For decades, U.S. securities regulation treated foreign private issuers (“FPIs”) with ‘home country deference,’ offering accommodations based on the premise that robust local oversight rendered many U.S. requirements duplicative. Over time, however, that premise has begun giving way to ‘domestication’: a move to align FPIs with U.S. reporting norms, at least in part based on
Jennifer Zepralka
ESG and Anti-ESG Shareholder Proposals in 2026
In many ways, the 2026 proxy season has been markedly different than prior seasons, due, in no small part, to the November 2025 decision by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Staff not to provide substantive guidance on the grounds on which a company could omit a shareholder proposal under most prongs of Rule…
The 2026 Proxy Season: Shareholder Proposal Trends
The 2026 proxy season thus far has been out-of-the-ordinary, impacted by regulatory and policy developments that required companies and shareholders to adapt their shareholder proposal and engagement strategies. As a result of these unusual circumstances, particularly when coupled with uncertainty about the evolving role of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and potential rule changes…
SEC Proposes Rules Simplifying Filer Status Determinations and Increasing Disclosure Accommodations
On May 19, 2026, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) published two rulemaking proposals, each of which would substantially revise the requirements of the U.S. federal securities laws applicable to public companies. These proposals mark the next step in SEC Chair Paul Atkins’ mission to grow the U.S. capital markets and “make IPOs…
Leveling the Shelf: The SEC’s Proposal on Registered Offering Reform
On May 19, 2026, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or the “Commission”) proposed extensive amendments to the registered offering framework under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The SEC’s rulemaking proposal on Registered Offering Reform (the “Proposal”) has the potential to be the most significant offering reform in…
Shareholder Rights Group Report Recaps 2026 Shareholder Proposal Season
The Shareholder Rights Group, a shareholder rights advocacy group, recently published an initial report on the 2026 shareholder proposal season, titled “Shareholder Proposals and Corporate Governance in a Season of Regulatory Uncertainty.” The report touches on the regulatory backdrop that set the stage for the unusual proxy season (read about it here, here and…
SEC Publishes Proposing Release on Semiannual Reporting: Proposal Specifics and Practical Implications
On May 5, 2026, the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) published a long-awaited release (the “Proposing Release”) proposing changes to certain rules which, if adopted, will allow (but not require) registrants to file semiannual reports on new Form 10-S in lieu of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q to meet their interim reporting obligations…
SEC Proposes Optional Semiannual Reporting Framework for Public Companies
Today, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) proposed a rule and form amendments that would allow public companies to file semiannual reports to meet their interim reporting obligations under Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) , as well as related amendments to certain financial…
Shareholder Proposals and ESG 2026
Event | April 28, 2026
2:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET
Register here.
On April 28, Mayer Brown partner Jennifer Zepralka will join the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance’s program titled “Shareholder Proposals at the Crossroads: Boards, ESG, and the future of SEC Rule 14a-8.”
As the proxy season winds down, this…
SEC Adopts Final Rule Amendments Requiring Section 16(a) Reporting for Officers and Directors of Foreign Private Issuers
On February 27, 2026, more than two weeks in advance of the deadline, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted final amendments to certain rules and forms under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) to reflect the requirements of the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act (the “HFIAA”). The HFIAA, and…
