What Does The SEC Approved NASDAQ Diversity Proposal Mean For Boards?
Financing Challenges for Small Cap Companies
ISS issues statement regarding consideration of diversity factors in US director election assessments - Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) announced that due to the recent increased attention on diversity, equity and...more
Significant post-election shifts in corporate governance policy are already occurring among regulators, self-regulatory organizations and proxy advisors. The SEC will no longer litigate its climate disclosure rules,...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as expected, has approved Nasdaq's recent proposal to remove the board diversity rule from its Listing Rules....more
On December 11, 2024, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lacked statutory authority to approve Nasdaq’s board diversity rules. Subject to certain exceptions,...more
Last week, Nasdaq filed a proposed rules change with the Securities and Exchange Commission to remove the board diversity rule from Nasdaq's Listing Rules....more
In the latest episode of the Mintz on Air: Predictions and Practical Policies Podcast, ESG Co-chair Jen Rubin hosts an in-depth discussion about mandatory diversity metrics and their relevance following the Fifth Circuit’s...more
After various legal battles over the past four years, a recent en banc decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval of the Nasdaq board diversity proposal,...more
In this article, we reflect on key trends in ESG over the second half of 2024 and look ahead at trends that may emerge in 2025. We analyze developments in the latter half of 2024, which were similar to those highlighted in...more
As we bid farewell to 2024, we welcome not only another year but also several new disclosure requirements. In this Snapshot, we summarize several developments and best practices for public companies to consider as the 2024...more
Welcome to the latest edition of Fenwick’s Securities Law Update. This issue contains updates and important reminders on...more
On December 11, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in a 9-8 en banc decision, vacated NASDAQ’s Board Diversity Rules (the “Rules”) in Alliance for Fair Board Recruitment v. SEC, finding that the...more
On December 11, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in a lengthy opinion, vacated the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval of Nasdaq’s board diversity rules in Alliance for Fair...more
On December 11, 2024, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) order approving The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC’s (Nasdaq) board diversity rules, holding that the...more
On December 11, 2024, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not have the authority to approve Nasdaq’s board diversity disclosure rules. As a result, Nasdaq-listed...more
By a 9-8 majority, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the rule proposed by Nasdaq and approved by the SEC requiring most Nasdaq-listed companies to either maintain at least two diverse directors on the board or...more
On December 11, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in a 9-8 vote, struck down The Nasdaq Stock Market's ("Nasdaq") board diversity rules, holding that the Securities and Exchange Commission (the...more
In an en banc decision filed on December 11, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (Fifth Circuit) vacated the 2021 approval by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of rules adopted by The Nasdaq...more
On December 11, 2024, in a 9-8 decision, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that in approving the Nasdaq Stock Market’s (Nasdaq) board diversity rules (the Rules), the Securities and Exchange...more
In a 9-8 decision on December 10, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit struck down Nasdaq’s efforts to promote diversity on public company boards. The case, Alliance for Fair Board Recruitment v. SEC, vacated...more
On December 11, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted the consolidated petitions for review and vacated the order by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that approved Nasdaq’s rules...more
On December 11, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) order approving The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC’s (Nasdaq’s) board diversity listing standards....more
On December 11, the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(f) and Nasdaq Listing Rule 5606(a) (together with Nasdaq Listing Rule IM-5900-9, the Board Diversity Rules) by a 9-8 vote. In...more
On December 11, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated the SEC’s approval of Nasdaq’s board diversity disclosure rules. These rules were approved by the SEC on August 6, 2021 and required listed...more
In August 2021, the SEC approved new board diversity rules requiring Nasdaq-listed companies (i) to include a board diversity matrix in their proxy statement or on their website and (ii) to disclose whether they have one...more
On December 11, 2024, the Fifth Circuit, in a divided opinion following an en banc hearing, struck down the Nasdaq “show or tell” diversity rules. The Court concluded that the rules, some of which the majority described as a...more