The US Supreme Court has stayed the injunction against the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), but the requirement for companies to file beneficial ownership information remains suspended, creating ongoing uncertainty about compliance timelines. This Legal Update summarizes status and notes potential developments that could impact companies’ reporting obligations. Continue reading.
Matthew Bisanz
On Again, Off Again: Fifth Circuit Again Suspends Corporate Transparency Act Filing Requirements
On December 26, 2024, a panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated an order issued by a different panel just days before that had stayed the nationwide preliminary injunction suspending enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and its implementing regulations. The Fifth Circuit’s action has the effect of restoring…
Fifth Circuit Reinstates Corporate Transparency Act Filing Requirements; FinCEN Provides Short Extension to Year-End Compliance Deadlines
On December 23, 2024, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted an emergency motion by the federal government to stay the nationwide preliminary injunction that had suspended enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and stayed its compliance deadlines, including the January 1, 2025, compliance deadline for reporting companies formed prior to…
In Brief: FinCEN Confirms Suspension of Corporate Transparency Act Filing Obligations During Nationwide Injunction
This past Saturday, the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) confirmed that reporting companies—i.e., companies that would be required to report their beneficial ownership information to FinCEN under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and its implementing regulations—are not required to file beneficial ownership reports for as long as the current, nationwide injunction of the CTA…
Federal Court Suspends Enforcement of Corporate Transparency Act Nationwide
On December 3, 2024, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas entered a preliminary injunction suspending enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and its implementing regulations nationwide, concluding that the CTA is likely unconstitutional as it is outside Congress’s power. Although not the first court to reach such a conclusion, the…
US Regulators Propose Data Standards to Implement the Financial Data Transparency Act
Several federal financial regulators (the “Agencies”) have approved and published an interagency proposal to establish data standards that promote interoperability of financial regulatory data across these agencies (the “Proposal”). The Agencies issued the Proposal as required by the Financial Data Transparency Act of 2022 (FDTA) and have requested comment on their jointly established data standards.…
SEC Adopts Climate Change Disclosure Rules Applicable to Public Companies and Offerings
The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has adopted new rules that require public companies to disclose substantial information about the material impacts of climate-related risks on their business, financial condition, and governance (the “Final Rules”). The SEC says that “climate-related risks, their impacts, and a public company’s response to those risks can significantly affect…
Whose Role Is It Anyway? Distinguishing Corporate Officers from Directors
Most legal entities like corporations have officers and directors who, together, run the business. Directors sit on the board of directors and collectively govern and oversee the entity. In contrast, officers generally implement the board’s vision and manage the day-to-day operations of the business.
While it’s widely understood that the roles and responsibilities of officers…
Corporate Governance Standards Proposed by FDIC
On October 3, 2023, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) proposed standards for corporate governance and risk management for the institutions it regulates that have $10 billion or more in total assets (“Proposed Standards”). The Proposed Standards would establish extensive and rigid requirements for a wide range of state-chartered banks. Further, they would reverse decades…
Maintaining Perspective: Governance and Disclosure Reminders for Public Companies
Companies will be affected in a variety of ways by the receivership of Signature Bank, Silicon Valley Bank and any other similarly situated financial institution. Companies may face difficulty accessing cash deposits, bank facilities or the capital markets or limitations on money market transactions or commercial paper facilities. Companies may also face losses on investments…