Securities Regulation

Subscribe to Securities Regulation

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…

The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed rule amendments that are intended to modernize the offering related provisions of the Securities Act and the communications safe harbors available to business development companies (BDCs) and closed-end funds (CEFs) in order to bring these to parity with the provisions applicable to operating companies.  The Commission was required to…

At the ICI Conference, Dalia Blass, Director of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Investment Management, provided some insights on upcoming rulemaking initiatives.  Director Blass noted that we should anticipate a proposal soon for business development company and closed-end fund offering reform, as well as recommendations for a proposal on modernizing the advertising and…

At a recent Practising Law Institute conference, William Hinman, Director of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance, commented on the application of the Commission’s principles-based disclosure requirements to areas posing complex risks, such as Brexit.  Hinman noted that, “[p]rinciples-based disclosure requirements articulate an objective and look to management to exercise judgment in…