Our recent Client Alert discusses an important ruling issued by Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster of the Delaware Court of Chancery on March 29, 2023. This ruling concluded that two companies with multiple classes of common stock were not required, under the Delaware statute, to obtain separate class votes of
Continue Reading Delaware Court of Chancery Issues Important Ruling for Multi-Class Companies Addressing Class VotesIn Rare Decision, Delaware Court of Chancery Imposes Liability on CEO and Acquiror Post-Trial
Our Client Alert discusses the Delaware Court of Chancery’s recent issuance of a rare post-trial decision finding a CEO personally liable for millions of dollars in damages for breaching his fiduciary duties by tilting his company’s sale process in favor of his preferred acquiror and failing to disclose material facts about the sale process. Equally unusual, the Court of Chancery found the acquiror liable for monetary damages, on a joint basis with the CEO, for aiding and abetting the CEO’s breaches of fiduciary duty in providing inadequate disclosures to stockholders. The decision provides valuable insight into what Delaware courts expect of management and a board when selling a company, as well as the risks that can arise when a court determines that a sale process and related disclosures were improper.
Continue Reading In Rare Decision, Delaware Court of Chancery Imposes Liability on CEO and Acquiror Post-TrialConsiderations in Complying with Nasdaq Rule 5606
In August 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved new board diversity listing standards for companies listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (Nasdaq). As part of these new listing standards, Nasdaq Rule 5606 now requires listed companies to annually disclose aggregated statistical information about the board’s self-identified…
Continue Reading Considerations in Complying with Nasdaq Rule 5606Silicon Valley Bank Developments
Wilson Sonsini is closely monitoring the fast-moving developments related to the recent closure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), including the press release issued on March 13, 2023, by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), FDIC Acts to Protect All Depositors of the former Silicon Valley Bank, Santa Clara, California.
Continue Reading Silicon Valley Bank DevelopmentsRule 10b5-1 Amendments Spare Issuer Accelerated Share Repurchases (ASRs)
Our timely client alert discusses the impact (or lack thereof) of impending amendments to Rule 10b5-1 on issuer structured share buy-back arrangements, such as accelerated share repurchases (ASRs). Final Rule 10b5-1 amendments, discussed comprehensively in our previous client alert, become effective on February 27, 2023. Stay tuned for further…
Continue Reading Rule 10b5-1 Amendments Spare Issuer Accelerated Share Repurchases (ASRs)NYSE and Nasdaq Propose Clawback-Related Listing Standards
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 StandardsEvent Alert: Navigating the Narrow and Choppy Sea–ESG in 2023, Wednesday, March 1
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. PT
SEC Extends Form 144 Filing Hours
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 HoursCalifornia Removes Board Diversity Questions from Corporate Disclosure Statement Form
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 FormSnapshot: Earnings Release and Periodic Report Timing
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