On November 24, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted to propose amendments (the Proposal) to (1) Rule 701 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act), which exempts certain compensatory equity offerings by non-reporting issuers from registration under the Securities Act, and (2) Form S-8, which is a registration statement form available for compensatory securities offerings by reporting issuers.
Continue Reading SEC Announces Proposed Amendments to Rule 701 and Form S-8

On November 2, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted to adopt a set of amendments (the Amendments) to “harmonize, simplify and improve the multilayer and overly complex exempt offering framework” to “promote capital formation and expand investment opportunities while preserving or improving important investor protections,” according to the SEC’s press release announcing the Amendments.
Continue Reading SEC Approves Amendments to Harmonize and Simplify Offering Exemptions

As discussed in the August 31, 2020 edition of the Corporate & Financial Weekly Digest, on August 26, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved rules proposed by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to allow companies engaging in a direct listing to raise capital directly through the sale of primary shares upon the direct listing, in addition to, or instead of, facilitating sales of shares solely by existing shareholders.
Continue Reading SEC Stays Implementation of New NYSE Direct Listing Rules

Recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued a release (the Release) approving, with immediate effectiveness, the New York Stock Exchange’s (NYSE) proposal to extend through September 30 the NYSE’s temporary and partial waivers from the requirement that NYSE-listed companies obtain stockholder approval in connection with certain related party and 20 percent equity issuances (the Waiver).
Continue Reading SEC Approves Extension of Temporary NYSE Waiver of Stockholder Approval Rules

On May 4, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s  Division of Corporation Finance (the Division) issued four frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to the SEC’s conditional relief order (the Order) that was issued in the wake of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Continue Reading SEC Division of Corporation Finance Issues Four FAQs Addressing the SEC’s Conditional Relief Order

As previously discussed in our March 26 advisory titled, “Virtual Shareholder Meetings in the Wake of COVID-19: Legal and Practical Considerations,” the Securities and Exchange Commission issued guidance to public companies on providing notice of a change to a virtual shareholder meeting in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Continue Reading Proposed Amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law Concerning Virtual Shareholder Meetings During Emergency Conditions

On April 6, Corporate Securities  partner Mark Wood and Corporate partners Farzad Damania and Brian Hecht, together with panelists from Clermont Partners, Marcum LLP and Broadridge Financial Solutions, participated in a webinar discussing key reporting, disclosure, annual meeting and other legal issues faced by public companies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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On April 6, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Corporation Finance issued a new Compliance and Disclosure Interpretation (C&DI) concerning the application of the SEC’s conditional relief order (the Order) that was issued in the wake of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for companies filing their annual reports on Form 10-K.
Continue Reading SEC Division of Corporation Finance Issues C&DI about Conditional Relief Order and Incorporation by Reference Into Form 10-K

On April 8, Jay Clayton, the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and William Hinman, the Director of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance, issued a public statement addressing disclosure considerations in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement follows other guidance and regulatory relief that the SEC has issued in recent weeks as the pandemic has developed.
Continue Reading SEC Chairman and Division of Corporation Finance Director Issue Statement Further Addressing COVID-19 Related Disclosures

On April 7, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) provided guidance to issuers that may be experiencing unexpected delays with the printing and physical mailing of a “full set” of their proxy materials for their upcoming shareholder meetings.
Continue Reading SEC Provides Guidance on Delays in Printing and Mailing of Full Sets of Proxy Materials