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Does Enhanced Disclosure Curb CEO Pay?

By Ilona Babenko, Benjamin Bennett and Zexi Wang August 10, 2023 by renholding

High CEO pay in the United States has fueled repeated calls for enhanced disclosure of chief executives’ compensation. For example, in 2015 the SEC received over 285,000 comment letters supporting its proposed rule to require disclosure of CEO-employee pay ratios. …

Sullivan & Cromwell Discusses SEC Amendments to Rules Governing Money Market Funds

By Dalia O. Blass, Eric M. Diamond, Donald R. Crawshaw and Amy R. Dreisiger August 7, 2023 by renholding

On July 12, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) voted 3 to 2 (Commissioners Peirce and Uyeda dissenting) to adopt certain amendments to rules and forms under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”) intended …

Environmental and Social Disclosure Has Evolved Around the World

By Yan Lin, Rui Shen, Jasmine Wang and Julia Yu August 2, 2023 by renholding

Environmental and social (E&S) considerations have become integral to investment decisions in the past two decades, and more public firms are making E&S disclosures. Meanwhile, dozens of ESG reporting frameworks have emerged, and many jurisdictions have issued or are in …

FINRA Faces Uphill Battle in Case Challenging Its Enforcement Authority

By James Fallows Tierney and Benjamin P. Edwards August 1, 2023 by renholding

FINRA, the self-regulatory organization (SRO) responsible for overseeing broker-dealers in securities markets, now faces constitutional scrutiny about its structure, enforcement proceedings, and sanctions. In July, Judge Justin R. Walker of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued …

SEC Chair Supports Rules on Public Company Cybersecurity Disclosures

By Gary Gensler July 27, 2023 by renholding

Today [July 26], the Commission is considering adopting final rules regarding cybersecurity disclosures by public companies. I am pleased to support these rules because they will enhance and standardize disclosures to investors with regard to public companies’ cybersecurity practices as

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SEC Commissioner Peirce Dissents from Rules on Cybersecurity Disclosure

By Hester M. Peirce July 27, 2023 by renholding

Thank you, Chair Gensler. Although better than the proposal, this final cybersecurity disclosure rule continues to ignore both the limits to the SEC’s disclosure authority and the best interests of investors. Moreover, the Commission has failed to explain why we

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Cravath Discusses PCAOB’s Proposed Amendments to Auditing Standards

By Elad Roisman, Michael Arnold, Kimberley Drexler and Lisa Kohl July 26, 2023 by renholding

On June 6, 2023, the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”) proposed amendments to its auditing standards that would increase auditor obligations in identifying, evaluating and communicating with respect to noncompliance with laws and regulations (“…

Skadden Discusses New Senate Crypto Bill Limiting SEC Regulatory Role

By David Meister, Chad E. Silverman and Daniel Merzel July 25, 2023 by renholding

A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate two weeks ago seeks “to bring crypto assets within the regulatory perimeter” by granting oversight responsibility to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for most forms of cryptocurrency.

The new bill, sponsored …

How the SEC Uses Information Disclosed on Earnings Conference Calls

By Alina Lerman, Thomas D. Steffen and Kangkang Zhang July 24, 2023 by renholding

Earnings conference calls are an important way for firms to communicate with external stakeholders. Equity shareholders, buy-side and sell-side analysts, debtholders, and other capital market participants view the calls as informative beyond the contemporaneous earnings announcements. Yet, little is known …

New California Legislation Would Be a Major Step Forward for Climate Disclosure

By Michael B. Gerrard and Eric W. Orts July 20, 2023 by renholding

The Securities and Exchange Commission regulations on climate disclosure, first proposed in March 2022 and likely to be issued in final form in October 2023,[1] have drawn considerable controversy and face an uncertain fate in the inevitable litigation.[2]…

SEC Chair Gensler Speaks About the Financial Risks of Artificial Intelligence

By Gary Gensler July 19, 2023 by renholding

Thank you, Mark, for that kind introduction. As is customary, I’d like to note that my views are my own as Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and I’m not speaking on behalf of my fellow Commissioners or the

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Ripping the Ripple Opinion

By Ilya Beylin July 18, 2023 by ilyabeylin

Last Thursday’s split summary-judgment decision in the case that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) brought against Ripple Labs, Inc. (Ripple) and certain of its senior leaders is bonkers. In partly holding for the defendants, the opinion ignores well established …

SEC v. Ripple: Everyone Loses

By Edwin Hu July 18, 2023 by renholding

On July 13, Judge Analisa Torres handed down a long-awaited decision in SEC v. Ripple. Crypto enthusiasts immediately began celebrating the opinion as holding that XRP, the Ripple token, was not a security. Others welcomed the finding that certain …

Contests Under Universal Proxy Rules Have Produced Mixed Results

By Sean Donahue, Eduardo Gallardo and Sahand Moarefy July 13, 2023 by renholding

There have been 12 proxy contests that have gone to a vote under the SEC’s universal proxy rules, which became effective on September 1, 2022. A review of these contests reveals several themes.

Overall Results: Activists obtained a board seat …

SEC Chair Speaks About Proposed Rules on Money Market Funds, Customer Protection

By Gary Gensler July 13, 2023 by renholding

Today [July 12], the Commission is considering adopting final rules to enhance money market funds’ liquidity and investor protection. I support this adoption because it will enhance these funds’ resiliency and ability to protect against dilution.

Money market funds—nearly $6

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Shareholder Proposals and the Debate over Sustainability Disclosure

By Jill E. Fisch and Adriana Z. Robertson July 11, 2023 by renholding

In March 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed a rule requiring public companies to make certain climate-related disclosures as part of their securities filings.[1] The rule has been highly controversial, generating thousands of comment letters in …

Skadden Discusses Increasing Scrutiny of Companies’ ESG Disclosures — Including by ESG Critics

By Tansy Woan and Matthew M. Jang July 6, 2023 by renholding

As public interest and scrutiny into environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues continue to rise, companies face an ever-evolving landscape relating to their ESG disclosures. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed rules that could require increased ESG disclosures. …

SEC Commissioner Speaks on Shareholder Proposals, Proxy Statements, and Rule 14a-8

By Mark T. Uyeda June 28, 2023 by renholding

Thank you, Christina [Maguire], for that introduction and congratulations on becoming President and CEO of the Society [for Corporate Governance] (the “Society”) this past January. I would like to start by recognizing Darla Stuckey, who retired in April [2023] and

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A Consequential Circuit Split Casts Doubt on Whether Borak Is Still Good Law

By Mohsen Manesh and Joseph A. Grundfest June 23, 2023 by renholding

On June 1, the Ninth Circuit en banc in Lee v. Fisher issued a consequential decision calling into question the scope of the implied right of action recognized by J.I. Case Co. v. Borak and creating a stark split with …

SEC Chair Gensler Speaks to Investor Advisory Committee

By Gary Gensler June 23, 2023 by renholding

Good morning. I’m pleased to speak with the Investor 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 on behalf of

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