The U.S. federal government shutdown that began Saturday has the potential to affect capital markets and public companies in far-reaching ways. While the Securities and Exchange Commission currently plans to operate fully staffed for a limited number of days, we have received questions about what would happen in the event of a total shutdown. To address these questions, Skadden has joined with 17 other law firms to prepare a memorandum that answers the most frequently asked questions relating to the status of the SEC during a shutdown.