The SEC recently issued a notice with regard to a new model of co-investment relief and issued the first exemptive order for multi-class relief to a private BDC. This legal alert discusses both new developments....more
On March 12, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued a significant No-Action Letter, providing clarity on how issuers can satisfy the “reasonable steps” requirement for verifying accredited investor status in Rule...more
4/4/2025
/ Accredited Investors ,
Due Diligence ,
High Net-Worth ,
Investment ,
Investment Funds ,
New Guidance ,
Private Funds ,
Red Flags Rule ,
Regulation D ,
Rule 506(c) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
On February 12, 2025, the Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released new guidance regarding shareholder proposals submitted pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Securities...more
Under Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulations, persons who have claimed an exemption or exception from commodity pool operator (CPO) or commodity trading advisor (CTA) status pursuant to Part 4 of the CFTC’s...more
2/14/2025
/ Business Development Companies ,
CFTC ,
Commodity Pool ,
CPO ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Investment Companies ,
Registered Investment Advisors ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements
After various legal battles over the past four years, a recent en banc decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval of the Nasdaq board diversity proposal,...more
1/6/2025
/ Board of Directors ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
LGBTQ ,
Nasdaq ,
NYSE ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholders
On April 12, 2024, the Supreme Court resolved a circuit split and limited the scope of omissions liability under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5(b). The decision will limit the scope of...more
5/2/2024
/ Disclosure Requirements ,
Failure To Disclose ,
Macquarie Infrastructure Corp v Moab Partners LP ,
Omissions ,
Rule 10(b) ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations
On August 6, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC’s (Nasdaq) Board Diversity Rule, which is intended to enhance board diversity and transparency among companies listed on its...more
8/12/2021
/ Board of Directors ,
Business Development Companies ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Foreign Issuers ,
Foreign Private Issuers ,
LGBTQ ,
Listing Standards ,
Minorities ,
Nasdaq ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Smaller Reporting Companies ,
Woman Board Members
On March 2, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) updated its Frequently Asked Questions relating to the targeted co-investment relief that the SEC previously had granted in an effort to assist business...more
On January 5, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) issued a Public Statement updating the targeted regulatory relief that the SEC previously had granted in an effort to assist market participants, including...more
On November 2, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) voted to adopt final amendments (the Amendments) to “simplify, harmonize, and improve certain aspects of the exempt offering framework.” The Securities Act...more
12/2/2020
/ Accredited Investors ,
Amended Regulation ,
Business Development Companies ,
Corporate Governance ,
Crowdfunding ,
Exemptions ,
General Solicitation ,
Harmonization Rules ,
Private Offerings ,
Registration Requirement ,
Regulation A ,
Rule 506(c) ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
On August 26, 2020, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) adopted amendments to Rule 215 and Rule 501(a) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), which...more
9/22/2020
/ Accredited Investors ,
Amended Rules ,
Family Businesses ,
Investment Opportunities ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Qualified Institutional Buyers ,
Regulation D ,
Rule 144A ,
Rule 501(a) ,
Rule 506 Offerings ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On July 6, 2020, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) announced that it voted to adopt rule amendments (the Amended Rule) intended to improve the efficiency of the exemptive application review procedures...more
On January 30, 2020, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) proposed amendments (the Proposed Amendments) to Item 303 of Regulation S-K, Management’s Discussion & Analysis of Financial Condition and...more
On April 8, 2020, the staff of the Division of Investment Management of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission) issued an exemptive order (the Order) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) that...more
On March 4, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) issued a proposed rule (the “Proposed Rule”) on ways to “simplify, harmonize, and improve certain aspects of the exempt offering framework to promote capital...more
3/24/2020
/ Capital Formation ,
Corporate Governance ,
Crowdfunding ,
Exemptions ,
Harmonization Rules ,
JOBS Act ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulation A ,
Regulation D ,
Safe Harbors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Non-traded business development companies (BDCs) have long sought the ability to offer and sell multiple classes of shares with different pricing and expense structures. A multi-class structure facilitates the distribution of...more
On November 25, 2019, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) adopted several final regulations to codify existing exemptions from commodity pool operator (CPO) registration. Among them is an exemption that was issued...more
12/18/2019
/ Business Development Companies ,
CFTC ,
Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs) ,
CPOs ,
Electronic Filing ,
Exemptions ,
Final Rules ,
Investment Company Act of 1940 ,
National Futures Association ,
No-Action Letters ,
Registered Investment Companies (RICs) ,
Registration Requirement
On October 18, 2019, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced that it had voted to propose rule amendments intended to improve the efficiency of the exemptive application review procedures available...more
On October 17, 2019, the staff of the Division of Investment Management (the “Staff”) of the US Securities and Exchange Commission issued guidance regarding an unlisted business development company’s (BDC) repurchase...more
On May 3, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted to propose rule amendments with regard to financial disclosures about acquired and disposed businesses (the “Proposal”), including amendments specific to...more
5/16/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Business Development Companies ,
Closed-End Funds ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Financial Reporting ,
GAAP ,
Investment Companies ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Regulation S-X ,
Required Forms ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Subsidiaries
On Wednesday, March 20, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted to propose rule amendments to implement certain provisions of the Small Business Credit Availability Act and the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and...more
On December 3, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) entered an order (the Order) to settle charges arising out of an enforcement action against Fifth Street Management, LLC (FSM). FSM disclosed in March 2016...more
Section 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act) generally prohibits a business development company (BDC) or a registered investment company from making a distribution from any source other than its net...more
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Act), signed into law on December 22, 2017, amplifies the effects of certain deduction limitations as they apply to US-taxpaying individuals and other non-corporate investors in private business...more
Private business development companies (BDCs) do not have publicly traded shares. For investors in these vehicles, liquidity opportunities take a number of forms....more