Adonis Hoffman

• From major industry conferences to intimate corporate board meetings, Adonis Hoffman speaks to today's leaders on business, reputation and policy success. 
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• Hoffman comments frequently on television, and writes on policy issues for national media 
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• Washington has become the merger capital of the world. With several multibillion-dollar deals in the works, the FCC, FTC and DOJ are today’s proving grounds. Mega media transactions have ushered the obscure rules of mergers out of the shadows and into public view, where success is measured in more than shareholder value. In days gone by, a corporate merger was a marriage between two  companies that decided it was good to combine. But like modern-day  marriage, mergers too have changed. No longer just corporate unions,  mergers have become multi-stakeholder exercises with often-competing  interests.In recent years, media mergers have become the platform  of choice for nascent competitors, consumer groups, community  activists, elected officials and almost anyone with an angle to play or  an axe to grind. Many have mastered the fine art of merger mischief,  using apocryphal comments in the public record to turn the tide of  opinion. Companies seeking FCC approval have been at the mercy of  malcontents advancing conditions that would be otherwise laughable but  for a pending merger review. But not more. The rules of the game have changed under the Trump Administration. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Michael O’Rielly  have shifted the agency’s merger-review focus to the four corners of the  transaction, placing the emphasis on the merits of the deal rather than  its conditions.  The jury is still out as to the effect these changes will have on M & A activity in 2018 and beyond.

• (Full article originally published in Broadcasting & Cable magazine, November 7, 2017.)

• A recent Wall Street Journal article  identified a wave of mergers that are testing the limits of antitrust  laws. From beer to appliances to airlines and the media, concentration and convergence are taking place. "Go big or go  home" is a mantra among merger advisory experts who cite scale  as the key advantage in a competitive global market. While  bigger is not always better for consumers, growth through  acquisition can be a winning strategy for investors and the bottom line.  prices, lower quality  goods or services. When it comes to transactions involving licenses and authorizations under the Communications Act, Congress has directed the FCC  to determine whether proposed mergers would serve the "public interest,  convenience and necessity." This broad and somewhat amorphous standard  allows the FCC considerable leeway in its review of communications  mergers. The public interest standard encompasses such considerations as  diversity, localism, innovation, and providing new or additional  services to consumers, in addition to the congressional goal of  "promoting the widespread dissemination of information from a  multiplicity of sources."Through its focus on the public  interest, the FCC review is considerably more open, transparent and  inclusive than the antitrust merger reviews conducted by the FTC and  DOJ. But it is this glasnost element that has become problematic. When a  public company seeks to merge, its very soul is laid bare for the world  to see. Its profits, plans, policies and practices are open to scrutiny  from anyone who can prove the slightest interest in the proposed  transaction. But not every inquiry is well intentioned. Nowhere is this more pronounced  than in the media and communications sector, where convergence,  consolidation and competition are robust.

• Complete article originally published in The Hill newspaper, October 22, 2015.

• Mr. Hoffman helps business leaders, CEOs, corporate boards and directors to effectively engage shareholders, investors, consumer and community groups, customers, stakeholders, media and government, and to build reputations for responsible leadership through strategic alliances, partnerships and advocacy. He has been a go-to expert on corporate branding, crisis and reputation management, providing innovative solutions to companies facing media, political and governance challenges. 

• Customers, shareholders, institutional investors, activists, policymakers and the media today are deeply concerned about the behavior, policies and practices of corporations. Our society has developed high, and perhaps unreasonable, expectations of the private sector. We expect companies not only to provide quality products and services, but also to compete globally and be exemplary corporate citizens.  We want them to protect the environment, build roads, fight corruption, advance human rights, support the arts, and contribute to local communities at the same time.  In short, we want corporations to do well and to do good. In the aftermath of Wall Street financial reform, environmental damage from the largest oil spill in history, and a host of corporate governance issues, this mandate has never been stronger.    

• In Doing Good, lawyer, professor and business strategist, Adonis Hoffman, lays out 55 simple rules corporations and business leaders can follow to prove their character and conscience in today's demanding consumer climate.

• Chapter-by-chapter, Doing Good makes the path to corporate responsibility plain and clear. Companies who want to reap the rewards of such a reputation can just follow the rules.  

• Doing Good makes a simple, but compelling, case for a new path to corporate responsibility, especially for large publicly traded companies who have unique opportunities and resources to help build a better humanity.  

• Seasoned with practical, common-sense, advice from notable business, political and cultural leaders, Doing Good is a must read for anyone who cares about the increasingly important role of corporations in today's society. 

• Visit Amazon to order your copy today.