CONFLICT OF INTEREST

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Securities Law> Exemptions From Registration> Exempted Transactions

(The Private Offering Exemption From SEC Registration Requirements)

The Intrastate Offering Exemption from SEC Registration Requirements

Securities may be sold without first being registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission if one of several exemptions applies. An exemption does not allow the use of any false or misleading statements in the offer or sale of the securities, and the offering may still be subject to requirements under state laws. However, if an exemption is applicable, then the expense and burden of the initial registration and periodic reporting of substantial information about the company may be avoided.

Guide to Remedies for Anticompetitive Mergers

The U.S. Department of Justice in October 2004 issued the "Antitrust Division Policy Guide to Merger Remedies" to provide insight for businesses into the policies that Antitrust Division attorneys and economists will follow in determining what remedies will be sought for mergers or acquisitions considered anticompetitive by the Department of Justice.

Enhanced Antitrust Criminal Penalty and Leniency Provisions

The Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Act of 2004, signed into law on June 22, 2004, as part of H.R. 1086, increased penalties for violations of the Sherman Act while increasing incentives for participation in the leniency program of the U.S. Department of Justice.