Welcome to the latest edition of Fenwick’s Securities Law Update. This issue contains news on...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit will likely weigh in soon on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval of Nasdaq’s board diversity rule that will require listed companies to disclose...more
On September 5, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) posted and declared effective a Nasdaq rule proposal modifying requirements related to a waiver of the code of conduct in Listing Rules 5610 and...more
On December 14, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved a proposed rule change with regard to upcoming disclosure deadlines in Nasdaq Listing Rules 5605 and 5606. The rule change aligns the disclosure...more
On August 6, 2021, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the listing rules proposed by The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (Nasdaq) to advance board diversity and enhance the transparency of diversity statistics...more
On Monday, August 29, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit heard oral argument on a challenge to the Nasdaq Board Diversity Rule (the “Rule”). The Rule requires Nasdaq-listed companies to publicly disclose Board...more
Ruling Follows Similar Decision on Underrepresented Minority Directors in April 2022 - A California court has held that California Senate Bill 826, which required that “publicly held” corporations that listed a California...more
Becoming a public company is a big undertaking for any private company; there is added complexity for foreign filers, which is to say private issuers incorporated under the laws of a country other than the United States. One...more
Takeaways - A bench trial challenging California’s gender mandate for boards on state constitutional grounds is underway, and a similar challenge to the requirement to appoint directors from other underrepresented...more
Stable Road Enforcement Action Post Mortem: Lessons for the SPAC Market After Momentus Begins Trading - Stable Road And Momentus Close Business Combination. On August 11, Stable Road Acquisition Corp., a special purpose...more
According to the proposed Nasdaq board diversity and disclosure rules, listed companies must disclose board-level diversity data and will be required to have two diverse directors—or explain why they don’t meet this...more
On August 6, 2021, the Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) approved Nasdaq Rules 5605(f) and 5606 on board diversity, which are the first of their kind to be implemented on a national scale in the United States. They...more
Late last year, Nasdaq submitted for approval to the Securities and Exchange Commission the proposed listing Rule 5605(f) and Rule 5606 requiring all, with a few exceptions, of Nasdaq’s roughly 3,249 listed companies to have...more
On December 1, 2020, Nasdaq proposed new listing rules with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that would require companies listed on Nasdaq’s U.S. exchange to disclose diversity information about their board...more
On December 1, 2020, Nasdaq, Inc. (“Nasdaq”) filed a proposal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to adopt new listing rules aimed at promoting board diversity and disclosure of board diversity...more
On December 1, 2020, the Nasdaq stock exchange filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a proposal to adopt new listing rules concerning the diversity of Nasdaq-listed companies’ boards of directors. Under the...more
On December 1, 2020, Nasdaq proposed new listing rules that, if approved by the SEC following a public comment period, would require Nasdaq-listed companies either to have, or explain why they do not have, at least two...more
The Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq) announced that it had submitted a proposal to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) seeking approval of new listing rules to advance board diversity and increase transparency to...more
Momentum continues to build to mandate diversity on corporate boards. A new proposal by Nasdaq will require all Nasdaq-listed companies to have at least two diverse directors (or explain the reasons why they do not) and...more
On December 1, 2020, The Nasdaq Stock Market filed a proposal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to adopt new listing rules that relate to diversity of board composition, proposed Rule 5605(f), and...more
On December 1, 2020, the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a proposal for new listing rules related to board diversity and disclosure, which are intended to advance board...more
Nasdaq on December 1, 2020, filed a proposal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to adopt new listing rules that relate to diversity of board composition and disclosure of statistical information on...more
Despite political and economic uncertainties, markets and deal activity were resilient in 2019, and strong fundamentals remain in place heading into 2020. Companies continue to face a challenging litigation and enforcement...more
When finalizing proxy materials for annual shareholder meetings, companies should consider the following U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules and related SEC staff guidance, as well as stock exchange listing...more
On February 13, 2018, Nasdaq proposed amendments to Listing Rule 5635(d), which currently requires shareholder approval when a company issues common stock (or securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock) for...more