Securities Regulation

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In this Lexis Practice Advisor Practice Note, we discuss new Rule 163B adopted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). On September 26, 2019, the SEC extended the ability to test the waters to all issuers by adopting the highly anticipated new Rule 163B under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities…

On September 26, 2019, the US Securities and Exchange Commission extended the ability to test the waters to all issuers by adopting the highly anticipated new Rule 163B under the Securities Act of 1933 (the Securities Act). The new rule allows any issuer, or any person acting on the issuer’s behalf, to engage in test…

One of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s priorities under Chair Clayton’s leadership has been protection of retail investors, including through rigorous enforcement of microcap fraud.  Consistent with that focus, yesterday, the Commission released proposed amendments to Securities Exchange Act Rule 15c2-11.  This rule requires that certain issuer information be made available to and be reviewed…

Last month, Representative Maxine Waters, chair of the House Financial Services Committee, introduced a bill entitled Bad Actor Disqualification Act of 2019 (“proposed bill”). The proposed bill is intended to increase transparency and accountability in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) process of providing bad actor waivers. It sets up a three-step process to request…

On June 18, 2019, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a concept release soliciting “comment on possible ways to simplify, harmonize, and improve the exempt offering framework to promote capital formation and expand investment opportunities while maintaining appropriate investor protections.” Under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act), every offer and…

The amendments adopted on March 20, 2019 implementing the FAST Act mandates generally (other than the amendments relating to redaction of confidential information in certain exhibits that became effective on publication of the final rule release in the Federal Register on April 2, 2019) become effective today, May 2, 2019.

The House Financial Services Committee recently passed H.R. 1815, which is the Securities and Exchange Commission Disclosure Effectiveness Testing Act.  The legislation would require that the SEC engage in investor testing of any new disclosure intended for retail investors.  The testing should include a qualitative testing in the form of one-on-one interviews with retail…

The Staff of the Division of Corporation Finance released guidance regarding the process for seeking extensions of confidential treatment.  There is a new short form application for issuers that have previously received a confidential treatment order.  Here is a link to the new short form application:  https://www.sec.gov/divisions/corpfin/short-form-extension-requests.pdf.  The one-page document requires that the issuer…

On March 20, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) approved a New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) rule modifying the price requirements that companies must meet to avail themselves of certain exceptions from the NYSE shareholder approval requirements.  Shareholder approval was not previously required if an issuance of securities was made at a price at…

Late last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rule amendments that are intended to modernize the offering related provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 (the Securities Act) and the communications safe harbors available to business development companies (BDCs) and closed-end funds (CEFs) in order to harmonize these with the provisions applicable to…