The post mortem by way of prologue, courtesy of of the NY Observer.

Labels: CondeNast Portfolio

Really interesting stuff here from Conde Nast Portfolio (great magazine, even better website) on the movement of government spooks into the private sector. This article is an absolute must read.

Included in the piece is big coverage of the recent shenanigans at Wal-Mart along with name-checks of spy-heavy investigative outfits like Diligence LLC, GlobalOptions, Trident Group, Kroll and Business Intelligence Advisors.

You'll see reference to many of the recent scandals that have been attached to these names (and covered in this space - click the tags below for past Daily Caveat coverage). You'll also get a bit of history on how spooks came to find their way into the private sector.

Again, highly, highly recommended reading...

Labels: BIA, CondeNast Portfolio, corporate espionage, Diligence LLC, GlobalOptions, Kroll, Trident Group

Have I mentioned that I am loving CondeNast Portfolio? Although word of editorial troubles has gone around, the end product is easily the most stylish and new-media friendly online financial publication. For example, there is this uber-cool interactive breakdown of the Econoblogosphere.

I'll assume the omission of The Daily Caveat is just an oversight...

Lots of my favorites make appearances, along with plenty of new faces I'll have to add to my rotation. Hopefully this is something that they'll keep updating as time goes on, as some of the categories are a bit scant at present. But the idea and execution, very cool.

-- MDT

Labels: blogs, CondeNast Portfolio

CondeNast Portfolio continues to amuse...

Well, ME at least.

-- MDT

Labels: CondeNast Portfolio, corporate scandal, funny, Prison

The Daily Caveat is a simple man and not one routinely given over to reading CondeNast. But darn it if their Portfolio online imprint (currently in oh-so Web2.0 BETA) hasn't been worming its way to my attention over the last week or so. A few examples:

Lets start with the quick piece on the HP spying lawsuits, a topic discussed in this space only yesterday. As an amusing corollary, there's also this somewhat tongue in cheek guide to surviving corporate spying.

And there is this very interesting story on a couple of hedge fund managers who are currently suing their former law firm, Akin Gump, for what they've come to see as seriously bad advice on what does and does not constitute illegal trading.

For something a little more lo-fi, check out this piece on a Tennessee investiation into graveyard swindlers, Quest Minerals & Exploration who perpetrated "history’s first large-scale white-collar grave robbery." Yea, you'll want to give it a read.

Personally, I'll read anything called Blackmail, Sex & Corporate Secrets which takes as its subject, Lord John Browne, Baron of Madingley and the former CEO of British Petroleum. So there you go...four arguments for a subscription.

-- MDT

Labels: Akin Gump, BP, CondeNast Portfolio, hedge fund, HP, John Browne, Quest Minerals