Columbia Law School
Sky Blog
I had high expectations when I picked up Thom [Lambert’s] book on regulation shortly after it first came out several years ago.[1] Those expectations were exceeded by the clear and compelling way in which the book wrestles with the
Securities Regulation
SEC Chair Discusses Shareholder Proposals Seeking Mandatory Arbitration Provisions in Bylaws
The issue of mandatory arbitration provisions in the bylaws of U.S. publicly-listed companies has garnered a great deal of attention. As I have previously stated, the ability of domestic, publicly-listed companies to require shareholders to arbitrate claims against them arising
Securities Disclosure As Soundbite: The Case of CEO Pay Ratios
Since 2018, U.S. public companies have had to calculate and report a new, unconventional statistic—a CEO pay ratio—which links CEO pay to the pay of rank-and-file workers. Based on a last-minute addition to the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, the disclosure …
Debevoise Discusses Possible EU Approach to ICOs and Crypto-Assets
In the first week of 2019, both the European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA”) and the European Banking Authority (“EBA”) issued reports advising EU legislators on the regulation of “crypto-assets” and initial coin offerings (“ICOs”). The European Supervisory Authorities (“ESAs”), …
Latham & Watkins Discusses Key Compensation Items for 2019 Proxy Season
Even as the US government shutdown continues to create complexities for many companies,[1] it is business as usual for US public companies that are continuing their annual planning for the upcoming proxy season. Although 2019 introduces fewer significant changes …
The Changing Character of Securities Litigation in 2019: Why It’s Time to Draw Some Distinctions
Securities litigation is growing at a prodigious rate. Is that good or bad? This column will answer that we have to unpack this phenomenon and realize that very different things (with very different implications) are happening simultaneously. Let’s begin with …
SEC Chair Discusses EDGAR-Hacking Enforcement Action
In August 2017, shortly after my arrival at the Commission, I was informed that an intrusion into the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (“EDGAR”) system took place in 2016. We immediately initiated a series of review and response
The Impact of IPOs on Peer-to-Peer Lending Platforms
In a new paper, we investigate how initial public offerings affect peer-to-peer lending platforms and, more specifically, whether the platforms tend to alter their operational decisions in anticipation of going public.
Peer-to-peer lenders are essentially online services that match anonymous …
Debevoise & Plimpton Discusses Custody of Digital Assets
Interest in cryptocurrencies and other digital assets on blockchains or distributed ledgers[1] has increased exponentially in recent years. The total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets on blockchains increased from slightly more than $17.5 billion in January …
Cryptocurrency Pump-and-Dump Schemes
Initial coin offerings (ICOs) have recently emerged as a popular method of financing blockchain-related startups. In an ICO, a startup creates and distributes its digital tokens, typically in exchange for Bitcoin, Ethereum, or fiat currencies such as U.S. dollars to …
Ballard Spahr Discusses SEC Case Against Clearing Broker Under Bank Secrecy Act
On December 11, Judge Denise Cote of the Southern District of New York granted, in part, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) motion for summary judgement in its action against Alpine Securities, Inc. (“Alpine”), finding that the clearing broker …
Skadden on Delaware Chancery’s Rejection of Forum Selection Limits on Securities Act Claims
On December 19, 2018, the Delaware Court of Chancery held that forum selection provisions contained in the certificate of incorporation of Delaware corporations are invalid to the extent that they require any claim under the Securities Act of 1933 to …
Debevoise & Plimpton Discusses SEC Enforcement Against Private Equity Advisers
On December 13, 2018, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced a settled enforcement action against private equity adviser Yucaipa Master Manager, LLC (“Yucaipa”) for alleged negligent failure to disclose conflicts of interest and misallocation of fees and expenses …
The Protection of Investors and the Compensation for their Losses: Australia
Investor protection has been an ideal in corporate and securities law ever since the early 20th century, when Berle and Means famously highlighted shareholder vulnerability in modern public corporations. In more recent times, investor protection has been treated as …
Transparency and the (E)valuation of Asset-Backed Securities
In 2011, the commission appointed by Congress to investigate the causes of the financial crisis concluded that “a combination of excessive borrowing, risky investments, and lack of transparency put the financial system on a collision course with crisis” (The …
SEC Chair Clayton Talks Small Business Capital Formation
Every year the SEC staff does a tremendous job identifying topics, selecting speakers and coordinating the behind the scenes work necessary to organize this all-day event focused on small business capital formation.[1] Thank you Bill, Jennifer [Zepralka] and the
Common Ownership: The Investor Protection Challenge of the 21st Century
Thank you so much, Scott [Hemphill], for that incredibly kind introduction.* It’s a real honor to be here with you—and to be invited to testify before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). I share your commitment to making sure …
New York Attorney General Overreaches in Climate-Change Complaint Against Exxon
The New York Attorney General (“NYAG”) recently filed a complaint against ExxonMobil alleging that the company violated the Martin Act, New York State’s securities law, by making material misstatements concerning how it was accounting for the possibility of increasingly stringent …
SEC Chair Talks Rulemaking Over the Past Year and the Road Ahead
For many, December is a time to reflect on the past year and to look forward to what the New Year may bring. I believe organizations also should mark milestones, take stock of what has been done and what needs
How the Regulation of Initial Coin Offerings Shifted from Inactivity to Full Enforcement
In recent years, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) have emerged as a disruptive tool in entrepreneurial finance. ICOs involve the sale of a stake in a project with the aim of raising funds at an early stage of development. Although ICOs …