Governance & Compliance Insider

21 Dec, 2022

SEC Amends Insider Trading Safe Harbor and Requires New Disclosures to Address Insider Trading Risks

On December 14, 2022, the SEC adopted final rules amending Rule 10b5-1, the safe harbor that allows directors, executive officers and others, including issuers, to engage in securities transactions while in possession of material non-public information, by entering into a binding contract, instruction or plan adopted prior to effecting the transaction and at a time when the seller was not in possession of material non-public...

Inflation Reduction Act: New Excise Tax Discourages Stock Repurchase Transactions

Legislative Actions

22 Aug, 2022

Inflation Reduction Act: New Excise Tax Discourages Stock Repurchase Transactions

On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, HR 5376 (the “Act”), into law. Among other significant changes, the Act includes a new 1% excise tax on stock repurchase transactions by certain publicly traded corporations (the “Excise Tax”). The Excise Tax is substantially identical to the excise tax included in numerous versions of the previously proposed Build Back Better Act...

SEC Requires Electronic Submission of “Glossy” Annual Reports

SEC Rulemaking

15 Jun, 2022

SEC Requires Electronic Submission of “Glossy” Annual Reports

On June 3, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission mandated the electronic filing or submission of certain documents that reporting companies currently may provide as paper filings, by adopting amendments to Regulation S-T. Electronic Submission of “Glossy” Annual Reports “Glossy” annual reports, which are prepared in accordance with Rule 14a-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and delivered to shareholders with proxy materials, must...

SEC Rulemaking

19 Nov, 2021

Universal Proxy Card Requirement

As expected, the SEC has adopted final rules requiring the use of universal proxy cards in shareholder meetings involving non-exempt contested director elections held after August 31, 2022. In addition, certain amendments will impact proxy disclosure for all director elections, contested or uncontested. Amended Proxy Disclosure for All Director Elections The rules establish new proxy disclosure requirements for all director elections, including uncontested elections. The proxy card...

Governance and Disclosure Considerations from the SEC’s Climate Change Comment Letters

Environmental, Social and Governance Matters

12 Oct, 2021

Governance and Disclosure Considerations from the SEC’s Climate Change Comment Letters

The SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance has issued a sample comment letter, and sent actual comment letters to a series of public companies, asking for additional Form 10-K disclosure on topics addressed in the SEC’s 2010 Guidance Regarding Disclosure Related to Climate Change, Release No. 33-9106 (Feb. 2, 2010), or an explanation for why the comments do not apply. The comment letters are a preamble to the...

Reminder of the SEC’s Shareholder Proposal Amendments Effective for 2022 Annual Meetings

Proxy Statements and Annual Meetings

20 Sep, 2021

Reminder of the SEC’s Shareholder Proposal Amendments Effective for 2022 Annual Meetings

For those public companies soon to be receiving shareholder proposals for their upcoming annual shareholder meetings, please keep in mind that in September 2020, the SEC adopted amendments to Rule 14a-8. These amendments apply to any shareholder proposal submitted for an annual or special meeting to be held on or after January 1, 2022. However, the SEC may revisit this rulemaking and postpone their effectiveness...

SEC Approves Nasdaq Board Diversity Listing Rules

Board Governance and Compensation / SEC Rulemaking / Securities Act Compliance

16 Aug, 2021

SEC Approves Nasdaq Board Diversity Listing Rules

On August 6, 2021, the Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) approved Nasdaq Rules 5605(f) and 5606 on board diversity, which are the first of their kind to be implemented on a national scale in the United States. They are controversial, opposed by SEC Commissioners Hester Peirce and Elad Roisman, and may face legal challenges. While there has been no indication that the NYSE will follow,...

SPAC Talk: Important Considerations for Private Companies Evaluating a SPAC Going-Public Transaction

Securities Act Compliance

7 Apr, 2021

SPAC Talk: Important Considerations for Private Companies Evaluating a SPAC Going-Public Transaction

One of the hottest going-public trends in 2020 and 2021 has been the rise of SPACs – Special Purpose Acquisition Companies – as a vehicle for private companies to go public. SPACs are shell companies that are formed, funded and taken public for the purpose of later acquiring an operating company. By merging with a SPAC, the private company effects a reverse takeover, inheriting the...

Early Compliance with MD&A Amendments Possible for Upcoming 10-Ks

Other categories

14 Jan, 2021

Early Compliance with MD&A Amendments Possible for Upcoming 10-Ks

Last November, the SEC finalized certain amendments that would eliminate selected financial data, two years of supplementary financial information, and MD&A provisions for the contractual obligations table and off-balance sheet disclosure, under certain circumstances, for SEC reports and registration statements. Companies may now early adopt these amendments for filings made after the rulemaking’s effective date of February 9, 2021, as long as they provide disclosure...

State Street Calls for Board and Workforce Diversity Data

Board Governance and Compensation / Corporate Governance Committees, Policies and Practices / Environmental, Social and Governance Matters / Proxy Statements and Annual Meetings

11 Jan, 2021

State Street Calls for Board and Workforce Diversity Data

Companies that count State Street Global Advisors as an investor should review its CEO Cyrus Taraporevala’s just-released annual letter on its proxy voting agenda, which has significant updates on voting policies with regard to board and workforce diversity. Indicating that State Street’s primary challenge as an investor is the lack of publicly available racial and ethnic diversity data, the CEO states: In 2021, we will...

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