Sky Blog
On January 13, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued an opinion requiring the SEC to provide a more complete explanation for its refusal to engage in formal notice-and-comment rulemaking regarding the application of securities laws to …
Citing the threats posed by foreign adversaries and criminal organizations, and seeking enhanced accountability for companies that provide software and cloud services to the federal government, the Biden administration released a new, sweeping Executive Order (“E.O.”) on cybersecurity, signing the …
On January 15, 2025, the SEC approved, on an accelerated basis, a proposed rule change to amend Section 802.01C of the NYSE’s Listed Company Manual (Manual) to restrict the use of reverse stock splits to regain compliance with NYSE …
In the hunt for wasteful and counterproductive regulatory programs, the SEC’s IPO review process makes for a promising target. In a new paper, I show how this IPO “comment letter” bureaucracy has outlived its original justification and call for …
On October 31, 2024, a Second Circuit panel amended its August 2023 decision in New England Carpenters Guaranteed Annuity & Pension Funds v. DeCarlo after granting a motion for rehearing1 and held that misstatements in an audit opinion may be
In this article, we reflect on key trends in ESG over the second half of 2024 and look ahead at trends that may emerge in 2025.
We …
Securities law often relies on stock exchanges and other self-regulatory organizations (SROs) to create rules that structure markets. The SEC reviews and must approve these rules if the agency finds they meet certain statutory requirements. SROs file over a thousand
Since July 2023, the Commission has brought three cases against special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and/or SPAC sponsors, charging them with fraud because they made false and misleading statements regarding the details of their communications with potential target companies. I …
Today [December 20], the Commission adopted amendments on the requirements for large broker-dealers to calculate and segregate their customer balances daily rather than weekly. I am pleased to support this adoption because it helps better protect customers in the event …
As of January 1, 2026, registered investment advisers (RIAs) and exempt reporting advisers (ERAs) will face new regulatory obligations under the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s (FinCEN) final rule on anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT).[1]…
The revolutionary potential of artificial intelligence (AI) creates substantial uncertainty about its impact on firm value. On one hand, AI can drive revenue growth through innovative products and precise customer targeting, while also reducing operational costs by automating tasks, optimizing …
Rational apathy stands at the center of current and long-time developments and debates in corporate governance and activism. Dominance of index funds in share ownership, prevalence of proxy advisers, pass-through voting programs, trading proxy votes on an exchange, and the …
On December 11, 2024, in a 9-8 decision, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that in approving the Nasdaq Stock Market’s (Nasdaq) board diversity rules (the Rules), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had …
Today [December 16], the Commission approved a final rule to require broker-dealers, securities-based swap dealers, exchanges, clearing agencies, and other self-regulatory organizations to submit forms electronically. I am pleased to support this adoption because it would improve the efficiency of …
We today announce the formation of The Shadow SEC, an independent organization of six current academics that, like the earlier established Federal Reserve Shadow Open Market Committee, is intended to provide, encourage, facilitate, and distribute policy discussions and debates relating …
As is customary, I’d
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 …
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 …
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 …