On February 22, 2023, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq filed proposed rule changes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to adopt listing standards related to the recovery of erroneously awarded executive compensation. These proposed listing standards, which are subject to approval by the SEC, largely follow the requirements outlined in Rule 10D-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, adopted by the SEC last October. For a detailed discussion of Rule 10D-1, please see our Client Alert. In addition, the NYSE proposal is available here, and the Nasdaq proposal is available here.Continue Reading NYSE and Nasdaq Propose Clawback-Related Listing Standards

Join Wilson Sonsini and the NYU Law Institute for Corporate Governance and Finance for a conference on environmental, social, and corporate governance.

Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Registration/Breakfast: 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. PT
Program: 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. PTContinue Reading Event Alert: Navigating the Narrow and Choppy Sea–ESG in 2023, Wednesday, March 1

On February 21, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to Regulation S-T extending the filing deadline for Form 144 from 5:30 p.m. ET to 10:00 p.m. ET.[1] These amendments will be effective on March 20, 2023, just in time to provide some flexibility for affected filers who will soon be required to file their Forms 144 electronically on EDGAR.Continue Reading SEC Extends Form 144 Filing Hours

The California Secretary of State recently revised its Corporate Disclosure Statement (Form SI-PT) in response to the final judgments filed last year enjoining and prohibiting any expenditure of state funds on California’s board diversity laws. The Corporate Disclosure Statement, which is required to be filed annually by publicly traded corporations incorporated or qualified to do business in California within 150 days after fiscal year-end, has been revised to no longer include the board diversity questions. The California Secretary of State has also provided an update on its website noting that it “is not currently collecting data” on board diversity, and that the Corporate Disclosure Statement “has been revised to remove the four data fields which collected such data.”Continue Reading California Removes Board Diversity Questions from Corporate Disclosure Statement Form

We reviewed four quarters of filings for 30 public companies in the Lonergan Silicon Valley 1501 to see what days they were publishing their earnings releases and filing periodic reports, and how many days typically elapsed between when they publish their earnings releases and file their corresponding periodic reports.Continue Reading Snapshot: Earnings Release and Periodic Report Timing

On February 10, 2023, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance (Corp Fin) issued 15 compliance and disclosure interpretations (CDIs), Questions 128D.01 through 128D.13, and Section 228D – CDIs 228D.01 and 228D.02. The CDIs are wide ranging and include, among other things, confirmation that pay versus performance disclosure is not required to be included in a Form 10-K, guidance relating to equity awards granted to a first-time named executive officer (NEO) in a year prior to (and not otherwise related to) their appointment as a NEO, clarification as to which of the periods presented should include footnote disclosure of the amounts deducted and added to compensation actually paid, and confirmation that a company may use its Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A) peer group, assuming this peer group is actually used by the company in determining executive pay, even if this peer group is not used for “benchmarking” as this term is explained in CDI 118.05.Continue Reading Corp Fin Issues Pay Versus Performance CDIs

Our recent Client Alert discusses applicable rule changes, guidance, and disclosure considerations for the 2023 proxy season for public companies, as well as reminders for what is on the horizon for public company governance and disclosure. Our annual client alert covers the following topics:Continue Reading Preparing for the 2023 Proxy Season

We are pleased to present our 2022 Delaware Corporate Law and Litigation Year In Review.

Amid a broader cooldown in the markets, 2022 nonetheless proved to be a significant year with respect to developments in Delaware corporate law and practice. The Delaware courts issued scores of opinions relevant to those in corporate practice and oversaw some of the most high-profile (and exciting) litigation in years. In addition to case law developments, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (DGCL) was amended on August 1, 2022, in several significant ways. Meaningful developments also occurred in the composition of the Delaware courts.Continue Reading 2022 Delaware Corporate Law and Litigation Year in Review

Partner and Editorial Board member Amy Simmerman joined Diligent Institute to discuss the importance of board minutes. She shared insights on why board minutes matter, what is important to see in board minutes (including striking a balance with a contextually appropriate level of detail), and considerations and best practices relating to other written and electronic records, such as emails, texts, notes, and the use of board portals. Continue Reading Inside Today’s Boardrooms | The Growing Importance of Corporate Board Minutes

Our Client Alert discusses a recent decision by the Delaware Court of Chancery in which the court determined that officers (not just directors) owe a fiduciary duty of oversight under Delaware law. The case, In re McDonald’s Corporation Stockholder Derivative Litigation, involved derivative claims asserted by stockholders of McDonald’s against its board of directors and certain officers, including its former Chief People Officer, who was the subject of the court’s decision resolving his motion to dismiss the claims against him. The court’s decision clarifies an important but previously uncertain area of Delaware law pertaining to officers’ fiduciary duties. Significantly, the court also concluded that sexual harassment committed by the executive was itself a breach of his fiduciary duty of loyalty.Continue Reading Delaware Court of Chancery Concludes That Duty of Oversight Applies to Officers