Conflict Minerals Reporting Requirements
Development International has posted its most recent Conflict Minerals Benchmarking Study, analyzing the results of filings for the 2016 filing period. The study looked at filings submitted by the 1,153 issuers that had filed...more
In the Spring 2017 issue of our Corporate Communicator, we included a brief discussion of the status of the conflict minerals rules contained in Rule 13p-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange...more
On April 7, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") Division of Corporate Finance (the "Division") indicated that it will not recommend enforcement of the conflict minerals source and chain of custody due...more
The conflict minerals saga continues. Background - In April 2014, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in National Association of Manufacturers v. SEC held that the conflict minerals rule’s requirement that...more
Late Friday, April 7, the SEC issued two statements relating to the conflict minerals rule which reflect a significant change in the staff’s guidance for public companies. The upshot of these statements is that the staff...more
On April 7, 2017, in light of the entry of final judgment by the D.C. District Court in National Association of Manufacturers v. SEC, Corp Fin issued an Updated Statement on the Effect of the Court of Appeals Decision on the...more
Today, the D.C. District Court entered final judgment in National Association of Manufacturers v. SEC, holding that Section 1502 of Dodd-Frank and Rule 13p-1 and Form SD, Conflict Minerals, violate the First Amendment to the...more
On January 31, 2017, Michael Piwowar, Acting Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), issued two Statements regarding the current status of guidance on and implementation of the conflict minerals rules....more
Last Thursday, the SEC voted (with Commissioner Piwowar in dissent) to propose rules, mandated by Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank, that would require disclosure on Form SD of certain payments made to the federal and foreign...more
To no one’s surprise, on Friday, the SEC and Amnesty International filed petitions for en banc rehearing in the conflict minerals case, National Association of Manufacturers, Inc. v. SEC. That case, decided two-to-one in...more
On August 18, 2015, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reaffirmed its ruling in National Association of Manufacturers v. Securities and Exchange Commission that portions of the SEC’s...more
A new study on conflict minerals compliance from Tulane University and Assent Compliance, a compliance software and services firm, revealed that, about 90% of filers of conflict minerals reports indicated that they were...more
An early review of conflict minerals filings for the 2014 reporting period shows improvement in “detail, clarity and quality,” according to this article in BNA. As reported by Elm Sustainability Partners, a conflict minerals...more
The SEC has filed its brief in the conflict minerals rehearing. Amnesty International also filed its brief as intervenor and Free Speech for People filed an amicus brief....more
Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010) added Section 13(p) to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), mandating that the SEC adopt regulations relating...more
Court denies emergency motion for a stay. By order issued on May 14, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia denied the appellants’ emergency motion for a stay of the Securities and Exchange...more
The second Form SD and related conflicts minerals report has been filed. They are interesting documents but may still not be the holy grail of precedents because of, among other things, the use of terms like “Conflict Free...more
The Commission issued an order which stayed the small segment of its controversial conflict mineral rule which the Court of Appeals concluded violated the First Amendment. The order does not impact the bulk of the rule. This...more
As mentioned below, on April 29, 2014, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), Chamber of Commerce and Business Roundtable filed a motion for stay with the SEC. The motion requested that the SEC stay its final...more
If ever there was an SEC rule that refused to slip quietly into the books, it’s conflict minerals disclosure. With the May 31st Form SD filing deadline fast approaching, three things are happening: Companies are focusing for...more
Yesterday, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued its opinion on the conflict minerals legal challenge. The ruling rejected a number of the petitioner’s arguments, but agreed with the...more