What Does The SEC Approved NASDAQ Diversity Proposal Mean For Boards?
Financing Challenges for Small Cap Companies
The SEC is reportedly in discussions with Nasdaq and NYSE about ways to ease the burden of becoming—and remaining—a public company....more
Welcome to the latest edition of Fenwick’s Securities Law Update. This issue contains updates and important reminders on...more
On April 4, the Texas Stock Exchange's (TXSE) Form 1 application for registration as a national securities exchange was publicly released by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The application contains a wealth...more
Last week, Nasdaq released this interesting paper that sets forth a set of recommendations to improve the capital markets. Nasdaq believes its recommendations not only come out at a critical time when policymakers have real...more
The current proxy season presents new challenges and opportunities for U.S. companies as they face shifting expectations regarding board diversity. There are a number of notable developments. The Fifth Circuit Court of...more
ISS issues statement regarding consideration of diversity factors in US director election assessments - Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) announced that due to the recent increased attention on diversity, equity and...more
Companies with forthcoming annual report and proxy statement filings should consult with counsel regarding recent regulatory and legal developments related to diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”) initiatives and the...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as expected, has approved Nasdaq's recent proposal to remove the board diversity rule from its Listing Rules....more
As we previously posted, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated the SEC’s approval of Nasdaq’s board diversity disclosure rules last month, after which Nasdaq indicated that it did not intend to seek further...more
In August 2021, the SEC approved a Nasdaq proposal for new listing rules regarding board diversity and disclosure. The new listing rules adopted a “comply or explain” mandate for board diversity for most listed companies and...more
On December 11, 2024, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lacked statutory authority to approve Nasdaq’s board diversity rules. Subject to certain exceptions,...more
In August 2024, Nasdaq submitted a new rule proposal aimed at accelerating the delisting process for companies with shares that trade below $1. Briefly, under the proposal, a company would be suspended from trading on Nasdaq...more
Last week, Nasdaq filed a proposed rules change with the Securities and Exchange Commission to remove the board diversity rule from Nasdaq's Listing Rules....more
On December 11, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (“Fifth Circuit”) vacated the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) approval of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC’s (“Nasdaq”) Board Diversity Rules....more
Last November, Nasdaq proposed a rule change that would lengthen the notification period for companies conducting reverse stock splits from five business days to 10 calendar days. The rule change became effective immediately...more
SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower annual report - On November 15, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of the Whistleblower released its annual report to Congress. The Whistleblower Program report includes...more
The following new disclosure will be required in companies’ upcoming Forms 10-K (FY 2024) and/or proxy statements...more
After various legal battles over the past four years, a recent en banc decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval of the Nasdaq board diversity proposal,...more
In what will likely mark the final outcome, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, sitting en banc, struck down the Nasdaq Stock Market’s diversity-disclosure framework on Dec. 11, 2024. The Nasdaq rules issue —...more
As we bid farewell to 2024, we welcome not only another year but also several new disclosure requirements. In this Snapshot, we summarize several developments and best practices for public companies to consider as the 2024...more
A federal circuit court recently vacated a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) order approving Nasdaq’s diversity rule for boards of directors of public companies....more
On December 11, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in a 9-8 en banc decision, vacated the approval of Nasdaq's board diversity rules by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The court held that the...more
On December 11, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in a 9-8 en banc decision, vacated NASDAQ’s Board Diversity Rules (the “Rules”) in Alliance for Fair Board Recruitment v. SEC, finding that the...more