On June 9, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved proposed amendments of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (Nasdaq) to their respective listing standards to implement the SEC’s previously adopted recoupment rules. These listing standard amendments extended the effective date for the new clawback listing standards to October 2, 2023, meaning that companies listed on either exchange will need to adopt a compliant clawback policy no later than December 1, 2023.Continue Reading Practical Considerations for Adopting a Clawback Policy in Advance of Effective Date of NYSE and Nasdaq Listing Standards

Please join us for a virtual broadcast and replay of our 4th Annual Corporate & Securities Counsel Public Company Forum.

This half-day complimentary program will be broadcast virtually on February 2 and features timely and practical guidance on the latest developments in corporate and securities matters impacting public company in-house counsel.Continue Reading Virtual Broadcast: 4th Annual Corporate & Securities Counsel Public Company Forum

We previously blogged here about the proposed Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) amendments to Rule 10b5-1 trading plans. As the amendments have now been unanimously adopted, below are some answers to frequently asked questions on the new rules.Continue Reading FAQs on the SEC’s Newly Adopted Amendments to Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans and Related Disclosures

Subscribers to our blog know that we monitor EDGAR for new SEC comment letters and enjoy bringing attention to the more interesting ones.  In today’s blog post, we bring your attention to a recent SEC comment letter exchange where the registrant (a trust) was asked to provide a legal analysis that a specific digital asset (in this case, ZEN) was not a “security” under Section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act.  In response to the comment, the letter attached as an exhibit a memorandum of counsel analyzing ZEN under the federal securities laws.Continue Reading Recent SEC Comment Letter of Interest Regarding Whether a Digital Currency is a Security Under Section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act

Rule 15c2-11 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) governs when dealers can publish quotations for securities. In September 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) amended the rule prohibiting them from publishing quotes when current information about the issuer isn’t publicly available. In 2021, the Staff in the Division of Trading and Markets issued a no-action letter (the No-Action Letter) that clarified its position that Rule 15c2-11 applies to all securities, including fixed-income securities as well as equity securities, but provided limited-time relief for fixed income securities that were offered under Rule 144A. This limited relief will expire on January 3, 2023, which means market practice for private Rule 144A issuers will be significantly impacted.
Continue Reading ABA Committee Submits Letter to SEC Requesting 15c2-11 Relief for Fixed Income Securities

We are looking forward to presenting at the Society for Corporate Governance: Southeastern Chapter Fall Conference & Annual Meeting. Kevin will speak on a panel titled, “SEC Updates: What’s Hot for Corp Fin and Enforcement?” with Dave Brown, Supervisory Archivist at United States Securities and Exchange Commission; Jason Outlaw, Senior Associate in Securities Litigation Group at Alston & Bird LLP and Mellissa Campbell Duru, Vice Chair of ESG practice at Covington & Burling LLP (moderator). Sehrish will moderate a panel titled, “Tackling Governance and Disclosure Challenges in ESG” with Stefanie Holland, Director of Government Affairs at Qualcomm.
Continue Reading Register Now | Society for Corporate Governance: Southeastern Chapter Fall Conference & Annual Meeting