Brocade Communications Systems Inc.

The Federal Reserve decided not to raise rates, but struck a more positive note than in September. Why all the indecision?

It is the latest deal in the rapidly consolidating semiconductor sector, where companies are seeking greater scale and a larger array of products.

Mr. Carney, C.E.O. of Brocade, says he learned about building teams by watching his grandfather, who used a bucket of water to make his point to workers.

Brocade Communications Systems has held discussions with private equity firms over a potential sale of the networking hardware company, pushing its shares higher on Monday.

Prosecutors face considerable obstacles in proving criminal charges if they have only sketchy evidence of an executive’s involvement in questionable decisions and the applicable legal standards are vague.

White Collar Watch examines why the government’s criminal prosecutions in cases involving options backdating appear to be drawing to a close.

With I.B.M. lagging rivals like Hewlett-Packard and Oracle in growth, some investors and analysts told Bloomberg News that Big Blue needs to start up its deal machine.

Peter J. Henning of White Collar Watch examines how the government is trying to use statements by defense lawyers against the former chief executive of Brocade Communications in a case involving options backdating.

Peter J. Henning of DealBook’s White Collar Watch examines the government’s latest legal defeat in its efforts to crack down on options backdating, this time involving a former director of Engineered Support Systems.

DealBook’s White Collar Watch examines how white-collar crime prosecutions and related civil actions can be enormously expensive to defend, with legal costs reaching the tens of millions of dollars.