The key developments of the report are summarized below. Later-Stage Valuations Drop Q3 2023 saw a decline in start-up valuations across multiple stages, especially for Series B and Series C and later companies, which retreated to five-year lows. Despite the decline, Seed stage 2023 valuations continue to fare better and are on track to surpass 2022's record-setting levels. Mixed Results for Early and Late-Stage Fundraise Amounts In Q3 2023, Series Seed to Series B start-ups experienced a decline in fundraising amounts after Q2’s...

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The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) presents both unique opportunities and challenges for trademark and brand owners. By harnessing AI’s potential, businesses can accelerate the branding process by generating unique, brandable company and product names, logos and slogans tailored to specific industries and company values. However, with these advantages come several risks, including the potential for trademark infringement and dilution of established brands. The Power of Branding Trademarks are powerful tools for businesses to distinguish the origin of their goods...

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Contractors must now accelerate profitable growth Although the defense industry’s pool of economic profit (EP) experienced a sharp decline in 2022 and only a partial recovery through three quarters of 2023 results, investors are still bullish on the sector and expect strong medium- to long-term profit growth. 2022 was a rough year for defense profitability, as the industry experienced a 40% EP decline vs. 2021. The performance reversed the steady 3% EP CAGR recorded in the five years through 2021. With three...

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Certain non-spouse beneficiaries of inherited IRAs will need to begin taking annual RMDs from those accounts beginning in 2024 to satisfy the SECURE Act’s 10-year rule, which requires the liquidation of those accounts within 10 years of the original owner’s death. While the law eliminating stretch IRAS was passed in 2019, the IRS has since delayed the start date three times. Consequently, affected beneficiaries could find themselves saddled with higher-than-expected withdrawal requirements that could leave them with higher tax...

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Bennett Jones is pleased to announce that its partners have elected John M. Mercury as the next Executive Chair of the firm and Dominique T. Hussey as the next Chief Executive Officer. They will assume their new roles on January 1, 2024. They will succeed Hugh L. MacKinnon KC, who has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 2005. John has held several leadership positions with the firm, including more than 11 years on the Partnership Board, as Lead Director of...

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Geopolitical risk is currently front and center for executive management and boards. The war in Ukraine and accompanying geopolitical disruptions are an action-forcing event for nearly every multinational company and investor, regardless of the size of the business or portfolio at risk. At FCLTGlobal’s recent executive summit, executives identified a need for frameworks and risk analysis tool kits to expand awareness of what boards and management teams can do to navigate fast-paced, highly uncertain changes in the global marketplace...

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As the world of taxation undergoes constant transformation, an upcoming case in the U.S. Supreme Court may write a new chapter in U.S. tax law. The spotlight now falls on the constitutionality of the so-called “Transition Tax,” under Internal Revenue Code Section 965, a repatriation tax regime introduced under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, with the ongoing legal battle presented in the Supreme Court case of Moore v. United States. Prior to the enactment of the Transition Tax, U.S....

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The more power-efficient they get, the more the data center’s workload pulls them back to a more distant starting point. “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in,” Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) says in “The Godfather Part III.” Much the same might be said of server processors: The more powerful and power-efficient they get, the more the data center’s workload pulls them back to a more distant starting point. As data centers continue to expand in scale,...

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Treasury and the IRS on November 9 released proposed regulations relating to the determination of taxable income or loss and foreign currency gain or loss with respect to a qualified business unit (QBU). The proposed regulations include an election to treat all items of a QBU as marked items (subject to a loss suspension rule), an election to recognize all foreign currency gain or loss with respect to a QBU on an annual basis, and a new transition rule. The proposed...

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EU reaches deal on facilitating money transfers within 10 seconds Earlier this week, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the instant payments proposal. It is a plan which aims to improve the availability of instant payment options in euro for consumers and businesses across the European Union and wider European Economic Area. Once in force, the proposal aims to bolster the strategic autonomy of the European economic and financial sectors by reducing reliance on third-country financial infrastructure. The initiative will facilitate seamless...

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