What Does The SEC Approved NASDAQ Diversity Proposal Mean For Boards?
Financing Challenges for Small Cap Companies
In May, Nasdaq proposed to revise some of its corporate governance rules—specifically Rules 5605, 5615 and 5810—to modify the phase-in schedules for the independent director and committee requirements in connection with a...more
Welcome to the latest edition of Fenwick’s Securities Law Update. This issue contains news on...more
On July 25, 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) notified the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that at least part of the basis for the currently pending legal attack on the Nasdaq’s proposed...more
This edition of the Bermuda Public Companies Update summarises significant transactions involving Bermuda companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq in the first half of 2024. Global Market Update -...more
When I last reviewed the themes and trends we are seeing for IPOs of Bermuda and Cayman companies from our office in Hong Kong in mid-2022, it was very much a tale of two cities. Two years later, there is little to indicate...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit will likely weigh in soon on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval of Nasdaq’s board diversity rule that will require listed companies to disclose...more
Nasdaq has filed with the SEC a proposed rule change to “modify the application of the bid price compliance periods where a company takes action that causes non-compliance with another listing requirement.” Hmmm, how’s that...more
Welcome to the latest edition of Fenwick’s Securities Law Update....more
As you know, the Nasdaq board diversity disclosure requirements might be in jeopardy at the moment, as we await the decision of the en banc Fifth Circuit following oral argument in Alliance for Fair Board Recruitment and...more
SEC enforcement director speaks on AI ‘washing’ - In our April 2024 One-Minute Reads, we covered the concept of artificial intelligence (AI) “washing.” Gurbir Grewal, director of the Securities and Exchange Commission...more
In August 2021, the SEC approved a Nasdaq proposal for new listing rules regarding board diversity and disclosure, accompanied by a proposal to provide free access to a board recruiting service. The new listing rules adopted...more
On 24 April 2024, the UK Takeover Panel (the Panel) published Public Consultation Paper 2024/1 (the PCP), which proposes a significant change to the applicability of the UK Takeover Code (the Code), by narrowing the scope of...more
After the U.S. Supreme Court held that Harvard University engaged in unlawful racial discrimination against Asian Americans in its efforts to achieve student body diversity, businesses have rightly sought legal guidance on...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit agreed recently to revisit a challenge to Nasdaq's board diversity rule. As we previously reported, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit upheld the rule in October 2023....more
The Fifth Circuit has vacated the opinion we discussed in our Oct. 30, 2023, client alert Diversity in the Boardroom: Fifth Circuit Rejects Challenge to the SEC Nasdaq Board Diversity Rules; En Banc Petition Quickly Filed and...more
In this Client Alert, we highlight key considerations public companies should keep in mind when preparing their upcoming annual reports on Form 10-K and proxy statements, including rule changes, recent guidance and reporting...more
On 20 December 2023, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”) published a further consultation paper (CP23/31) (the “December Consultation Paper”) for reforming the UK listing regime....more
A year ago, you couldn’t avoid the talk about a brutal recession on the horizon—yet it didn’t materialize. At the end of 2023, economists said the data pointed to either a small recession or an avoidance altogether in 2023,...more
On October 18, 2023, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Alliance for Fair Board Recruitment v. SEC, 5th Cir., No. 21-60626 upheld Nasdaq’s board diversity rule, which encourages greater board...more
A number of significant regulatory, legal, market, and ESG-related developments and issues will affect how public companies approach the upcoming year-end reporting process. As in past years, Mintz has prepared an in-depth...more
Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq have until Dec. 1, 2023, to adopt clawback policies that comply with the listing standards mandated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Rule...more
Companies that are listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market or the New York Stock Exchange are required to adopt a clawback policy that provides for the recovery from any current or former executive officers of incentive-based...more
In Alliance for Fair Board Recruitment v. SEC, a panel of three 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges upheld Nasdaq’s rules on board diversity. The rules require each Nasdaq-listed company to disclose information on the...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (Court) recently rejected challenges to Nasdaq’s “Board Diversity” framework. Those rules require Nasdaq-listed companies to report that they have, or explain why they do not...more