In the July edition of our Public Company Watch, we cover key issues impacting public companies, including the new Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations related to the cybersecurity disclosure rules and the recent SEC...more
On June 24, the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Division of Corporation Finance (Division of Corporation Finance) released five new Compliance & Disclosure Interpretations (C&DIs) relating to the...more
Erik Gerding, Director, SEC Division of Corporation Finance, issued a statement to clear up misconceptions following filing of an 8-K disclosing a cybersecurity incident....more
Here’s the deal: Regulation FD is an issuer disclosure rule that prohibits a US public company and certain persons acting on its behalf from selectively disclosing material nonpublic information about itself or its...more
Generative AI is finding its way into almost every corner of corporate operations – and investor relations is no exception. Disney’s CEO Bob Iger has quipped that he looks forward to a time when AI does earnings calls for...more
In order to provide an overview for busy in-house counsel and compliance professionals, we summarize below some of the most important and interesting SEC enforcement developments from the past month, with links to primary...more
2022 was a busy year for the SEC’s Enforcement Division. This 2022 Retrospective highlights some of the year’s notable cases, largest settlements, new and noteworthy theories, and court decisions worth remembering....more
Since Kramer Levin issued its Corporate Governance: 2022 Midyear Review, a wave of enforcement actions by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has underscored the continued importance...more
On Dec. 5, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that AT&T has agreed to a $6.25 million penalty, resolving charges brought against it under the securities rule known as Regulation Fair Disclosure (Regulation...more
Yesterday, the SEC announced that it had settled charges against AT&T for alleged violations of Reg FD for $6.25 million, an amount that it characterized as a “record penalty”—the “largest ever in a Reg FD case.” The case...more
Sophisticated investors in structured finance products are increasingly demonstrating an interest in entering the market via direct private placements pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, either in...more
In this edition of Dechert’s Securities & Derivative Litigation Quarterly Update, we examine: (1) the Delaware Court of Chancery’s latest post-trial decision showing how the special committee process is critical in the...more
In order to provide an overview for busy in-house counsel and compliance professionals, we summarize below some of the most important SEC enforcement developments from the past month, which was an active one as the SEC...more
Reg FD cases rarely get to court, but here’s one that, barring a settlement, appears to be headed to trial. In a 129-page opinion in SEC v. AT&T, 9/08/22, the federal district court for the SDNY denied summary judgment for...more
Sometimes it turns out that an authorized speaker for your public company (e.g., CEO, CFO, or head of investor relations) has selectively shared nonpublic information with analysts or investors that he or she thought was...more
Directors and officers know that social media is a megaphone—but do they know who at the company is holding the megaphone? And are any guardrails in place? In this week’s D&O Notebook, my colleague Lenin Lopez provides timely...more
The use of social media raises securities law and compliance challenges for issuers, broker-dealers, and investment advisers. This Compliance Guide summarizes briefly some key principles. ...more
Recently, many of our clients have received similar requests from the staff of the SEC's Division of Enforcement related to the December 2020 SolarWinds cyberattack. We confirmed with the SEC staff that the request is...more
A recent Reg FD SEC enforcement action against AT&T may signal a renewed focus by the SEC that warrants public companies to assess their disclosure processes. On March 5, 2021, the SEC charged AT&T and three executives...more
The SEC recently filed a civil suit in federal district court against AT&T, Inc. charging the company with violating Regulation FD in 2016 by selectively disclosing nonpublic financial estimates and results to sell-side...more
In this Issue. The federal bank regulatory agencies announced that the temporary change to the supplementary leverage ratio for depository institutions will expire as scheduled on March 31, 2021; the Small Business...more
Federal Judge Dismisses Facebook Investor Class Action Based on Board Diversity, Virginia Federal Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Claims that Altria Knew JUUL Was Marketing to Underage Consumers, SEC Brings Claims Against AT&T...more
On March 5, 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed an enforcement action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York charging AT&T with repeated violations of Section 13 of the Securities...more
What happened The SEC recently brought charges against AT&T and three mid-level executives for selectively providing information to Wall Street analysts in alleged violation of Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD). According...more
On Friday, March 5, 2021, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a rare litigated action against a large public company and three of its investor relations employees for alleged violations of Regulation FD...more