Thank you Thomas [Kim] for that lovely introduction and I’m very pleased to be here at the Securities Regulation Institute giving the Alan B. Levenson Keynote Address. Director Levenson was the consummate public servant who left an enduring mark on
Securities Regulation
Skadden Discusses What New SEC Insider Trading Rules Mean for Directors
In December 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) modified the rules governing preset stock trading programs for corporate insiders, known as 10b5-1 plans, which begin taking effect this year. The new rules will require directors, executives and other …
The Effects of SEC Comment Letters on Compensation Contract Efficiency
In a new paper, we examine whether SEC comment letters on deficiencies in compensation disclosure have an impact on executive-compensation “contract efficiency,” meaning the extent to which such contracts align with shareholder interest. The goal of comment letters is not …
What is the SEC Hiding?
Under Chair Gary Gensler, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been on a transparency rampage – proposing extensive new disclosure obligations on public companies, activist investors, private funds, and (maybe soon) so-called “unicorn” startups. …
SEC Chair Gensler Speaks Before Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee
Good morning. It is good to join the advisory committee for your first meeting of the year. As is customary, I’d like to note that my views are my own and I am not speaking on behalf of the Commission …
Simpson Thacher Discusses Supreme Court Case on Standing and Direct-Listing Shares
On December 13, 2022, the Supreme Court granted certiorari to consider whether Sections 11 and 12(a) of the Securities Act require a plaintiff who purchased shares through a direct listing to plead and prove that he bought shares registered under …
SEC Commissioner Urges Reform of Regulation D and Private Markets
Can a Greenhouse Gas Disclosure Rule Lead to Emissions Reductions?
In response to growing concern about the effects of climate change, different regions of the world have adopted mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) disclosure rules, including Australia, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Notably, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission …
Cleary Gottlieb Discusses the SEC’s Disclosure Agenda and Corporate Governance
In 2022, public companies witnessed a new kind of corporate governance activism. New rules and regulations from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) use the lever of mandated disclosure to push for corporate governance actions, and in some cases …
John C. Coffee, Jr.: The Blaszczak Bombshell and What It Will Mean
United States v. Blaszczak[1] has long been a one-off case that did not fit the mold of the traditional insider trading prosecution, but now — following a 2-1 decision of the Second Circuit in December, reversing most of the …
SEC Issues Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2022-2026
Cadwalader Discusses New SEC Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan Rules
On December 14, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) unanimously adopted final rules adding new conditions applicable to Rule 10b5-1 trading plans and requiring disclosure of the adoption, modification or termination of Rule 10b5-1 trading plans by directors …
Davis Polk Discusses SEC Package of Equity Market Structure Proposals
The SEC recently proposed a set of sweeping equity market structure reforms across four rule proposals that would make highly significant changes to how national market system (NMS) stock orders are priced, executed and reported. The proposals include:
- a new
Rethinking Cautions Accompanying Investment Predictions
We are constantly bombarded with warnings about dangers to our health or wellbeing. Sometimes, however, the warnings might facilitate the danger. In a new article, I show how the cautionary statements that commonly accompany predictions of corporate performance fall into …
Sullivan & Cromwell Discusses ESG Considerations for Financial Institutions in 2023
As U.S. financial institutions assess their ESG risks, opportunities, policies and procedures for 2023, key considerations include the numerous significant ESG developments in 2022—in particular, recent proposals and initiatives announced by financial regulators with respect to climate-related risk management and …
Market Practices and the Awareness/Use Problem in Insider Trading Law
In a new article, I respond to an article by Professor Andrew Verstein concerning the awareness/use problem in insider-trading law. As many readers know, this problem arises because, although Rule 10b-5 prohibits persons bound by a duty of confidentiality from …
Simpson Thacher Discusses Second Circuit Decision Curtailing Title 18 Insider Trading Liability
On December 29, 2022, the Second Circuit issued its highly anticipated opinion on remand in United States v. Blaszczak (“Blaszczak II”), reconsidering the case following the Supreme Court’s January 2021 vacatur of the Second Circuit’s original decision upholding …
SEC Commissioners Dissent to Charges Against McDonald’s for Flawed Disclosure of CEO Firing
We are unable to support the charges against McDonald’s Corporation (“McDonald’s”) for failing to disclose sufficient information regarding the termination of its former CEO, Stephen Easterbrook, in its 2020 proxy statement. The Order[1] casts McDonald’s, the victim of Mr. …
Assessing the SEC’s Role As Enforcer Against Financial Misconduct
The Securities Exchange Act grants the SEC ample authority and discretion to investigate and seek sanctions related to violations of the securities laws, with the goal of protecting investors; maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets; and facilitating capital formation (SEC, …
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