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Hester M. Peirce

SEC Commissioner Peirce Speaks on ESG Disclosure

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This summer was the summer of the cicadas. The dull hum of their song permeated the solitude of an evening stroll, along with the disconcerting crunch as pedestrian attempts to avoid squashing the creatures inevitably failed. Every seventeen years the beady-eyed cicadas emerge from underground—a natural wonder, perhaps therefore to be forgiven for their uncouth habits and off-putting appearance.[1] As eighteenth century farmer and self-taught naturalist Benjamin Banneker, having observed three appearances of cicadas, wrote:

[I]f their lives are Short they are merry, they begin to Sing or make a noise from the first they come out of Earth … Read more

SEC Commissioners Comment on Chair Gensler’s Regulatory Agenda

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Last Friday, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released the Spring 2021 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Action (“Agenda”), which includes the SEC Chair’s Agenda.[1] While there are important and timely items on the list, including rules related to transfer agents and government securities alternative trading systems, the Agenda is missing some other important rulemakings, including rules to provide clarity for digital assets, allow companies to compensate gig workers with equity, and revisit proxy plumbing. Perhaps the absence of these rules is attributable to the regrettable decision to spend our scarce resources to undo a number of

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SEC Commissioners Respond to Chairman’s Call for Review of Proxy-Voting Advice Rules

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Today [June 1], Chair Gensler announced that he has directed the SEC staff to consider whether to recommend that the Commission revisit its recent regulatory actions taken with respect to proxy voting advice businesses and its longstanding interpretation of proxy solicitation.[1] Additionally, the staff announced that it will not recommend an enforcement action against a proxy voting advice business that fails to comply with the Commission’s existing requirements for proxy voting advice.[2]

As background, last July, the Commission adopted requirements that proxy voting advice businesses, in order to rely on exemptions from the information and filing requirements of

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SEC Commissioner Speaks at Asset Management Advisory Committee Meeting

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Good morning to you all and thank you Ed [Bernard]. It is always a pleasure to welcome the hard working volunteers of AMAC back to the Commission. I also want to thank Sarah ten Siethoff and the staff of the Division of Investment Management for their work in keeping AMAC’s wheels turning. In particular, I would like to thank Christian Broadbent, Jay Williamson, Walé Oriola, and Emily Rowland who are so instrumental in making these meetings happen.

We are now well into the New Year but in some respects, 2021 is looking a lot like 2020. We continue to interact

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Commissioners Discuss SEC’s Enhanced Climate-Change Efforts

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Over the past two weeks, we and the public have seen a steady flow of SEC “climate” statements and press releases.[1]  Our Divisions of Corporation Finance, Examinations, and Enforcement all have announced climate- or ESG-related initiatives.  What does this “enhanced focus” on climate-related matters mean?  The short answer is: it’s not yet clear.  Do these announcements represent a change from current Commission practices or a continuation of the status quo with a new public relations twist?  Time will tell.  In the meantime, it is important to contextualize the recent announcements by providing some historical and procedural background.

The Division

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SEC Commissioner Peirce on Shareholder Proposals under Exchange Act Rule 14a-8

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Thank you, Chairman Clayton. I support today’s amendments to certain procedural requirements and the resubmission thresholds under the shareholder proposal rule. While it can be difficult to discern the signal from the noise around today’s amendments, the reality of the situation is that we are making simple, sensible, and long over-due changes to the shareholder proposal rule.

Shareholder proposals are costly: they require the thoughtful attention of management and the board, procurement of legal advice, engagement with shareholder proponents and SEC staff, the printing and mailing of proposal materials, and vote tabulations. The shareholder-proponent does not bear these costs; the

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SEC Commissioner Speaks on Financial Market Regulation

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Whenever I talk to economists, since I cannot awe you with a fancy equation, I have to start with a bad joke.  It is a knock-knock joke, which is especially hard to pull off when trying to physically distance.  “Knock, knock.”  “Who’s there?”  “Economist.”  “Economist who?” “I kin’ o’ missed you too!”  It is a really bad joke, but I really do miss having you all here at the SEC in person and hope that will soon be a possibility. Before I begin, I must give my usual disclaimer: the views I will be expressing today are my own, and

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SEC Commissioner Peirce Speaks on Corporate Governance

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We are here today to talk about excellence in corporate governance.  Before I begin, I have to remind you that the views I represent are my own and not necessarily those of the Securities and Exchange Commission or my fellow Commissioners. As with other pursuits in life, governing a corporation well requires a solid set of core values.  These values are often rooted in childhood lessons, so I will offer a cautionary tale.  A friend of mine—over his wife’s objection—taught his toddler son to answer “Money!” when asked “What is the most important thing in the world?”  Their son was

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Commissioner Peirce Speaks to SEC Investor Advisory Committee

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Thank you Anne [Sheehan] and other members of the committee for arranging an impressive list of panelists to share their views and perspectives on the important topics on today’s agenda.  The committee has not let COVID-19 stop it from holding meetings; this is the third such meeting in the last two months.  I am appreciative of the committee’s diligence and dedication during this time and believe it is emblematic of the tireless efforts put forth over the years by the members whose terms are expiring in the coming days.

I want to take a moment to thank each of you

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SEC Commissioner Dissents from Order Blocking Proposed Bitcoin-Related Rule

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Today the Commission once again disapproved a proposed rule change that would give American investors access to bitcoin through a product listed and traded on a national securities exchange subject to the Commission’s regulatory framework.[1] This order is the latest in a long string of disapproval orders that the Commission has issued regarding bitcoin-related products.[2] This line of disapprovals leads me to conclude that this Commission is unwilling to approve the listing of any product that would provide access to the market for bitcoin and that no filing will meet the ever-shifting standards that this Commission insists on

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SEC Commissioner Peirce Offers Proposal to Fill Gap Between Regulation and Decentralization

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I appreciate the opportunity to be with all of you today.  Before beginning, I have to remind you that the views I express are my own and do not necessarily represent those of the Securities and Exchange Commission or my fellow Commissioners.[1]  Indeed, the views I will express today are not fully formed in my own mind and may not reflect my own opinions in the months to come.  To that end, I welcome the feedback of all of you and anyone else with an interest in the regulation of digital assets.  These issues are difficult, and many bright

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SEC Commissioner Peirce Speaks before National Economists Club

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Thank you, Cliff [Waldman] for that kind introduction.  It is an honor to be among economists today.  I am not sure why, but every time I speak to economists, I feel compelled to tell a joke. Maybe it is because the securities lawyers of which I am one and with whom I routinely surround myself can be a rather serious bunch.  Instead of starting with jokes, they insist that we start our talks with the following disclaimer:  The views I represent are my own and not necessarily those of the Securities and Exchange Commission or my fellow Commissioners.  That duty

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SEC Commissioners Peirce and Roisman on Proposed Rules for Funds’ Use of Derivatives

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We thank the staff of the Division of Investment Management (the “Division”) for undertaking the challenging task of devising and presenting for Commission vote a proposal to modernize the way we regulate the use of derivatives in investment funds’ portfolios. Derivatives are essential financial tools in today’s markets. They enable portfolio managers of registered investment companies and business development companies (“funds”) to manage and hedge risk, enhance portfolio liquidity, efficiently gain or reduce exposure to certain asset classes, reduce transaction costs, reduce volatility, increase yield, and otherwise assist in portfolio management. If funds were prohibited from using derivatives, investors would

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Commissioner Peirce Discusses SEC’s Enforcement Program

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Thank you, Meredith [Cross], for that kind introduction. It is an honor to be with you here today [November 4]. I must begin with my standard disclaimer that the views I represent are my own views and not necessarily those of the Commission or my fellow Commissioners.

It is hard to believe that 2019 is almost over. When I think back on the year, one defining theme is broken windows. Why is 2019 the “Year of the Broken Window”? I live in an condominium building with a lobby that has three sides of floor to ceiling windows. Three times this

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SEC Commissioner Speaks Before Forum on Small Business Capital Formation

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Thank you, Martha [Miller]. It is wonderful to be here in Omaha. Thank you to all the participants in today’s [August 14] program. Dean [Anthony] Hendrickson, thank you for welcoming us to Creighton University’s Heider College of Business. It is a beautiful facility that reflects the thriving economic region in which it sits.

I remember my first trip to Nebraska about twenty years ago. I was driving through the state and was just stunned by its Great Plains beauty. Since then, Nebraska has always been one of my favorite states, although I have not had many opportunities to visit. I

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SEC Commissioner Peirce Addresses the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan

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It is an honor to be with you today [August 7, 2019]. I have long wanted to visit Japan. Indeed, one of the options I explored following college was coming to Japan to teach English. Instead I ended up in Austria—not teaching English. My would-have-been students are certainly better off for it, but I am pleased to finally have the chance to be here in a learning, rather than teaching, capacity. Before I begin, I must give a standard disclaimer: the views I express today are my own views and not necessarily those of the United States Securities and Exchange

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SEC Commissioner Discusses Cross-Border Cooperation in Digital-Asset Regulation

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Thank you, Robby [Greene], for that kind intro. I am delighted to see that Robby, once my research assistant, has clearly gone on to bigger and better things. I also am delighted to be here in Singapore, by some accounts the global crypto-hub,[1] and appreciate the hospitality of the Singapore University of Social Sciences. I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to learn about the developments in crypto in Asia, which, as I do not need to tell this audience, is home to a very active part of the crypto community. Before I get too far along in my

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SEC Commissioner Peirce Speaks About Women on Boards

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A few months ago there was an article in the Washington Post about the baby on board signs that seem to be on so many cars.[1] The article’s timing was perfect because I had just seen one of those signs and remember wondering why they seemed to be making a come-back. At one point, those signs were everywhere, on almost every car. Then they seemed to disappear for a while, but now they are back. The article gave the history of the signs, which first hit rear windows in 1986, assessed the psychology behind their popularity, and reported on … Read more

SEC Commissioner Peirce Talks Exchange-Traded Funds

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Welcome to all of you. We are so delighted to be able to host you at the Securities and Exchange Commission for today’s workshop on exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The discussion today is sure to be fascinating. Aside from my greeting, everything I say reflects my own views and not necessarily those of the Commission or my fellow Commissioners.[1]

It is graduation season, so if you have time to walk around the city, you might see graduates of our local schools celebrating in their caps and gowns. The big story of this graduation season was the announcement by a wealthy

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