Middle Market Deals and how to buy, sell and raise capital from $5 to $500 million

From my limited perspective, it would seem that the rush to legislation that followed in the wake of the Enron / Anderson (et al) melt-down failed to address the the fundemental issues: a failure to enforce existing laws by a string of executive branches too beholden to corporate interests, and a fourth estate too lazy to educate the public on it. And laws can't really address an executive branch that can't be bothered with enforcing them.

So while I'm dubious of the value of new laws in a world where the old ones were ignored, I'm not willing to dismiss the particulars of S/A out-of-hand... but will say only that a new law is useless.

On the point you make at the onset, however, I would submit that the Lay/Skilling verdict only points-up the dearth of enforcement... well, that, and that juries will convict at least the most heinous and bald of perpetrators.

So I can't grant your premise... but I'll gladly join you at the bar to bellyache about S/A — though for different reasons.

To be more specific... how can a single verdict in a environment of gross abuses prove anything? It's a blip on the radarscreen... and without profound and lasting changes in the environment which fostered Enron (et al), there will be no change in the status quo.