Sky Blog
Each year, a significant number of publicly listed companies in the U.S. face the departure of their CEOs. While these transitions are inevitable, they represent critical moments in a company’s lifecycle, often leading to long-lasting financial and strategic problems when …
On November 18, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) issued a final rule (the “Final Rule”) that amends the regulations administered and enforced by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS” or the “Committee”).[1]…
Striking a balance between pursuing economic growth and addressing social and environmental challenges is not easy, yet it’s crucial for emerging markets. There’s no doubt that growth has lifted millions of people from poverty over the last half-century, but it …
As is customary, I’d
The concept of systemic organizational risk is critically important in corporate governance. It arises when multiple points of potential failure take root in an organization or industry. When a breakdown occurs, it inflicts significant cost and damage. For this reason, …
On November 14, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) Antitrust Division (the “Division”) released guidance for the Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs in Criminal Antitrust Investigations (the “Guidance”). The Guidance will be used by the Division in assessing the …
Fascinating trends are afoot in corporate boardrooms, according to data compiled by The Conference Board and its partners, including us at the University of Delaware’s Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance and collaborators from KPMG, Russell Reynolds, and ESGAUGE.
Our new …
Thank you, Secretary Yellen, for your leadership of this council these last four years. I also want to thank my fellow council members and their staffs for the collaborative efforts we’ve all put in to ensure that the risks in …
Asia appears to be rapidly embracing Anglo-American corporate governance models – but looks can be deceiving. Our recent research reveals a striking paradox: While Asian jurisdictions widely adopt Anglo-American governance mechanisms in form, they often use these tools for remarkably …
On November 12, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) published updated guidance on how the DOJ’s Antitrust Division will evaluate corporate compliance programs when making charging decisions and sentencing recommendations relating to criminal antitrust violations, such as bid-rigging, price-fixing, …
The global debate surrounding CEO compensation remains important and contentious. While many countries have implemented advisory frameworks for say-on-pay votes, Israel has taken a pioneering approach with its binding dual-majority voting system. Introduced in 2012 through Amendment 20 to the …
In late October 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department (Treasury) issued its final rules (the Outbound Rules) implementing President Biden’s Executive Order (EO) 14105 on “outbound” U.S. investment. See our prior mailers here and here. The Outbound Rules will take …
Classified boards, which divide directors into staggered classes with only one class standing for reelection annually, have long been considered a powerful defense against hostile corporate takeovers. Despite their widespread use, they remain a topic of intense debate. While studies …
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced record monetary relief of over $17.1 billion for fiscal year 2024. With the resolution of digital asset cases that resulted in the agency’s largest recovery ever, this record amount included $2.6 billion in …
The system of disclosure for public companies no longer meets the needs of investors and other stakeholders. Largely put in place by the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1982, the principles underlying the system have failed to keep pace with …
On November 15, 2024, the Delaware Court of Chancery found that certain of the directors of Bridge Street Worldwide, Inc. (“BSW”), a Delaware corporation, were liable for breaching their fiduciary duty of loyalty by entering into a forbearance agreement with …
The future of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) is currently uncertain. Given the Trump election, Republican majorities in both the House and Senate and soon at the SEC, we focus on what may happen next and, even more importantly, …
A resilient cryptoasset industry is emerging from weathering years of headwinds — from edicts prohibiting the banking of the industry, to an SEC leadership bent on aggressive regulation-by-enforcement in lieu of transparent rulemaking. Looking ahead, tailwinds abound: Bitcoin and Ether …
The decision to appoint a new CEO is among the most critical and strategic choices a corporation can face, as it can significantly influence the organization’s future. A key consideration is whether to promote an internal candidate or recruit one …
A well-trodden path for banks to achieve regulatory capital reductions by mitigating credit risk is through a synthetic securitization, either by issuing credit-linked notes (CLNs)1 or engaging in bespoke bilateral credit derivative transactions. These transactions—while complex to execute—offer the …
The proposed Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) in incoming President Donald J. Trump’s administration promises an ambitious agenda of “regulatory rescission, administrative reductions and cost savings” with the goal of “mass head-count reductions across the federal bureaucracy” by July 4, …
Controlling shareholders function as a dual-edged sword in corporate governance. They can reduce agency costs by monitoring management but also pose risks of self-dealing that can harm minority shareholders. In recent years, Delaware courts have increasingly focused on the latter …
Judge Medinilla’s recent opinion in Cytotheryx, Inc. v. Castle Creek Biosciences, Inc. is a reminder for practitioners to carefully consider whether an integration clause in a purchase agreement will be sufficient to bar extra-contractual misrepresentation claims. And although fraud claims …
In the United States, there is talk of a backlash against ESG, while in Europe, the number of laws requiring companies to comply with ESG standards is growing steadily. This difference in attitude and approach toward ESG may, in part, …
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced on November 22 that it filed 583 total enforcement actions in fiscal year 2024 while obtaining orders for $8.2 billion in financial remedies, the highest amount in SEC history.
The 583 enforcement actions represent
The election of Donald Trump to a second term as President signals the potential for a fundamental shift in the U.S. regulatory landscape for users of crypto assets and blockchain technology across a variety of sectors, including gaming, art and …
As November comes to an end, the busy annual reporting and proxy season begins for many public companies. In this Client Update, we highlight key considerations for public companies when preparing their annual reports on Form 10-K or Form 20-F, …
The corporate purpose debate pits shareholder profit maximization (SPM) against stakeholderism: Corporations should only serve the financial interests of their shareholders versus corporations should also serve the interests of other stakeholders. Other stakeholder interests prominently include environmental, social, and governance …
Bank stocks surged the day after Donald J. Trump won election to a second presidential term, recording double-digit gains on a widespread view that financial regulation under the new administration will be more industry friendly than in the current one. …
On October 21, 2024, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Division of Examinations (“Examination Division”) announced its 2025 Examination Priorities (“Report”). Investment advisers and broker-dealers should ensure that policies, procedures and surveillance efforts related to these priorities address concerns …
I’d like to take the opportunity today to reflect on some of the goals and intentions that then-Director Gurbir Grewal and I, as his deputy, discussed when we assumed leadership of this remarkable Division three-plus years ago, and what I …
The modern economy is fueled by personal data. Described as the “new gold” or “new oil” of today’s digital economy, data are being monitored, collected, and analyzed by public and private entities for strategic and economic value. Coupled with artificial …
With the change of administrations in January 2025, antitrust enforcement priorities are likely to shift next year. We expect the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the Trump Administration to continue to …
The 2024 amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) were born from an atypical period of acrimony and controversy among the corporate bar, stockholder advocates, and corporate law academics, including harsh public criticism of members of the Court of …
On October 2, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit cleared the way, at least for the time being, for betting on the outcome of U.S. elections.[1] The D.C. Circuit denied the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s …
When I was with you two years ago, I quoted President Franklin Roosevelt when he signed the first of the foundational securities laws in 1933: “This law and its effective administration are steps in a program to restore some old-fashioned …
On Wednesday, November 6, 2024, major media outlets announced Donald J. Trump as the winner of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. This alert discusses the potential impact of Mr. Trump’s election on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) …
Investors rely on proxy adviser recommendations to fulfill their fiduciary duty when voting in corporate elections. However, the proxy advisory industry is highly concentrated, with ISS and Glass Lewis controlling over 90 percent of the market,1 and the advice …
On October 28, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued final regulations implementing an outbound investment control regime targeting AI, semiconductors, and quantum computing investments involving China that raise national security concerns. The regulations’ prohibitions and reporting requirements go …
I teach a course on “Financial Crises/Regulatory Responses” with the economist Patrick Bolton. This course addresses the struggle to establish and maintain financial stability, an apex goal of the financial system. Last week, I told the students that by the …
On October 10, TD Bank pleaded guilty to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The plea agreement outlines the facts that led to the charges and the consequences the Bank and its parent company …
Last week’s election results signal a definitive end to the enforcement-only philosophy that for the last four years has characterized the SEC’s posture towards the crypto industry. It’s not realistic to think Congress and regulators will now simply adopt a …
The announcement by Denver-based FirstSun Capital Bancorp and Seattle-based HomeStreet, Inc. on October 29 that the Federal Reserve and the Texas Department of Banking had asked them to withdraw their applications for approval of their pending merger illustrates the potential …
Evidence of a rise in corporate market power has drawn the attention of U.S. policymakers, prompting antitrust regulators to more closely scrutinize mergers and acquisitions (M&A) that consolidate product markets. Such consolidations are believed to be behind the increased market …
On October 22, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filed settled enforcement orders involving four current and former public companies – Unisys Corp., Avaya Holdings Corp., Check Point Software Ltd, and Mimecast Limited. The settlements concern the issuers’ disclosures …
Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) have swiftly emerged as an alternative vehicle for global corporations that seek a public listing. As their name suggests, SPACs gather funds from investors through an initial public offering (IPO), with the intention of acquiring …
Good afternoon. Thank you to Bruce Carton for the invitation to speak today and for the kind introduction. I appreciate the opportunity to be able to talk to you about the work of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.
As is …
In a new paper, we investigate the financial implications of greenwashing, focusing on stock market responses to identifiable greenwashing events and accounting for the heterogeneity of global regulatory landscapes.1 Greenwashing is a deceptive advertising and marketing technique that organizations use …
On October 21, 2024, the SEC’s Division of Examinations (Division) published its examination priorities for 2025 (Exam Priorities). The Exam Priorities fall into the following seven categories: (1) Investment Advisers, (2) …
In May 2023, the SEC adopted new disclosure rules on company stock buybacks (“New Disclosures”) to help investors better evaluate whether the buybacks serve management’s personal interest at the expense of the company and its shareholders. The New Disclosures would …
Global efforts to enhance anti-money laundering (AML) measures to combat financial crime are increasing. In this extract from a recent Clifford Chance webinar, we look at the latest AML trends in the EU, US, UK and Singapore and what …
Companies acquire or merge with each other for a variety of worthwhile reasons, ranging from managing uncertainty to gaining scale to accessing new resources. They also do it for less desirable reasons, including to gain market and political power, raise …
For the first time, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) initiated enforcement actions against a carbon credit project developer and two of its executives for violating the antifraud provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act (the “CEA”) and CFTC …
Year after year, the world’s activist-investor community meets at the Active-Passive Investor Summit, the premier shareholder activist conference in New York City, organized by research and advisory service 13D Monitor. Yet at this year’s gathering, on October 22, the mood …
In BM Brazil & Ors v Sibanye BM Brazil & Anor [2024] EWHC 2566 (Comm), the English Commercial Court decided a buyer was not entitled to rely on a material adverse effect (“MAE”) condition to terminate an M&A transaction, extensively …
Given banks’ importance to global economic stability, how they manage liquidity – their capacity to transform short-term liabilities into long-term assets – plays a pivotal role in supporting growth while maintaining financial resilience. It also entails considerable risk. Creating more …
On October 22, 2024, the SEC instituted settled actions against four current and former public companies impacted by the 2020 SolarWinds software hack – Unisys Corp. (Unisys), Avaya Holdings Corp. (Avaya), Check Point Software Technologies Ltd (Check Point), and Mimecast …
Despite the trillions of dollars spent annually on mergers and acquisitions (M&A)[1], surprisingly little is known about the bidding strategies of potential acquirers and how negotiations unfold. For example, do bidders begin with a low-premium offer and increase …
Almost exactly a year after issuing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Personal Financial Data rights, on October 22, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued its final Rule under Section 1033 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act. …
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) activity at real-world firms is largely about disagreements among shareholders over optimal corporate decisions and not about conflicts between shareholders (as a group) and stakeholders (e.g., customers, suppliers, and employees) who have transactional or contractual …
I remember that day in 2006 at my OECD office in Paris when a colleague told me he had received a call from the Saudi government. The gentleman on the other end of the line had been inquiring about circuit-breaker …
The venue for stock trading is important. Exchanges provide high immediacy and transparency, while dark markets are slower and more opaque.[1] Traders generally prefer exchanges when they want to capitalize on information before it becomes known but value dark markets …
In recent years, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) has expressed concern about the lack of cohesive product standards and the potential for fraud within the voluntary carbon markets. Just this month, the CFTC announced its first …
Corporate governance research has historically focused on agency costs (imposed by professional managers) or principal-principal expropriation (imposed by dominant shareholders). We seek to reverse this theoretical focus on private benefits of control, and its preoccupation with the principal/shareholder and agent/manager …
On October 16, 2024, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it has finalized its new Negative Option Rule (Rule), which represents a significant expansion of its 1973 Negative Option Rule and is guaranteed to have a far-reaching impact …
In a new paper, we explore the often-misunderstood role of short sellers in corporate misconduct and securities class actions. Short sellers are investors who bet on a future decline in a company’s stock price. While their actions are sometimes criticized …
Each month, we publish a roundup of the most important SEC enforcement developments. This month included the SEC’s fiscal year end and a large number of enforcement actions of note, and we examine:
Are “lost-premium” provisions – clauses that typically allow a target to recoup the premium its shareholders were denied because a buyer wrongfully backed out of a deal – enforceable? In a surprising decision last year, the Delaware Court of Chancery …
On October 9, 2024, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued new guidance for financial institutions on best practices for compliance with export control laws and regulations (the Guidance).[1] The Guidance caps a series of notes …
In leveraged buyouts (LBOs), a private equity (PE) sponsor acquires controlling ownership of a target company, typically by using a significant amount of bank loans. In a new study, we focus on a controversial issue: Many PE sponsors have prior …
In recent years, scholars and other observers have expressed starkly different understandings of the political landscape of corporate America. While the conventional wisdom has cast large American businesses as a conservative stronghold, others have reached the opposite conclusion, arguing that …
Nearly four years ago, Jen Psaki was freshly in her White House press secretary job when she had to answer questions about the GameStop fallout from the podium.[1] A few months later, my first testimony as SEC Chair was …
Firms’ green claims have become ubiquitous in recent years. Products are “recycled” or “responsibly sourced,” financial instruments are “green” or “ESG,” firms promise to become “carbon neutral” or “net-zero,” and so on. But can the recipients of such claims assess …
On 30 September, the UK Digital Securities Sandbox was officially declared open. The announcement was made by the Bank of England (BoE) and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), following the consultation earlier this year on …
In recent years, consumers, investors and regulators have become increasingly aware of the climate crisis and accompanying risks, leading to increased demand for transparency and accountability from corporations about their business practices and sustainability footprints. This, in turn, has led …
Is 24/7 Trading Better?
Since the founding of the New York Stock Exchange in 1792, trading hours have closely mirrored the conventional workday due to the human involvement that was essential for trading. But times have changed. Electronic execution has …
In a new paper, we discuss our findings on how ESG disclosure mandates affect IPO underpricing – the tendency of IPO share prices to jump on the first day of trading – which is a substantial cost of going public.…
Taking into account – and even seeking to influence –Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors in investments in private assets has become significantly more common in recent years. However, the way in which investors can and should think about these …
In recent years, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics have become important factors in determining executive compensation as companies, investors, and regulators aim to align executives’ interests with broader societal goals. But are these metrics effective in generating incentives for …
On October 10, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), with the concurrence of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), announced the FTC’s unanimous vote to adopt a final rule implementing significant changes to the reporting obligations under …
On August 7, 2022, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which imposed a 1 percent excise tax on share repurchases by public corporations. President Biden proposed quadrupling the tax to 4 percent in his 2023 State of the Union …
On September 17, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or the “Commission”) announced the settlement of administrative cease-and-desist orders with 11 institutional investment managers for failures to timely report securities holdings required on Form 13F, as required by …
A great deal of space has been devoted by the media to discussions relating to the pay of Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. The media outrage centers around his 2018 pay package, with many of the headlines reporting a whopping …
Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 219, which applies broadly to public and private companies “doing business” in California. The law will require companies that have total annual revenues of over $1 billion dollars …
Cryptocurrency enthusiasts rejoiced when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the listing of bitcoin – and ether-based exchange-traded products (ETPs) – on U.S. stock exchanges earlier this year. There is yet a certain irony in this outcome: Why did …
Last week, the SEC announced settled charges against James R. Craigie, a former CEO, Chair and board member of Church & Dwight Co. Inc., an NYSE-listed “manufacturer of consumer-packaged goods,” for “violating proxy disclosure rules by standing for election as …
The standard explanation for the division along party lines on the role of ESG in corporate governance is this: Liberals think ESG factors are important in investment and business decisions. Conservatives think ESG is a harmful distraction, presumably because corporate …
On September 6, 2024, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) charged Esmark Inc. (“Esmark”) and its Founder/Chairman and former CEO James Bouchard under Section 14(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Rule 14e-8…
In 2020, the Nasdaq stock market filed a proposal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission seeking permission to adopt a board diversity-related disclosure requirement for its listed companies. In 2021, the SEC approved the proposal, making Nasdaq the most …
The Commission recently issued two whistleblower award determinations awarding an aggregate $122,000,000 among four claimants.[1] We did not support these determinations, but we are unable to explain our reasons because the public final orders determining the awards redact certain …
In corporate governance, the focus is increasingly shifting toward non-financial stakeholders, particularly employees, as important contributors to a firm’s competitive advantage and long-term success. Historically, investment in labor has been a big topic in corporate finance, especially within agency theory. …
It appears a new item must soon be added to the list of life’s certainties: “death, taxes and the CTA.”
Effective January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) requires many entities to report information about their beneficial owners, senior …
Economic downturns disrupt firms’ operations and strategic decisions and impair their financial health. During the recent pandemic, for example, many companies were forced to reduce expenses or lay off employees, driving the U.S. unemployment rate to 14.7 percent in 2020, …
On September 25, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced that it had settled charges against 23 entities and individuals relating to failures to file and/or amend on a timely basis Schedules 13D and 13G and Forms 3, 4 …
The relationship between directors’ fiduciary duties and shareholder wealth maximization under Delaware law has long been a prickly topic. Some commentators argue the relationship is merely a default capable of adjustment through private ordering.[1] Others, pointing to cases like …
Private firms are the backbone of our economies, influencing everything from investment levels to job creation to market competition. Given their collective significance, various regulatory agencies outside the U.S. impose financial disclosure (and sometimes audit) requirements on these firms. In …
The DOJ, FDIC and OCC have revised their bank merger review standards. The new standards are a major shift for bank M&A and will require a careful, detailed analysis to evaluate the viability of any proposed transaction.
The Federal Deposit …
It is well-known that equity is a central part of corporate law, and courts do not hesitate to remind litigants of that fact. Yet, a fuller appreciation of what equity means for corporate law is still lacking. In a recent …
The 2024 proxy season was characterized by a high volume of shareholder proposals submitted to companies, including proposals relating to topical issues such as artificial intelligence (“AI”) and political lobbying and spending. In addition, the number of no-action requests submitted …
Since the 1990s, regulatory reforms worldwide have significantly increased the independence of corporate boards. By 2023, nearly all of the top 50 equity markets had implemented minimum requirements for board or board committee independence. While extensive literature highlights the benefits …
The Treasury Department and the IRS have released long-awaited proposed regulations (the “Proposed Regulations”) on the 15% corporate minimum tax on the book income of certain large corporations (the “CAMT”), more than two years after the CAMT was created as …
In the rapidly evolving world of blockchain technology, smart contracts have emerged as a revolutionary tool for documenting transactions. These self-executing contracts, with terms transcribed directly into code, are designed to automate and enforce agreements without the need for intermediaries.
The Criminal Division is on the front lines of the Justice Department’s efforts to hold culpable individuals and companies accountable for corporate crime. We also develop innovative policies both to encourage companies to be good corporate citizens and to enhance …
The Securities and Exchange Commission plays a crucial role as the watchdog of Wall Street by detecting financial misconduct and enforcing securities laws, but much of its investigative process has remained opaque to researchers and the public. In a new …
On August 28, 2024, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a final rule to add “investment adviser” to the definition of “financial institution” under the regulations implementing the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). The final rule defines the term “investment …
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) routinely monitors public companies to assess compliance with tax laws. The frequency of this monitoring is expected to increase significantly since the IRS recently announced its updated Strategic Operating Plan associated with the Inflation Reduction …
Good morning, Chairman McHenry, Ranking Member Waters, and members of Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today about the work of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
At the SEC, we …
In the corporate governance literature, there’s little about the corporate secretary, an information intermediary for the board, who attends all board meetings and serves a role inextricably linked to the risk of litigation. Corporate secretaries (CSs) advise the board and …
Whistleblowers who exposed what has been called “one of the biggest frauds in Texas history” are not eligible to receive Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whistleblower awards based on the collections recovered in a bankruptcy proceeding, according to a recent …
Two weeks ago, there was big news for “event contracts,” which provide for fixed payouts upon the occurrence of specified events and are sometimes referred to as “prediction” products. Kalshi – an exchange that has popularized event contracts on everything …
Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster dismissed claims two weeks ago against a controller in Clement v. Apollo Global Management, LLC. Plaintiff alleged that a merger was unfair because the controller allegedly extracted “unique benefits” in the merger. The court …
Although we use money every day, few of us really understand it. Most define it by its most obvious manifestation – government-issued paper certificates or coins that specify units of currency, such as dollars or euros. But that superficial definition …
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has disbanded its Climate and ESG Task Force in the Division of Enforcement. The Task Force was established in March 2021 with the purpose of identifying ESG-related misconduct, including material gaps or misstatements …
In a typical activist campaign, the activist threatens to launch a proxy fight unless the board of directors agrees to take certain actions to increase shareholder value, such as selling off company assets or replacing the CEO. Increasingly, however, there …
Today [September 18], the Commission will consider updating rules for the $55 trillion equity markets. I am pleased to support these rules because they would enhance competition, efficiency, and fairness, benefitting investors and capital formation alike.
In 1975, Congress tasked …
Can we speak of a “purpose” for corporations or, more broadly, corporate law? The doctrine of shareholder primacy has long had an easy answer: Both individual corporations and corporate law should strive to maximize shareholder wealth. But this reductive and …
This update provides an overview of the major developments in federal and state securities litigation since our Securities Litigation 2023 Year-End Update. A recent NERA Economic Consulting (NERA) study provides an overview of recent developments in filings. This section …
The term “private benefits of control” refers to the privileges and advantages that accrue to controlling shareholders at the exclusion of minority shareholders. These benefits can take a variety of forms, ranging from cash extractions to more intangible manifestations, such …
Since the introduction of ChatGPT, large language models (LLMs) have completed a variety of tasks with impressive results, from summarizing complex documents to conducting sentiment analysis to extracting relevant information. But are LLMs up to even greater challenges like, say, …
How do shareholders want companies to manage political spending? This is a critical question for senior management and boards as the 2024 elections enter the final stage and the 2025 proxy season opens. It’s particularly important and timely as companies …
Strategic alliances are pivotal in industries like biopharmaceuticals, where collaboration can make or break innovation and success. A key yet under-explored element of these alliances is good faith provisions – clauses that require parties to act with good intentions and …
We have argued that bank regulators should disclose more bank information than is now required.[1] This is because supervisory practices generally do little to promote transparency, which leads to opacity that interferes with the pricing of risk and undermines …
In November, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear two cases from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that will implicate the ability of investors to bring securities fraud claims. The most worrisome – NVIDIA Corp. v. E. Ohman J:or Fonder …
Securities class-action lawsuits play a crucial role in holding corporations accountable for financial misdeeds. They typically involve allegations of securities fraud, where a company makes misleading statements or omits important information that leads to an inflated stock price. When the …
Commercial law, as codified by the Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”), recognizes certain important commercial realities as a basis to override property law. In a new article, I examine that recognition in connection with the UCC’s allocation of the risk of …
The European Court of Justice (“ECJ”) has upheld an appeal against the European Commission’s ability to accept referrals under Article 22 of the EU Merger Regulation (“EUMR”) from national competition authorities who are not competent to …
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) recently proposed and published a Federal Register notice for a proposed rule that would revise the agency’s Change in Bank Control Act (CIBCA) regulations. Specifically, the proposed rule would add a second layer …
In recent years, technological advances and structural shifts have catalyzed a surge in corporate investments in research and development (R&D), intellectual property, and other intangible assets. These developments reflect the growing importance of innovation-driven growth in the modern economy. In …
In the realm of corporate law, board directors are bound by fiduciary duties of loyalty and care to both the company and its stockholders.[1] The interpretation of these duties, however, is national, even in the European Union, despite its …
With the Labor Day holiday now behind us, it is a good time to review the SEC’s active enforcement docket and to look ahead to likely areas of continuing enforcement attention as we head into the fall. The record over …
High-quality information and managers are essential to firms’ success, with the former allowing firms to accurately evaluate prospective investments and the latter helping to ensure those investments pay off. Yet the value of information and managers to a firm are …
As corporate directors and other private actors have taken on public or quasi-public functions like reigning in conflicted executives or approving healthcare claims, fiduciary duties have expanded to protect the vulnerable and bridge the gap between public and private law.…
The legal world is no stranger to technological advancements, but the surge in artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities has sparked a movement that is reaching even law reviews. Every submission cycle, Scholastica – the largest platform for law-review submissions – releases …
The differences between Nevada and Delaware corporate law – which I call “Nevadaware divergence” – are the subject of media attention, scholarly critique, and current litigation. The common wisdom is that Nevada is, as some say, “the place to reincorporate …
In recent years, climate change and stakeholder demand for sustainable practices have prompted increasing numbers of companies to account for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in their business strategies. Companies’ success in doing so can be measured with ESG …
On July 18, 2024, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York issued an opinion in Securities and Exchange Commission …
Each of the two most oft-propounded notions of ESG – environmental, social, and governance – carries some persuasive weight in the debate about ESG’s impact on corporate governance. If ESG results in a sharper focus on risk management and better …
On July 25, 2024, the U.S. prudential bank regulators released a Joint Statement on Banks’ Arrangements With Third Parties To Deliver Bank Deposit Products and Services (Joint Statement),1 along with a request for information on bank-fintech arrangements (RFI) issued …
The venture capital (VC) industry has undergone a profound transformation over the past two decades with the emergence of common VC investors — that is, VC firms that hold ownership stakes in multiple startups within the same industry or product …
On August 20, 2024, Judge Ada Brown of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued a permanent injunction setting aside the Federal Trade Commission’s final rule banning non-compete agreements in Ryan LLC v. FTC. Last …
In its approach to digital assets, the Securities and Exchange Commission has been criticized for regulating by enforcement. In reality, the SEC has taken a twofold approach. In addition to bringing lawsuits against crypto exchanges, the commission has proposed amending …
New research provides evidence that legally nonbinding commitments from corporate managers to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles may help predict subsequent corporate behavior. [1] This study provides cautiously optimistic evidence that CEOs who claim to consider the ethical implications …
Over the past couple of decades, we’ve witnessed enormous progress on LGBTQ+ issues. As a result, the closet remains largely off people’s radar – but for the generation of those who occupy corporate leadership positions, it’s very much a live …
On July 30, 2024, on a party line 3-2 vote of its Board of Directors, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) approved a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking[1] (the “Proposal” or the “Proposed Rule”) to substantially broaden the scope …
Corporate governance and political governance are increasingly intersecting, as corporations engage in some of the most contentious and important social challenges of our time with their voice, capital, and actions. In a recent article, I examine this new convergence …
Business has always had to adapt to new technologies, from the steam engine to the automobile to personal computers. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) and closely related developments like Big Data analytics and machine learning are the technologies transforming business, along …
Why did two federal courts refuse to throw out Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) charges against two different commodities traders? What revisions did Congress make to the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA)? How has China increased its anti-corruption scrutiny of …
Corporate boards and their leadership teams face unique compliance oversight challenges from the Department of Justice (“DOJ”)’s new Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program (“the Program”), the details of which were announced on August 1 by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General …
The Securities and Exchange Commission on August 14 announced charges against 26 broker-dealers, investment advisers, and dually-registered broker-dealers and investment advisers for widespread and longstanding failures by the firms and their personnel to maintain and preserve electronic communications.
The firms
The process of producing and disseminating financial reporting disclosures often involves multiple parties, each of whom is under the authority of a specialized regulator. For example, certain information in 10-K filings is provided by third parties who operate under a …
Loyalty has been much in the news lately. Vice President Kamala Harris recently suggested that Republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance would be “loyal only to Trump, not to our country.”[1] Online retailer Etsy just announced its first-ever loyalty program …
On August 7, 2024, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published an update regarding its ongoing assessment of crypto firms’ adherence to the cryptoasset financial promotions rules introduced in October 2023. See our October 23, 2023 client alert “UK …
Columbia Law School Professor Allan Farnsworth once confidently asserted that common law contract “doctrines, imaginatively applied, are both all that are needed and all that are desirable” to protect participants in preliminary contract negotiations and agreements (what I refer to …
The right of shareholders to vote is essential for maximizing the value of their shares and good corporate governance. However, in a diffusely held corporation, few shareholders have the incentive to monitor management at their own cost, leading to a …
The concept of materiality has been called the “bedrock” or the “cornerstone” of the corporate disclosure system established by Congress in the federal securities laws.[1] But, despite its importance, determining how to use or apply the concept can be …
ESG ratings play an important role in helping companies and financial institutions integrate sustainability into their decisions. Yet critics argue that regulations are needed to address the ratings’ many shortcomings: a lack of transparency in the methodologies behind them, the …
Last month the new Labour government in the UK announced in the King’s Speech that it will introduce new artificial intelligence (AI) rules alongside cybersecurity and digital information bills. A brief overview of these developments is set out below.
The approval of Ethereum Spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in May 2024 marked a significant step forward for cryptocurrency in mainstream finance (Krause, 2024). This decision followed the precedent set by Bitcoin Spot …
The U.S. debate on corporate purpose centers on whether corporations should prioritize shareholders’ interests over the well-being of non-shareholder constituencies. Though the debate dates back at least to the 1930’s Berle-Dodd exchange in the Harvard Law Review, it is …
In the corporate governance landscape, the influence of passive index funds and common ownership has become a focus of scholarly and public debate. As the largest asset management firms in the world, the Big Three (BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street …
In a decision issued on July 23, 2024 (the ATS Decision), U.S. District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania denied Plaintiff ATS Tree Services LLC’s motion for a stay of effective date and preliminary injunction against …
There can be no debate: The Administrative State has been scaled back. The rule-making powers of administrative agencies have clearly been curbed. Most blame the Supreme Court and particularly its decision in West Virginia v. EPA, 597 U.S. 697 …
The 2008-2009 global financial crisis (GFC) has cast a pall over several corporate governance mechanisms in many firms worldwide. Nonetheless, how the firms treated their female directors in the aftermath and whether they maintained gender diversity on their boards remain …
It is a privilege to join you today and talk about the work of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.
The purpose of this strike force — to “mak[e] sure corporations are held accountable when they try to rip off Americans”
On July 25, 2024, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (together, the “Agencies”) issued a request for information (the “RFI”)[1] regarding arrangements …
Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD) attempts to level the playing field for investors, stating that any “informational edge” should be due to investors’ “skill, acumen, or diligence” rather than “from their superior access to corporate insiders.”[1]However, Reg FD …
Good morning. I’m pleased to speak with the Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee. As is customary, I’d like to note that my views are my own as Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and I am not speaking
In today’s rapidly evolving corporate governance landscape, the role of audit committees in overseeing financial reporting has never been more important. Recent regulations, such as the updated Compliance & Disclosure Interpretations (“C&DIs”), have emphasized the need for audit committees to …
Recently in Kellner v. AIM ImmunoTech, Inc., the Delaware Supreme Court clarified the legal tests applicable when stockholders challenge advance notice bylaws. A key aspect of the Supreme Court’s ruling is the importance of distinguishing between a facial and …
Fraud-on-the-market (“FOTM”) suits are thought to generate considerable benefits for society – namely, those associated with increased stock-market price accuracy and liquidity. But these suits are also said to impose exceptionally large social costs relative to even those associated with …
A court rendered a mixed result in the SEC’s SolarWinds litigation. The court declined to dismiss the SEC’s claims that a website “Security Statement” overstated the strength of SolarWinds’ cybersecurity measures. However, the court dismissed claims based on SolarWinds’ SEC …
Over the past two decades, regulators, lawmakers, and stakeholders have increasingly urged companies to give greater weight to the broader interests of society alongside traditional financial goals. As a result, a notable percentage of firms – 64 percent of the …
The Code of Conduct for United States Judges prohibits judges from allowing personal relationships, including social connections with parties or attorneys involved in a case, to influence the judges’ conduct. However, the disclosure of such social conflicts, as well as …
The debate on corporate purpose is often grounded on an assumption that there is one right model of corporate purpose for all companies. Yet some companies have a much more significant impact on stakeholder groups than others. Just 90 corporations, …
The three “first-in-the-nation” California climate-related disclosure laws enacted late last year are each the subject of proposed amendments making their way through the legislative process. These proposed amendments, which require further legislative approvals and the governor’s signature, would delay key …
Sustainable debt financing—bonds issued to support projects that benefit the environment or social welfare—has skyrocketed over the past decade, rising from a niche market to a trillion-dollar business. Public finance has been an essential catalyst for the market for sustainable …
It has often been argued that the ‘S’ in ESG has been overshadowed in the ESG acronym, having long played third-fiddle to corporate governance and environmental concerns. There are various reasons for this, one being that the social pillar has …
What remedy should a target be entitled to get from a breaching buyer in a merger transaction? This seemingly straightforward question has surprisingly vexed M&A practitioners and judges over the years.
With a public target, the buyer typically promises to …
In Garland v. Cargill, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) exceeded its statutory authority by issuing a rule that classifies bump stocks as “machineguns” under the National Firearms Act of …
Corporate politicization, when companies take sides in our culture war and risk alienating half their potential customers, is a serious concern. Recent examples of companies that have felt its negative impact on shareholder value abound, including Bud Light, Target, and …
In recent years, regulatory shifts in financial reporting have garnered significant attention, especially concerning their implications for corporate governance and market dynamics. One notable change was the 2017 regulatory adjustment on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE), where small-cap firms were …
In determining how much to pay their CEOs, U.S. companies typically use “benchmarking,” setting compensation at or above the median of what peer firms pay their CEOs. This practice is designed to enable firms to retain talented CEOs and to …
In Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, the U.S. Supreme Court held that “the Seventh Amendment entitles a defendant to a jury trial when the [Securities and Exchange Commission] seeks civil penalties against him for securities fraud.”
In its …
Many firms now issue ESG reports voluntarily in response to fast-growing investor and stakeholder demand. Yet survey evidence shows that corporate lawyers consider ESG-related disputes a top source of litigation risk for their clients.[1] In a new study, we …
On July 1, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded its most consequential Term in years, with a flood of decisions on contentious issues ranging from abortion access to the regulation of social media companies and gun possession to presidential immunity. The …
Carried interest is a special, or disproportionate-to-ownership, allocation of profits to the managers of a private equity (PE) or hedge fund partnership. While fund managers typically own about 2 percent of a fund, carried interest may allocate about 20 percent …
When a portion of the purchase price in an acquisition is contingent on the earnings or other performance metric(s) of the acquired business post-closing (i.e., an “earn-out” provision), buyers and sellers routinely discuss their aspirations and expectations regarding the go-forward …
While the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 28 decision in Fischer v. United States rejected a broad application of certain Enron-era obstruction of justice laws, it reaffirmed the original corporate responsibility focus of those laws. In so doing, the decision reminds …
In recent years, one of the most significant developments in corporate governance has been the adoption and expansion of voting choice programs by the largest institutional investors. Such changes have come in response to growing scrutiny and pressure from asset …
