On February 25, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it unanimously voted to approve proposed changes requiring certain institutional investment managers (managers) to report short...more
On March 9, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rules that are intended to enhance and standardize disclosures regarding cybersecurity risk management, strategy and governance, as well as cybersecurity...more
Takeaways - Independence is neither a fixed condition nor a universal status for all purposes. Events and relationships can disqualify an otherwise independent director from participating in decisions.. No matter how pure a...more
On December 15, 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed several amendments and new disclosure requirements intended to address what it perceives as potentially abusive practices engaged in by public...more
12/23/2021
/ 10b5-1 Plans ,
Comment Period ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Foreign Private Issuers ,
Insider Trading ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Public Comment ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stock Repurchases
Companies have important decisions to make as they prepare for the 2022 annual meeting and reporting season.
We have compiled this overview of key issues — including SEC disclosure requirements, recent SEC guidance,...more
12/8/2021
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cybersecurity ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Executive Compensation ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Insider Trading ,
MD&A Statements ,
Proxy Advisors ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholder Proposals
On August 6, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the Nasdaq Stock Market’s (Nasdaq) proposal to amend its listing standards to encourage greater board diversity and to require board diversity...more
As anticipated, the staff in the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance has begun issuing detailed comments regarding climate-related disclosures.1 In February 2021, then Acting SEC Chair Allison Herren Lee announced that she...more
The rapidly growing focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters that marked 2020 continued to shape events for companies operating or based in the U.K. and Europe in 2021. Discussions of ESG are occurring at...more
9/3/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Green Bonds ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sustainable Finance ,
UK
On August 19, 2021, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) filed an immediately effective rule change (Rule Proposal) restoring a transaction value and materiality threshold for related party transactions that require independent...more
8/26/2021
/ Audit Committee ,
Board of Directors ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Independent Directors ,
Listed Company Manual ,
Listing Standards ,
NYSE ,
Proposed Rules ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act
On August 6, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved1 the Nasdaq Stock Market’s (Nasdaq) proposal to amend its listing standards to encourage greater board diversity and to require board diversity...more
In prepared remarks on July 28, 2021, Chair Gary Gensler of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) set forth key considerations for the staff to address in the SEC’s forthcoming rulemaking proposal on mandatory climate...more
Companies are increasingly providing disclosure about their current efforts and future commitments on environmental and social (E&S) matters. The percentage of S&P 500 companies publishing sustainability or corporate social...more
In prepared remarks on June 23, 2021, Chair Gary Gensler of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) provided additional insight into the commission’s recently announced regulatory agenda and its shift in priorities. His...more
7/7/2021
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Executive Compensation ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Form S-8 ,
Proxy Season ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rule 701 ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)
On June 7, 2021, in prepared remarks for the CFO Network Summit, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler identified several areas of focus for SEC staff with respect to Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities...more
As a reminder, conflict minerals disclosures on Forms SD are required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) no later than June 1, 2021.
The conflict minerals disclosure rules and related guidance...more
When finalizing proxy materials for annual shareholder meetings, companies should consider the following Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules and related guidance, as well as stock exchange listing standards and...more
On December 1, 2020, the Nasdaq Stock Market filed a proposal with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to amend its listing standards to encourage greater board diversity and enhanced diversity disclosures for...more
On November 19, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to certain financial disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K, including those applicable to the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of...more
On November 17, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to Rule 302(b) of Regulation S-T (Rule 302(b)), which permits registrants and others to use electronic signatures in documents...more
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules require reporting companies to file material agreements as exhibits to periodic reports, registration statements and certain other disclosure documents. Often times those...more
On September 9, 2020, the staff of the SEC Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) updated CF Disclosure Guidance: Topic No. 7 (Confidential Treatment Applications Submitted Pursuant to Rules 406 and 24b-2) to explain the...more
On August 26, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3-2 to modernize Regulation S-K rules requiring business description, legal proceedings and risk factor disclosures. The amendments are intended to update...more
On July 10, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3-1 to approve proposed rules that, among other things, would raise the Form 13F reporting threshold for institutional investment managers (managers) from...more
On June 23, 2020, the Division of Corporation Finance (the Division) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued CF Disclosure Guidance: Topic No. 9A (Guidance) on disclosures focusing on the impact of...more
As a reminder, conflict minerals disclosures on Forms SD are required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) no later than June 1, 2020. This remains true despite the impact of COVID-19, given that...more