On December 11, 2024, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not have the authority to approve Nasdaq’s board diversity disclosure rules. As a result, Nasdaq-listed...more
Welcome to the latest edition of M&A Insights, where we bring together partners from across the A&O Shearman network to explore the themes shaping global dealmaking. The election of Donald Trump as President is expected to...more
On December 11, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in a 9-8 vote, struck down The Nasdaq Stock Market's ("Nasdaq") board diversity rules, holding that the Securities and Exchange Commission (the...more
In an en banc decision filed on December 11, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (Fifth Circuit) vacated the 2021 approval by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of rules adopted by The Nasdaq...more
In our biannual M&A trends report we explore the possible impact of the new U.S. administration on dealmaking, the dynamics of transatlantic M&A, private equity exits, and Mario Draghi’s proposals to reshape the European...more
On December 11, 2024, in a 9-8 decision, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that in approving the Nasdaq Stock Market’s (Nasdaq) board diversity rules (the Rules), the Securities and Exchange...more
On December 11, the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(f) and Nasdaq Listing Rule 5606(a) (together with Nasdaq Listing Rule IM-5900-9, the Board Diversity Rules) by a 9-8 vote. In...more
On August 26, 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an order granting approval of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC’s (Nasdaq’s) proposed rule change, to Nasdaq Rules 5605, 5615, and 5810. These amendments...more
On June 21, 2024, The Nasdaq Stock Exchange (“Nasdaq”) filed a proposed rule change with the Securities and Exchange Commission to modify the application of the bid price compliance period as a result of which a company takes...more
In April, the NYSE filed a proposed rule change with the SEC that would allow the NYSE to commence immediate suspension and delisting procedures for a listed company if that company has “changed its primary business focus to...more
On July 22, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) declared nine registration statements effective under the Securities Act of 1933 for spot Ether ETFs, clearing the way for the ETFs to begin trading on July 23....more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit agreed recently to revisit a challenge to Nasdaq's board diversity rule. As we previously reported, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit upheld the rule in October 2023....more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved proposals from three stock exchanges to list and trade shares of 11 spot bitcoin-based products (the “Spot BTC Approval”). Following the Spot BTC Approval, the...more
Beginning on December 1, 2023, companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and the Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) will need to adopt and comply with policies providing for the recovery, or “clawback”, of...more
By Friday, December 1, 2023, listed companies must adopt a Dodd-Frank-compliant clawback policy. As background, on February 22, 2023, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq) proposed listing...more
This post discusses three recent updates to Nasdaq listing rules including relating to 1) reverse stock splits, 2) board diversity, and 3) code of conduct waivers....more
In August, the SEC posted a proposed Nasdaq rule change that would establish listing standards related to notification and disclosure of reverse stock splits. According to the Nasdaq proposal, the volume of reverse splits...more
In today’s episode of “Just Compensation,” Kate Basmagian, partner in Lowenstein’s Capital Markets & Securities group and chair of the firm's ESG group; Christine Osvald-Mruz, partner in the Employee Benefits & Executive...more
On June 9, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the New York Stock Exchange’s (NYSE) and Nasdaq Stock Market’s (Nasdaq) proposed clawback listing standards, including the amendments that delayed the...more
After a threatened accelerated timeline, and then several welcomed delays, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved final clawback policy listing requirements for both the NYSE and Nasdaq markets. The listing...more
Executives at public and private companies will soon run the risk of having their compensation subject to forfeiture for financial misstatements and corporate criminal misconduct under their watch thanks to new “clawback”...more
The SEC adopted Rule 10D-1 in October 2022, directing national securities exchanges to establish listing standards that prohibit the listing of any security of a company that does not adopt and implement a written policy...more
On June 9, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved proposed amendments of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (Nasdaq) to their respective listing standards to implement the...more
On June 9, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the executive compensation clawback listing standards and relevant amendments proposed by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq Stock Market...more
On June 9, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved, on an accelerated basis, the New York Stock Exchange’s (NYSE) and Nasdaq Stock Market’s (Nasdaq) proposed listing standards implementing the SEC’s...more