Some of the world’s earliest and most detailed governmental regulations for generative artificial intelligence (AI) just went into effect in China on Aug. 15. These “Generative AI Measures” are intended to balance state...more
By a 3-2 vote on July 26, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted final rules enhancing disclosure requirements regarding public companies’ cybersecurity risk management, strategy, governance and incident...more
On July 10, the European Union and the United States finalized the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF), an agreement that allows for the transfer of personal data from residents of the EU to certified companies in the U.S....more
7/26/2023
/ Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
EU ,
EU-US Privacy Shield ,
International Data Transfers ,
Personal Data ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Schrems I & Schrems II ,
Standard Contractual Clauses ,
U.S. Commerce Department
The public and private focus on corporate governance continued apace in the first half of 2023. In recent months, there were notable developments in jurisprudence potentially impacting corporate diversity initiatives and in...more
7/12/2023
/ 10b5-1 Plans ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Fourteenth Amendment ,
Popular ,
Sanction Violations ,
Section 11 ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Title VI ,
Wells Fargo
On June 30, 2023, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy to review a decision by the Fifth Circuit rejecting key aspects of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC or the...more
7/10/2023
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Administrative Procedure ,
Appeals ,
Article II ,
Certiorari ,
PCAOB ,
Removal For-Cause ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Seventh Amendment
In a recent 6-5 ruling, an en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a derivative suit asserting Exchange Act violations against The Gap, Inc. and its directors. The district court had dismissed the suit —...more
In Slack Technologies, LLC v. Pirani,1 the Supreme Court on June 1, 2023, unanimously held that even in a case involving direct listing of both registered and unregistered securities, to state a claim under Section 11(a) of...more
A recent post-trial decision from Delaware regarding alleged breaches of representations and warranties in an asset purchase agreement is noteworthy. First, the decision highlights how buyers may not be able to rely on...more
On May 3, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to increase disclosures for issuer repurchases of shares or other equity securities that are registered under Section 12 of the Securities...more
5/12/2023
/ 10b5-1 Plans ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Final Rules ,
Form 10-K ,
Form 10-Q ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Stock Repurchases
In concert with the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) focus on voluntary self-disclosure of corporate misconduct, as well as DOJ’s commitment to addressing sanctions evasion, export control violations and similar economic crimes,...more
Two bills are scheduled to be introduced at the New York City (NYC) council meeting on April 27th that would amend NYC’s administrative code to more heavily regulate the collection and storage of biometric data by businesses...more
On April 14, 2023, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in two related cases, Axon Enterprise, Inc. v. FTC (No. 21-86) and SEC v. Cochran (No. 21-1239), holding that respondents may challenge the constitutionality of...more
Recently, Iowa became the sixth state to enact a comprehensive privacy law to protect personal data, joining California, Virginia, Colorado, Utah and Connecticut. Although privacy laws have existed in the U.S. for decades,...more
On March 30, federal regulators announced that Wells Fargo Bank had entered into settlements in which it agreed to pay $97.8 million in fines for enabling sanctions violations between 2010 and 2015. In two separate...more
In a recent post-trial decision, Delaware Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick found a CEO personally liable for breaching his fiduciary duties for tilting the company’s sale to his preferred acquiror. The court further held...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently entered into a consent order with IT services company DXC Technology (DXC) with respect to DXC’s alleged violations of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. The SEC...more
On March 15, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed three rule changes that demonstrate its continued focus on cybersecurity. One of these proposals, and the only one to be unanimously approved (the...more
On March 9, software company Blackbaud agreed to pay $3 million to the SEC as a result of alleged misleading disclosures arising out of a 2020 data breach that involved customer bank account information and Social Security...more
In an era of increasing cyberattacks by varying threat actors, the board's oversight of cybersecurity risks remains a key responsibility. In two recent cases, the Delaware Court of Chancery (Chancery Court) dismissed Caremark...more
Earlier this month, at the American Bar Association’s (ABA) 38th National Institute on White Collar Crime, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. highlighted the...more
The Department of Labor (DOL) on Dec. 1, 2022, finalized regulations titled “Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights” (the 2022 Rule) that provide greater flexibility to retirement...more
For almost 30 years, the Delaware courts have held that corporate directors are charged with a fiduciary duty of “oversight.” Directors must make sure that their corporations both (1) implement reasonable information and...more
The year 2022 saw a groundswell of interest in privacy rights and related legislation. Five states enacted new laws or regulations aimed at protecting a general right to privacy, while the U.S. government came closer than...more
1/24/2023
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FinCEN ,
NYDFS ,
Popular ,
Risk Management ,
Russia ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Eager to enlist corporations as “allies in [its] fight against crime,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, expansions to the Criminal Division’s corporate enforcement policy, now the Criminal...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