakeholders. To date, the firm has delivered gross realized returns of 4x MM and 67% IRR across all funds. In 2023, Oakley raised a record €2.85 billion for Oakley Capital Fund V, bringing their total AUM to €8 billion. About Bain Capital Credit Bain Capital Credit is a leading global credit specialist with approximately $42 billion in assets under management. Bain Capital Credit invests across the credit spectrum and in credit‐related strategies, including leveraged loans, high‐yield bonds, structured products, private middle market loans, bespoke capital solutions, distressed securities and assets, non‐performing loans, hard assets and equities. Our team of more than 95 investment professionals creates value through rigorous, independent analysis of thousands of corporate issuers around the world. In addition to credit, Bain Capital Credit invests across asset classes including private equity, public equity, venture capital and real estate, and leverages the firm’s shared platform to capture opportunities in strategic areas of focus. Bain Capital Credit's dedicated Private Credit Group focuses on providing complete financing solutions to businesses with EBITDA between $10 million and $150 million located in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Our dedicated global team affords us the ability to diligence the most complex situations and provide private capital to those companies. Contact Details vLex Group Mike Adorno madorno@hotpaperlantern.com

April 04, 2023 08:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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