ESG and SEC Enforcement in 2022
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – Advisers Act regulatory agenda
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – DOL: What’s ahead
ERISA Plan Fiduciaries’ Proxy Voting: Regulatory Updates
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
Welcome to the latest edition of Fenwick’s Securities Law Update. This issue contains updates and important reminders on...more
SEC brings enforcement actions for AI washing - In March 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) settled enforcement actions for a total of $400,000 in penalties against two investment advisers for making false...more
The following newsletter provides a roundup summarizing enforcement actions, guidance, rulemakings, and other public statements taken by a federal and/or state financial services regulatory agency, specifically focusing on:...more
REGULATORY UPDATES - SEC Announces Leadership Changes - Anthony (“Tony”) C. Thompson was appointed to a second term as a board member of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”), which will run until...more
As evidenced by an influx of recent activity over the past month, it’s becoming more and more apparent that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is strengthening its regulatory framework and pushing forward with...more
The investment management industry faces a range of proposed new SEC regulations, including ESG and fund name rules, and the agency is seeking comments that could lead to other new rules. Also, a reminder of approaching...more
REGULATORY UPDATES - William Birdthistle Named Director of Division of Investment Management - On December 21, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced the appointment of William A. Birdthistle as...more
In March 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) created a Climate and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Task Force (ESG Task Force) within the Division of Enforcement, the purpose of which is to...more
REGULATORY UPDATES - SEC Leadership Changes - On April 17, 2021, Gary Gensler was sworn into office as the Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Gensler served as chair of the U.S. Commodity Futures...more
ERISA plan fiduciaries may be breathing a small sigh of relief this week after the U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) issued a statement on March 10, 2021, that it would not pursue enforcement actions for violations of two...more
In the News. Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) published its proxy voting guidelines updates for 2021, which include new and updated voting recommendations on federal forum and exclusive forum provisions in companies’...more
In This Issue. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) finalized amendments to its proxy solicitation rules that will modify the practices of proxy advisory firms, providing them with greater transparency and...more
As Chairman Jay Clayton’s tenure at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) likely enters its final year — regardless of the outcome of the next presidential election — the SEC remains focused on priorities such as...more
The Bass, Berry & Sims Corporate & Securities Practice Group recently hosted another in a series of complimentary webinars exploring various public company-related securities law issues. The most recent Securities Law...more
This newsletter discusses noteworthy updates, key regulatory decisions and upcoming compliance reminders. In this edition, we review: ...SEC Changes Approach to Shareholder Proposal No-Action Requests ...SEC Issues...more
As the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enters the third year of the Trump administration, its regulatory and enforcement goals remain largely unchanged. At the direction of Chairman Jay Clayton, the SEC continues to...more