PROFNET EXPERT ALERTS: Business & Technology

PROFNET EXPERT ALERTS: Business & Technology

    1.  Economy: What to Believe: Housing or Unemployment Data?   2.  Finance: What CIT's Bondholder Deal Means for Companies   3.  Finance: Who Will Play Paulson in the Movie "Financial Crisis '08"?   4.  Finance: Role of Bankruptcy in Restructuring Large Corporate Deals   5.  Finance: Will Investors Continue to Request TALF for CMBS Assets?   6.  Marketing: Legal Issues Associated with Viral Marketing Campaigns   7.  Media: Legacy of Anchorman Walter Cronkite   

1. ECONOMY: WHAT TO BELIEVE: HOUSING OR UNEMPLOYMENT DATA? RON D'VARI, CEO of NEWOAK CAPITAL, LLC, a New York-based advisory and capital markets firm focused on parties affected by credit crisis: "The economy is not yet out of the woods, but yet many have taken the U.S. housing starts' uptick for three months in a row as the sign that the housing market has stabilized and that would soon lead to the end of recession. Some believe it was the housing downturn that got us here and it is housing that has to get us out of here. Yes, housing starts may be ticking up, but from a very low base of about one- fourth of the peak. The optimism should be tempered by the fact that unemployment will continue to be a drag, and the multifamily component of housing starts is still shrinking. The markets still need to price in many credit distress situations such as CIT in coming quarters, not to mention potential commercial real estate issues. Net-net, we are looking better than three months ago and credit goes to some of the government-induced liquidity that is finally starting to work. Let's hope it is not a false start." News Contact: Marisa D'Vari, MDVari@newoakcapital.com (7/20/09)

2. FINANCE: WHAT CIT'S BONDHOLDER DEAL MEANS FOR COMPANIES. SHASHA DAI covers private equity for DOW JONES PRIVATE EQUITY ANALYST and LBO WIRE. As CIT nears a funding deal with bondholders, Dai can discuss what it means for CIT's corporate borrowers -- many of which are private equity-backed -- and what a future bankruptcy filing would mean for the companies. Dai: "CIT is a major lender to companies owned by middle-market private equity firms. It bulked up its exposure in the area in recent years. That has hurt CIT, as many borrowers went under due to the economic downturn and heavy debt loads. Meanwhile, if CIT itself should file for bankruptcy, its remaining debtors would find their funding sources severely curtailed. And that would add to the liquidity problems many companies are already experiencing." Dai is based in New York City, and is fluent in Chinese. News Contact: Kim Gagliardi, kimberly.gagliardi@dowjones.com Phone: +1-603-864-8873 (7/20/09)

3. FINANCE: WHO WILL PLAY HANK PAULSON IN THE MOVIE VERSION OF "THE FINANCIAL CRISIS '08"? JAMES FRISCHLING, president at NEWOAK CAPITAL, LLC, a New York- based advisory and capital markets firm focused on parties affected by credit crisis: "For all the qualities Hank Paulson possesses, I think his ability to maintain restraint was among the very best during his five-hour testimony in front of Congress last week. The former Treasury secretary met all the questions head-on and didn't appear to blink when he explained the situation we found ourselves in last December, his conviction that BofA stay the course and his commitment to use everything in his power to make it happen. I'm sure some people in Paulson's camp (including probably Paulson himself) would have preferred him to borrow a line or two from Jack Nicholson's character Col. Jessep in the movie 'A Few Good Men.' I couldn't help but think of one of my favorite quotes from the film and feel it summarizes rather well what was really going on in the former Treasury secretary's head during his time with Congress: 'I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way.' Since no one at the hearing took a moment to say it, I'll simply say: 'Thanks, Hank, for the big effort last fall and for getting the job done.'" News Contact: Marisa D'Vari, MDVari@newoakcapital.com (7/20/09)

4. FINANCE: ROLE OF BANKRUPTCY IN RESTRUCTURING LARGE CORPORATE DEALS. DAVID SCHILLI, an attorney with ROBINSON BRADSHAW & HINSON in Charlotte, N.C., can discuss how the role of bankruptcy in restructuring large corporate deals is likely to remain unchanged even in the current economic environment: "Absent a loosening of the current credit markets, corporate bankruptcy filings likely will continue to increase as default rates increase. Bankruptcy filings may also increase as companies face other pressures to liquidate their assets, but only if there is a potential market for those assets, capital available to potential buyers and value to be salvaged for a company's interest holders." News Contact: Tracy Hamm, thamm@wrayward.com Phone: +1-704-926-1315 (7/20/09)

5. FINANCE: WILL INVESTORS CONTINUE TO REQUEST TALF LOANS FOR CMBS ASSETS? CRAIG LIEBERMAN, managing director and co-head of commercial real estate at NEWOAK CAPITAL, LLC, a New York-based advisory and capital markets firm focused on parties affected by credit crisis: "Most investors seem to be waiting on the sideline so far, instead of applying for a TALF loan to finance their legacy CMBS investments. While investors' trepidation is understandable, given the magnitude of S&P's proposed downgrades and uncertainty around the logistics of the program, especially the role of the collateral manager, I suspect more investors will begin requesting TALF loans for CMBS assets in the coming months. As these questions start to get answered, investors should grow more comfortable with TALF, which will increase its appeal." News Contact: Marisa D'Vari, MDVari@newoakcapital.com (7/20/09)

6. MARKETING: LEGAL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH VIRAL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS. E. THOMAS WATSON, an attorney with ROBINSON, BRADSHAW & HINSON in Charlotte, N.C., practices in the area of intellectual property law, trademarks and copyright use: "Creating a catchy viral marketing campaign or YouTube clip can be a big boost for business, but these endeavors are not a panacea for sluggish sales. Despite the flexibility and creativity the Internet provides as a means of consumer outreach, companies cannot throw legal restraint to the wind when developing these campaigns. There are a number of critical and often unforeseen legal issues these campaigns can create without proper vigilance." News Contact: Mike Henry, mhenry@wrayward.com Phone: +1-704-926-1364 (7/20/09)

7. MEDIA: LEGACY OF ANCHORMAN WALTER CRONKITE. NANCY SNOW, faculty member at SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, is available to comment on the legacy of Walter Cronkite: "Plain and simple, it's Brand Cronkite. And that brand is trust. Today, we have pseudo or pop culture journalists like the outrageous Borat and Bruno, so nothing is sacred in journalism. Perhaps we need a new BC (before Cronkite) and AC (after Cronkite) to define this new age." Snow is the author of "Persuader-in-Chief: Global Opinion and Public Diplomacy in the Age of Obama," "The Arrogance of American Power: What U.S. Leaders Are Doing Wrong and Why it's Our Duty to Dissent," "Information War: American Propaganda, Free Speech and Opinion Control Since 9/11" and "Propaganda, Inc.: Selling America's Culture to the World," and an editor of "Routledge Handbook of Public Diplomacy and War, Media and Propaganda: A Global Perspective." Web site: http://www.nancysnow.com/ (7/20/09)

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PRNewswire -- July 20

Source: ProfNet

NOTE TO EDITORS: The following expert has provided direct contact information: Nancy Snow, Syracuse University nsnow@syr.edu Phone: +1-310-995-7669

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Profile: International Entertainment