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.
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
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
Proxy Season: Hot Topics
On November 13, 2024, at the Practicing Law Institute’s 56th Annual Institute on Securities Regulation, panelists shared key updates from this year’s proxy season and highlighted emerging trends to watch in 2025. Public companies experienced favorable voting outcomes across compensation, activism, shareholder proposals, and director elections in 2024.
Activism and the Impact of the Universal
Final FTC Rule Enacts Fundamental Changes to HSR; Will Complicate Merger Filings
On October 10, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published its Final Rule enacting changes to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (HSR Act) premerger notification rules. The Final Rule will usher in the most significant changes to HSR reporting requirements in the program’s 45-year history.
The HSR Act requires parties to a merger or acquisition that meets
The Sounding Board: Shareholder Engagement
In this MB Sounding Board MicroTalk, Larry Cunningham talks to Henrique Canarim, Vice President, Senior Assistant General Counsel, and Assistant Corporate Secretary at Leidos, about the rising trend of shareholder engagement by directors, its advantages, and preparing directors for this process.
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
Director Evaluations: Improvement and “Fit Limits”
Imagine a board of directors that operates like a basketball team, in which each member plays to their strengths, complements each other, and strives for excellence and improvement. This is the vision that individual director evaluations can help achieve, if undertaken properly and respectfully.
Board self-evaluations are common for listed companies, to enhance governance, accountability