This edition of the Public Company Watch highlights critical updates and regulatory changes affecting public companies. Staying informed on these topics is crucial for effective compliance and strategic planning....more
On April 8, 2025, the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the US District Court for the District of Maryland’s dismissal of all claims in Defeo et al. v. IonQ, Inc. et al., a securities class action asserting...more
On May 19, 2025, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill No. 1057 (SB 1057) into law....more
Is a report by a short seller followed by a stock decline enough to plead securities fraud? This month, the Fourth Circuit considered this issue. In Defeo v. IonQ, Inc., a group of investors sued IonQ, a developer of quantum...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently joined a growing consensus among federal appellate courts: short-seller reports, without more, rarely suffice to plead loss causation under the federal...more
On February 26, 2025, Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald of the United States District Court for the Central District of California granted a motion to dismiss a putative class action against a producer of plant-based meat...more
On August 20, 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced an increase in the fees that public companies and other issuers will be required to pay to register their securities, from $147.60 per million...more
In Roth v. Foris Ventures, LLC, Nos. 22-16632, 22-16633, 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 30081 (9th Cir. Nov. 13, 2023), the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit partially reversed the dismissal of a shareholder...more
On August 25, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted final pay-versus-performance disclosure rules for publicly traded companies. These rules will require three new disclosures in upcoming proxy and...more
Shareholder Proposal - Rule On July 13, 2022, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) proposed amendments to revise three of the substantive bases for exclusion of shareholder proposals under Rule 14a-8 of...more
Delaware Chancery Court Dismisses Cigna Derivative Suit Over Failed Anthem Merger; The PCAOB Sanctions Former KPMG Vice Chair Of Audit For Failure To Supervise Senior Members Of KPMG's Audit Practice; Ninth Circuit Affirms...more
Delaware Court of Chancery Declines to Dismiss Investment Firm from Stockholder Derivative Suit; Delaware Chancery Court Dismisses Majority of Claims Alleging that California Biotech Firm Profited from Nonpublic Information...more
On August 17, 2021, a purported shareholder of Pershing Square Tontine Holdings, Ltd. ("PSTH") filed a derivative lawsuit against PSTH, a special purpose acquisition company ("SPAC") sponsored by investment funds managed by...more
Delaware Court of Chancery Awards Attorneys’ Fees After Gilead’s “Glaringly Egregious” Litigation Conduct; S.D.N.Y Grants Plaintiffs’ Partial Summary Judgment in Securities Class Action Against Perrigo; SPAC Investors Launch...more
May a California corporation issue shares that are convertible ex proprio motu into shares of any other class or series or any other of its securities? The answer is "yes" but only if that right is provided in the articles...more
A lot of attention has been paid to board diversity – or lack thereof – in recent months. California enacted AB-979, which expanded upon California’s earlier gender diversity law and requires boards to make strides in other...more