On February 10, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) proposed amendments to Schedules 13D and 13G relating to beneficial ownership reports (the “Proposed Amendments”).
The Proposed Amendments are intended to modernize the rules that govern reporting on Schedules 13D and G by, among other things, making information available to the public in a more timely manner, deeming holders of certain cash-settled derivative securities to be beneficial owners of the reference equity securities, and clarifying the disclosure requirements in respect of derivative securities. The SEC also proposed a series of amendments to Rule 13d-5 to clarify and affirm its application to two or more persons who “act as” a group under Sections 13(d)(3) and (g)(3) of the Exchange Act. In this Legal Update, we discuss the proposed amendments.