On March 12, 2026, the SEC staff issued two new FAQs related to the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act (HFIA Act). The FAQs noted the HFIA Act requirements are resulting in an unusually large number of EDGAR access applications, which suggests that the staff may be unable to provide EDGAR codes for all applicants in advance of the March 18, 2026, filing deadline. As a result, the staff provided limited no-action relief from the filing requirements. Specifically, the FAQs state that the staff will not recommend enforcement action against a director or officer of a foreign private issuer, or a domestic issuer, for the untimely filing of a Section 16(a) report caused by lack of EDGAR code access as long as specified conditions are met—including having filed the Form ID application and required documentation to obtain EDGAR codes before March 18, 2026. The person must file the report as soon as possible, but no later than April 1, 2026. In the case of domestic issuers, the FAQs clarify that any late filings must still be disclosed in the issuer’s proxy statement per Item 405 of Regulation S-K.Continue Reading SEC Gives Enforcement Relief to Section 16 Persons of Foreign Private Issuers—and Domestic Issuers—If They Are Unable to Timely File Because They Cannot Obtain EDGAR Codes in Time

Our recent Client Alert discusses the exemptive order issued by the SEC on March 5, 2026, exempting directors and officers of certain foreign private issuers (FPIs) from Section 16(a) filing requirements. Subject to specified conditions, the order identifies Canada, Chile, the European Economic Area, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and

Continue Reading Section 16(a) Reporting by FPI Directors and Officers: Exemptive Order and Guidance

On December 18, 2025, President Trump signed the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes Section 8103—the “Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act.” This legislation alters the compliance landscape for foreign private issuers (FPIs) listed in the United States by imposing insider reporting obligations under Section 16(a) of

Continue Reading Foreign Private Issuer Insiders to Be Subject to Section 16(a) Reporting

On June 4, 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it published a concept release to solicit public comment on the definition of foreign private issuer (FPI). FPIs benefit from a number of accommodations from the reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to domestic issuers, such as registration and reporting forms designed for FPIs, longer timelines to file annual reports, no requirement to file quarterly reports, an exemption from the proxy rules, and the ability to present financial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, and insiders are exempt from obligations to file Section 16 ownership reports and are not subject to the short swing profit rule under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act).Continue Reading SEC Solicits Public Input on Definition of Foreign Private Issuer