Welcome to the latest edition of Fenwick’s Securities Law Update. This issue contains updates and important reminders on...more
9/20/2024
/ Amended Legislation ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Chevron Deference ,
China ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Deadlines ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Export Controls ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Form 10-Q ,
Independent Director ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Nasdaq ,
Risk Assessment ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
US Trade Policies ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
As we previously reported in October 2023, the California legislature adopted three significant climate disclosure laws...more
On August 6, the SEC filed its much-anticipated legal brief in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals supporting its controversial Climate Rules and responding to the arguments laid out in petitioners’ consolidated petitions for...more
8/22/2024
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Amicus Briefs ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
First Amendment ,
Pending Litigation ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Statutory Authority
On March 6, 2024, the SEC adopted final rules (Final Rules) requiring extensive climate-related disclosures in companies’ annual reports and registration statements. The new rules are set forth in Release No. 33-11275. The...more
3/19/2024
/ Annual Reports ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Emerging Growth Companies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Final Rules ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Regulation S-X ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has issued a new accounting standard to improve the accounting for and disclosure of certain crypto assets.
The new standard marks a significant change in how companies...more
On October 10, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted new rules (the Amendments) that amend Regulation 13D-G under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act), which provide companies, and the...more
10/17/2023
/ Beneficial Owner ,
Compliance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Investors ,
New Guidance ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Shareholders
On July 26, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted rules to enhance and standardize public company disclosure of cybersecurity incidents, risk management, strategy and governance.
In particular, the rules,...more
8/1/2023
/ Corporate Governance ,
Cyber Incident Reporting ,
Cybersecurity ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Final Rules ,
Form 10-K ,
Form 8-K ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
XBRL Filing Requirements
On May 3, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted amendments (the share repurchase amendments) to its rules regarding disclosure of securities repurchase programs (also known as share buybacks) by companies...more
1. What is the Pay Versus Performance Rule?
See our Fenwick alert for a high-level overview of the Pay Versus Performance (PvP) Rule. See also the SEC fact sheet and adopting release. Briefly, the PvP Rule adds a new Item...more
On August 25, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted rules that require public companies to disclose the relationship between compensation “actually paid” to their executives and their financial...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed rules and amendments to enhance and standardize the reporting on cybersecurity risk management, strategy, governance and incidents disclosed by public companies....more
3/11/2022
/ Capital Markets ,
Comment Period ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cybersecurity ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Privacy Laws ,
Proposed Rules ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On February 10, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a proposal (Proposed rules: Modernization of Beneficial Ownership Reporting) that would amend Regulation 13D-G under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934...more
2/17/2022
/ Amended Regulation ,
Beneficial Owner ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Capital Markets ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investors ,
Proposed Rules ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholders
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has issued final rules adopting amendments to certain financial disclosure requirements and to the disclosure required in Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A). We previously...more
On August 26, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted final rules to expand the accredited investor definition and modernize the disclosure requirements under Regulation S-K Items 101 (Business), 103 (Legal...more
8/31/2020
/ Accredited Investors ,
Certifications ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Final Rules ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Investment Company Act of 1940 ,
Private Offerings ,
Qualified Institutional Buyers ,
Regulation D ,
Regulation S-K ,
Risk Factors ,
Rule 144A ,
Rule 501 ,
Rural Business Investment Companies (RBICs) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of the Chief Accountant (OCA) and Division of Corporation Finance (Division) have separately issued statements emphasizing the continued importance of high-quality...more
6/26/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Division of Corporate Finance ,
FASB ,
Financial Reporting ,
IASB ,
ICFR ,
New Guidance ,
PCAOB ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The SEC has issued rules amending the disclosure requirements for providing historical and pro forma financial statements in connection with material acquisitions and dispositions. The final amendments, issued on May 21,...more
Chairman Jay Clayton of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and William Hinman, director of the Division of Corporation Finance, issued a statement stressing the importance of current and forward-looking disclosure in...more
In this episode, the Fenwick team discusses considerations related to the material non-public information that companies are rapidly developing as the COVID-19 situation evolves, including considerations regarding updating...more
Disclosure Guidelines for Public Companies Affected by COVID-19 -
On March 25, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance provided guidance regarding disclosure and other securities...more
Impacts of Coronavirus on Commercial Agreements and Public Company Disclosures -
COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has now spread to at least 70 countries, including the United States. Our thoughts are...more
3/6/2020
/ Breach of Contract ,
Contract Management ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Force Majeure Clause ,
Paid Leave ,
Performance Standards ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sick Leave ,
Workplace Safety
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has issued guidance on the use of financial metrics and has proposed significant amendments pertaining to Regulation S-K’s financial disclosure provisions?. In addition, SEC...more
2/19/2020
/ Climate Change ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Financial Reporting ,
Financial Statements ,
MD&A Statements ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On March 20, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to existing rules to modernize and simplify its disclosure obligations. The most significant changes relate to the new streamlined process for...more
4/4/2019
/ Confidential Information ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
EDGAR ,
Emerging Growth Companies ,
Final Rules ,
Form 10-K ,
MD&A Statements ,
New Rules ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Redaction ,
Regulation S-K ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Recently, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted amendments to certain disclosure requirements in an effort to streamline rules and regulations and to remove requirements that are redundant, duplicative,...more
In an effort to provide greater transparency to stockholders regarding employee and director incentives, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has adopted a final rule implementing a provision of the Dodd-Frank...more
1/4/2019
/ CD&A ,
Consumer Protection Act ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Executive Compensation ,
Final Rules ,
Hedging ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Proxy Statements ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
In an effort to promote capital formation and reduce compliance costs, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has amended its rules to expand the number of public companies that qualify for scaled disclosure...more