Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce the successful placement of $140 million senior secured credit facility for AmeriMark Holdings, LLC, a catalog and e-commerce portfolio company of Prudential Capital Partners. The financing consisted of a $75 million ABL revolver and a $65 million senior secured term loan. Proceeds were used to refinance the company's existing indebtedness ahead of a maturity, as well as to pay related fees and expenses. The transaction closed on September 8, 2016. Founded in 1969, AmeriMark...

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Catalyst Trust will join with the Institute of International Education to create PEER - the Platform for Education in Emergencies Response John Sexton To Announce Formation of Catalyst Trust, supported by Gordon Brown New web-based clearinghouse will connect refugee and internally displaced students to scholarships and educational opportunities around the world Students and scholars in Syria and many other parts of the world have been abruptly cut off from educational opportunities by war, persecution, and violence engulfing their homes. More than...

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Scams have been around for quite a while, but the Internet has made them easier to initiate, and thus more common. It no longer seems odd to be contacted by a stranger from far away, presenting a business proposal or seeking professional advice, because that is how many of us make and develop those contacts overseas. The early Internet scams were unsophisticated, often involving a victim in another country seeking help or funds to get out of a serious...

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While laws prohibiting pay discrimination have been around for decades, recent legislative and regulatory changes, along with other trends, have propelled pay equity into the spotlight. This renewed focus on pay equity creates new challenges — and opportunities — for compliance-minded employers that not only strive to achieve fair pay practices in their workplaces, but also seek to minimize the risk of pay equity claims. One way for employers to face these issues head-on is to conduct pay audits. While...

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The world's largest advertising group snaps up a stake in a French media group and promises to make Europe a priority to avoid fallout from Britain's EU exit. Britain's WPP plc (WPPGY) is bulking up on European assets claiming it has little choice but to buy businesses in some of its key markets in the wake of the U.K.'s Brexit vote. The world's largest advertising firm by revenues announced, on Thursday, Sept. 22, the acquisition of a stake in French media...

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- At the annual Peace Corps Connect conference, Global Professional Search (GPS) and the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) formally announce a partnership to connect Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) and former Peace Corps employees to careers that leverage the cultural and language proficiency acquired during their overseas experience. <img alt="Global Professional Search Logo" class="Maw(100%)" src="https://l3.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/bxJVkE4_qAZefYO9LpGOxg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9ODAw/https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnvar/20160920/410213LOGO"/>Employers, visit GPS to hire a Peace Corps volunteer or former employee. Candidates, visit GPS to create your profile today. GPS is the leading...

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In this contribution, we focus on the uses of the blockchain in the financial sector. In its most extensive form, blockchain technology could dramatically change the financial sector and monetary systems. Virtual currencies Even without making use of virtual currencies, such as bitcoin, blockchains can be used to settle transactions quickly and cheaply by rendering the involvement of traditional players in the banking system superfluous. This is done by making assets "intelligent". We'll write more about this in a later...

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On 20 September 2016, the Dutch government presented the 2017 Budget.  As part thereof legislative proposals were submitted to Dutch Parliament on the amendment of certain tax laws in the Netherlands. Below, we will summarize some of the rules which are relevant for internationally oriented corporate taxpayers, that will apply as from 1 January 2017. Please note that the summary is based on the current version of the legislative proposal which is still subject to parliamentary approval.   In addition to...

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Education in Belgium ranks third-best among the 35 OECD countries, well above the EU and world averages, with the highest level of pre-school participation, good teachers and a broad and flexible higher education system. The ranking is based on a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Belgium is one of only six countries in the EU to meet the benchmark level performance on at least seven out of 10 targets set by the OECD and measured...

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NASCIO, Grant Thornton LLP and CompTIA have collaborated for a seventh consecutive year to survey state government IT leaders on current issues, trends and perspectives. New service delivery models, innovative technology solutions, and rising customer expectations all require state CIOs to adapt continually to changing circumstances. We asked state CIOs to share their perspective on a number of topics, with a particular focus on the continued evolution of the CIO as a broker of shared services, on the IT workforce...

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