NEW CLIMATE-DISCLOSURE RULES SUBJECT TO HEAT OF LEGAL CHALLENGES - While your winter blues are hopefully melting away, recent rule making from the Securities and Exchange Commission is feeling the heat of several lawsuits....more
SEC Enhancement of Share Repurchase Disclosure Requirements - On May 3, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced its adoption of amendments to the provisions of Item 703 of Regulation S-K (“Item...more
Late last year, Nasdaq submitted for approval to the Securities and Exchange Commission the proposed listing Rule 5605(f) and Rule 5606 requiring all, with a few exceptions, of Nasdaq’s roughly 3,249 listed companies to have...more
Late Friday, the SEC announced that its Spring 2021 Regulatory Flexibility Agenda—both short-term and long-term—has now been posted. And it’s a doozy. According to SEC Chair Gary Gensler, to meet the SEC’s “mission of...more
It’s not just mandatory climate disclosure that’s on the agenda for Acting SEC Chair Allison Lee. Last week, as reported by Reuters, in remarks to a forum for securities industry professionals, she said that the SEC “should...more
As we continue to stumble into 2021, initially disappointed that our low expectations for a relatively better year lasted only six days, our editorial staff hews to the clamor for a calming retrospective on legal happenings...more
In anticipation of the upcoming reporting season, we highlight rule changes, guidance, and trends for public companies to consider in preparing annual report and proxy statement disclosures in 2021. During 2020, the U.S....more
On December 1, 2020, Nasdaq proposed new listing rules that, if approved by the SEC following a public comment period, would require Nasdaq-listed companies either to have, or explain why they do not have, at least two...more
SEC Commissioner Allison Lee has been speaking up quite a bit recently about diversity and inclusion and about climate change—and not just at SEC open meetings. In her recent dissents in voting on proposals regarding...more
On August 26, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced, as part of its ongoing initiative to modernize Regulation S-K disclosure, amendments that add human capital resources as a separate disclosure topic,...more
Board Diversity: A Reflection on Improvement and a Look Ahead for the Coming Decade - In the second half of this decade, diversity and inclusion rose to the forefront of top priorities for many companies. Due to evolving...more
Preparations for annual reporting on Form 10-K and the 2020 proxy season have begun in earnest for many companies. We have summarized certain governance and disclosure developments that should be considered in the course of...more
SEC Chair Jay Clayton has streamlined the Regulatory Flexibility Act Agenda to limit it to the rulemakings that the SEC actually expects to take up in the subsequent period. Clayton has previously said that the short-term...more
The following update highlights recent corporate governance hot topics and trends for directors of public companies. Board Oversight of Mission-Critical Risks - In June 2019, the Delaware Supreme Court allowed a Caremark...more
Private equity sponsors have typically exited their investments through a sale or public offering. While sales to a strategic or another private equity sponsor predominate, public offerings still represent an attractive...more
When finalizing proxy materials for annual shareholder meetings, companies should consider the following U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules and related SEC staff guidance, as well as stock exchange listing...more
The staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently issued new Compliance & Disclosure Interpretations (116.11 & 133.13) encouraging public companies to provide details on how they consider diversity when making...more
On February 6, 2019, the Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the Securities and Exchange Commission published new interpretive guidance regarding board diversity disclosures, which should be considered when preparing...more
On February 6, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission released two Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations (CDIs) discussing disclosure requirements in instances where a director or board nominee self-identifies...more
Last week, the Staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (the SEC Staff) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released new compliance and disclosure interpretations (116.11 and 133.13) (the New C&DIs), which...more
On February 6, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Corporation Finance ("Corp Fin") posted two identical Compliance & Disclosure Interpretations ("C&DIs") relating to diversity disclosure under Items...more
On February 6, 2019, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance released Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations (identical Questions 116.11 and 133.13) advising companies on how they should disclose directors’...more
On February 6, 2019, the SEC staff issued two new identical C&DIs that apply to Item 401 of Regulation S-K, Question 116.11, and Item 407 of Regulation S-K, Question 133.13. The new interpretation provides guidance on...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission has published the agenda for the October 5 meeting of the Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies. The Advisory Committee plans to discuss and cover Regulation S-K...more
In a speech last week to the International Corporate Governance Network Annual Conference, SEC Chair Mary Jo White announced that the Corp Fin staff is preparing a proposal to amend the current rule requiring board diversity...more