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A Rothstein Kass report finds that biotechnology executives are becoming more creative in their financing approaches, creating a climate ripe for consolidation and strategic alliances. Investors who viewed an initial public offering as an exit strategy are being replaced by those with longer horizons and by better capitalized industry participants eager to explore synergies.

A new white paper from Pitcairn makes the case for family offices as the best option for sophisticated families that wish to achieve a lasting legacy. The author examines the challenges of wealth and how family offices can help by integrating investment expertise with trust and estate planning, tax management, family governance and accounting skills.

All parents have hopes and dreams for their children. They hope to see their children create loving relationships, achieve success in satisfying careers and make productive contributions to society. For many parents with strong moral, religious or civic beliefs, it may be particularly important that their children grow up to become caring, generous adults with deeply-held philanthropic values. Promoting appropriate and responsible philanthropy within the family is a wonderful way to surmount these challenges.

Staff recruitment, hiring and retention are challenging and diffi cult processes for any employer. When this task is assumed by a family, many of the standard issues raised are magnifi ed because of the family's limited experience in this job capacity. When you take on the role of employer, risk management changes in many ways. Despite the concerns that are raised, proper planning and preparation can mitigate or remove many of the potential pitfalls.

Savvy investors have always known that an economic downturn presents opportunities for anyone willing to bet on a recovery. Similarly with estate planning, there are distinct advantages in taking action while market values and interest rates are low. By transferring property now, individuals can reduce the size of their taxable estates while giving beneficiaries substantial upside potential.

Cyber-criminals continue to show their creativity in accessing private information and inserting malicious code in the computer systems of unsuspecting companies and individuals. Finjan Software's most recent report on Web security trends highlights new areas of concern, including the use of Flash files, such as eye-catching banner ads, and PDF files to deliver undetected malicious code.

Taxes may always be with us, but not necessarily in the same way depending on where we live. Deutsche Bank takes a global look at income tax, comparing tax scales, types of deductions and tax systems from one country to another.

Individuals give to charitable causes with hopes that they are making a difference. Unfortunately, they rarely are given enough information to assess the success of individual programs. This white paper from Newdea discusses how donors and non-profits can work together to create a standard platform for information so that both know which programs are working and which should be discontinued.

Social campaigning, or advocacy, can bring societal wrongs to light and better humanity. But how can a charity or social group raise government and individual awareness of a societal problem enough to help many people in need and give a voice to the disadvantaged? This report from New Philanthropy Capital offers guidance for charities and their donors who want to take an active role in campaigning.

The effects of the financial crisis and declining economic conditions are being felt across the commercial real estate sector, but property market fundamentals remain relatively sound. That, combined with banks and insurers taking a more cautious approach to real estate lending, has resulted in reduced liquidity and a potential opportunity for investors, says Babson Capital Management.