Companies and investors use information related to environmental, social or governance (“ESG”) factors to provide a company-wide view of sustainability and other priorities. This includes how the company discloses, reacts to and manages ESG-related risks and policies, such as, for example, risks related to carbon emissions, as well as policies addressing diversity, shareholder rights and
Ali Perry
Mid-Season Update: Shareholder Proposal Trends, No-Action Request Outcomes, and Voting Dynamics in the 2025 Proxy Season
The 2025 proxy season is just past its peak. We summarize below key emerging trends in shareholder proposals and no-action requests so far this season. A more comprehensive review of the 2025 proxy season will need to wait until all voting results are in. However, the trends so far may be instructive to boards as…
SEC Issues Concept Release on Definition of Foreign Private Issuer
On June 4, 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) issued a concept release soliciting public comment on the definition of foreign private issuer (“FPI”), particularly on whether the current definition should be amended in an effort to protect U.S. investors while continuing to facilitate capital formation. The SEC is focused on the…
The Future of Board Diversity Disclosures
The current proxy season presents new challenges and opportunities for U.S. companies as they face shifting expectations regarding board diversity. There are a number of notable developments. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to vacate the Nasdaq diversity rules, which required Nasdaq-listed companies to disclose board diversity statistics and have a minimum number of…
Updated Proxy Rules C&DIs
On January 27, 2025, the staff of the US Securities and Exchange Commission updated its Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations (“C&DIs”) for Proxy Rules and Schedules 14A/14C with respect to notices of exempt solicitations under Rule 14a-6(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
Rule 14a-2(b)(1) of the Exchange Act exempts…
SEC Enforcement Reminds Companies to Disclose Related-Person Transactions with Family Members
As proxy season kicks off, companies should be mindful of their disclosure obligations regarding related-person transactions, especially those involving immediate family members of executive officers and directors. On January 15, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced the settlement of an enforcement action against a publicly traded software and payment processing company (the “Company”)…
2025 SEC Filing Deadlines and Financial Statement Staleness Dates
This Legal Update summarizes the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s 2025 calendar year filing deadlines and financial statement staleness dates.
Continue reading this Legal Update.
SEC’s EDGAR: The Next Chapter
On September 27, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted final amendments to Rules 10 and 11 of Regulation S-T (17 CFR 232.10 and 232.11) and Form ID to improve access to, and management of, accounts on the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) system. Known as “EDGAR Next,” these enhancements are designed…
SEC Chief Accountant on the Updated Conceptual Framework in FASB Standard Setting
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) recently completed an update to its Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting (the “Framework”). The Framework is a body of interrelated objectives and fundamentals that provides the FASB with guidance as it sets standards for financial accounting and reporting. The update marks the end of a significant project that began…
CAQ Report on Financial Statement Restatement Trends
In June 2024, the Center for Audit Control (the “CAQ”) released its report entitled “Financial Restatement Trends in the United States: 2013 – 2022,” announcing the findings from its study examining trends and characteristics of public company restatement events that took place between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2022. For purposes of…