When finalizing proxy materials for annual shareholder meetings, companies should consider the following areas, which are described in more detail below:
- SEC Proxy Filing Requirements
- Proxy Statement Disclosures...more
On March 6, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3-2 to adopt new rules mandating climate-related disclosures in public companies’ annual reports and registration statements. While the final rules are...more
3/11/2024
/ Business Strategies ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Rules ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Regulation S-X ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
The oversight obligations of boards continue to expand. Recent enforcement actions and new laws in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and supply chains create new challenges for boards, as we explain in this...more
2/19/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Activist ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Board of Directors ,
Canada ,
China ,
Competition ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cyber Incident Reporting ,
Cybersecurity ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
EU ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Forced Labor ,
Germany ,
International Labor Laws ,
Life Sciences ,
Machine Learning ,
Manufacturers ,
Mergers ,
NGOs ,
Political Campaigns ,
Political Contributions ,
Political Conventions ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholders ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)
Key Points -
- New SEC rules from 2023 require public companies to report material cybersecurity incidents promptly and detail their cybersecurity risk management strategies in annual reports — requirements that increase...more
As we noted in our October 13, 2023, client alert, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has adopted amendments to its beneficial ownership rules. Those amendments are effective as of February 5, 2024....more
On January 24, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted final rules that impose significant additional procedural and disclosure requirements on initial public offerings (IPOs) by special purpose acquisition...more
1/30/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Board of Directors ,
Capital Markets ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Mergers ,
PSLRA ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholders ,
Shell Corporations ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)
Editor’s note: This is an updated version of our January 12, 2023, client alert. This update covers new staff SEC guidance addressing the options companies have when existing confidential treatment orders approach...more
A number of notable developments over the past year, including disclosure trends and rule changes that impact the annual report on Form 20-F for fiscal year 2023, have updated the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted final rules in 2023 that are intended to enhance and standardize disclosures regarding cybersecurity risk management, strategy, governance and incident reporting by...more
12/20/2023
/ Corporate Governance ,
Cyber Incident Reporting ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
FBI ,
Form 8-K ,
Incident Response Plans ,
Popular ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Companies have important decisions to make as they prepare for the 2024 annual meeting and reporting season. We have compiled this overview of the latest key issues — including SEC disclosure requirements, SEC guidance,...more
12/13/2023
/ Annual Meeting ,
Beneficial Owner ,
Board of Directors ,
Business Entities ,
Business Ownership ,
CEOs ,
CFOs ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cybersecurity ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Executive Compensation ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Proxy Season ,
Proxy Voting Guidelines ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Shareholder Proposals ,
Stock Repurchases
On October 30, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an order granting broker-dealers exemptive relief from Rule 15c2-11 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for fixed-income securities sold in...more
11/16/2023
/ Asset-Backed Securities ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Debt Securities ,
Division of Trading and Markets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Equity Securities ,
Exemptive Relief ,
Fixed Income Investments ,
Investors ,
Liquidity ,
Public Information ,
Regulation S ,
Rule 144A ,
Safe Harbors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ,
Trade Associations
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has voted to adopt new Rule 13f-2 and related Form SHO requiring certain institutional investment managers (managers) to report short sale-related information to the SEC....more
On October 10, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 4-1 to adopt amendments to its beneficial ownership reporting rules. Sections 13(d) and 13(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended...more
On September 27, 2023, facing the prospect of a lapse of appropriations, the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance published a summary of the anticipated impact on its operations of...more
10/5/2023
/ Division of Corporate Finance ,
EDGAR ,
Electronic Filing ,
Filing Requirements ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Government Shutdown ,
New Guidance ,
Proxy Statements ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Registration Statement ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
Our 2024 annual guide to SEC filing deadlines and financial statement staleness dates has been released. Public companies should keep in mind key reporting deadlines, disclosure obligations and SEC holidays as they plan for...more
In September 2023, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 253, Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253) and Senate Bill 261, Greenhouse Gases: Climate-Related Financial Risk (SB 261). California Gov. Gavin...more
9/27/2023
/ California ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Governor Newsom ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures
In June 2023, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) proposed sweeping amendments to its auditing standards. Comment letters raise serious questions about the consequences of the proposed changes....more
During periods of market turmoil and declining stock prices, companies may be tempted or pressured to delist and deregister their shares. This process is often referred to as “going dark.” Given the poor performance of...more
Corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and disclosures continue to be a focus for investors, other stakeholders and securities regulators in both the United States and Europe, but the disclosure...more
Short sellers make their money by publishing information that attacks a company in order to drive down its share price. How can a company prepare? And what should it not do in the face of a short attack? We offer some tips in...more
9/7/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Division ,
Board of Directors ,
Corporate Governance ,
Delisting ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Foreign Subsidies ,
Horizontal Merger Guidelines ,
Internal Investigations ,
Mergers ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation ,
Sellers ,
Share Buybacks ,
Shareholders ,
Short Selling ,
UK
On August 25, 2023, the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) Division of Corporation Finance issued guidance to address certain open questions on the amendments to Rule 10b5-1 and related disclosure...more
9/5/2023
/ 10b5-1 Plans ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Insider Trading ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Required Forms ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Stock Options
On July 26, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3-2 to adopt final rules that are intended to enhance and standardize disclosures regarding cybersecurity risk management, strategy, governance and...more
7/28/2023
/ Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cyber Incident Reporting ,
Cybersecurity ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
New Rules ,
Proposed Rules ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Required Forms ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On May 3, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted rule amendments requiring enhanced disclosures pertaining to issuers’ repurchases of equity securities. The new rules, prompted by a perception that some...more
Conflict minerals disclosures on Forms SD are required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) no later than May 31, 2023. The conflict minerals disclosure rules and related guidance have remained at a...more
SEC Proxy Filing Requirements -
File proxy card, Notice of Internet Availability and other soliciting materials with the SEC. In addition to filing the proxy statement, companies should confirm that the proxy card, the...more
3/20/2023
/ Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity ,
EDGAR ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Equity Compensation ,
Filing Requirements ,
Nasdaq ,
Pay-for-Performance ,
Proxy Season ,
Proxy Statements ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Universal Proxy Cards