On December 14, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted amendments to Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) and new disclosure requirements designed to enhance investor...more
12/20/2022
/ 10b5-1 Plans ,
Amended Rules ,
Board of Directors ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Officers ,
Directors ,
Disclosure ,
Insider Trading ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ,
Securities Regulation
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed new rules and amendments (the Proposed Rules) to enhance disclosure and expand liability in initial public offerings by special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs)...more
4/7/2022
/ Comment Period ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement ,
Financial Statements ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Investors ,
Liability ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Proposed Rules ,
PSLRA ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholder Meetings ,
Smaller Reporting Companies ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Target Company
Following a record-breaking year for IPOs and other going-public transactions, the beginning of 2022 has presented a challenging environment. That’s largely a result of volatile market conditions due to the ongoing conflict...more
3/30/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Direct Listing ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Investment ,
Investors ,
Life Sciences ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Technology
On February 10, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a proposal (Proposed rules: Modernization of Beneficial Ownership Reporting) that would amend Regulation 13D-G under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934...more
2/17/2022
/ Amended Regulation ,
Beneficial Owner ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Capital Markets ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investors ,
Proposed Rules ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholders
On December 15, 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a proposal (the Rule 10b5-1 proposal) that would amend Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act), and require, among other...more
On November 17, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a release adopting rule amendments to permit the use of electronic signatures in connection with electronic filings on EDGAR that are required to be...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has issued final rules adopting amendments to certain financial disclosure requirements and to the disclosure required in Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A). We previously...more
In April 2020, Fenwick & West, together with two other leading Silicon Valley-based law firms, submitted a formal rule-making petition to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requesting that the SEC adopt new...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a release adopting amendments (“final rules”) to certain of its rules relating to exemptions from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act). The...more
11/12/2020
/ Crowdfunding ,
Economic Growth ,
Federal Register ,
Final Rules ,
Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) ,
General Solicitation ,
Investment ,
JOBS Act ,
Offerings ,
Regulation D ,
Rule 152 ,
Rule 504 ,
Safe Harbors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Testing-the-Waters Communications
On August 26, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted final rules to expand the accredited investor definition and modernize the disclosure requirements under Regulation S-K Items 101 (Business), 103 (Legal...more
8/31/2020
/ Accredited Investors ,
Certifications ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Final Rules ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Investment Company Act of 1940 ,
Private Offerings ,
Qualified Institutional Buyers ,
Regulation D ,
Regulation S-K ,
Risk Factors ,
Rule 144A ,
Rule 501 ,
Rural Business Investment Companies (RBICs) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of the Chief Accountant (OCA) and Division of Corporation Finance (Division) have separately issued statements emphasizing the continued importance of high-quality...more
6/26/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Division of Corporate Finance ,
FASB ,
Financial Reporting ,
IASB ,
ICFR ,
New Guidance ,
PCAOB ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The SEC has issued rules amending the disclosure requirements for providing historical and pro forma financial statements in connection with material acquisitions and dispositions. The final amendments, issued on May 21,...more
In the past few weeks, the Nasdaq Stock Market and the New York Stock Exchange, with the approval of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, have approved rules easing certain requirements for listed companies in light...more
Chairman Jay Clayton of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and William Hinman, director of the Division of Corporation Finance, issued a statement stressing the importance of current and forward-looking disclosure in...more
In this episode, the Fenwick team discusses considerations related to the material non-public information that companies are rapidly developing as the COVID-19 situation evolves, including considerations regarding updating...more
Disclosure Guidelines for Public Companies Affected by COVID-19 -
On March 25, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance provided guidance regarding disclosure and other securities...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has released final rules amending the definitions for accelerated filers and large accelerated filers, providing significant relief for smaller reporting companies in the technology...more
Impacts of Coronavirus on Commercial Agreements and Public Company Disclosures -
COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has now spread to at least 70 countries, including the United States. Our thoughts are...more
3/6/2020
/ Breach of Contract ,
Contract Management ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Force Majeure Clause ,
Paid Leave ,
Performance Standards ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sick Leave ,
Workplace Safety
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has issued guidance on the use of financial metrics and has proposed significant amendments pertaining to Regulation S-K’s financial disclosure provisions?. In addition, SEC...more
2/19/2020
/ Climate Change ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Financial Reporting ,
Financial Statements ,
MD&A Statements ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On September 26, 2019, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted to adopt new Rule 163B under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act), to expand the “testing-the-waters” (TTW) accommodation —...more
10/3/2019
/ Accredited Investors ,
Emerging Growth Companies ,
General Solicitation ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Institutional Investors ,
Investors ,
JOBS Act ,
New Rules ,
Public Offerings ,
Qualified Institutional Buyers ,
Regulation FD ,
Rule 163B ,
Securities Act ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Testing-the-Waters Communications
On March 20, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to existing rules to modernize and simplify its disclosure obligations. The most significant changes relate to the new streamlined process for...more
4/4/2019
/ Confidential Information ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
EDGAR ,
Emerging Growth Companies ,
Final Rules ,
Form 10-K ,
MD&A Statements ,
New Rules ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Redaction ,
Regulation S-K ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On February 19, 2019, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted to propose Rule 163B under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act), that would expand the “testing-the-waters” accommodation —...more
2/26/2019
/ Accredited Investors ,
Emerging Growth Companies ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Investment Companies ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
Qualified Institutional Buyers ,
Registration Statement ,
Regulation FD ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Testing-the-Waters Communications
Survey Results -
Life Sciences and Tech IPOs Continued Hot Streak in Second Half -
The life sciences and technology IPO markets continued their strong performance in the second half of 2018, notwithstanding significant...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission this month adopted amendments to certain disclosure requirements in an effort to streamline rules and regulations, and to remove requirements that are “redundant, duplicative,...more
8/28/2018
/ Disclosure Requirements ,
Financial Accounting Standards Board ,
Financial Reporting ,
Financial Statements ,
Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) ,
GAAP ,
Life Sciences ,
New Rules ,
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 ,
Regulation S-K ,
Regulation S-X ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stock Prices ,
Technology Sector ,
XBRL Filing Requirements
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Feb. 21, 2018, issued interpretive guidance on public company cybersecurity disclosures.
The new guidance will affect public companies and companies seeking to go public in...more
2/28/2018
/ Cyber Attacks ,
Cyber Crimes ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Hackers ,
Insider Trading ,
Investment Adviser ,
New Guidance ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Popular ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)