Tag: Dodd-Frank

Will the SEC be instructed to waive any or all of the conflict minerals requirements on the basis of national security interests? (Updated)

by Cydney Posner Remember all the way back to last week when Acting SEC Chair Michael Piwowar issued two statements on the conflict minerals rules?  (See this PubCo post.) Remember too that the first statement directed the staff to revisit the 2014 guidance from the director of corp fin regarding conflict […]

What to make of the latest Executive Order on financial regulation?

by Cydney Posner As reported all over the place, a new Executive Order has been signed directing the Secretary of the Treasury to consult with the heads of the member agencies of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (which includes the SEC) and report to the President within 120 days identifying […]

In her final speech as SEC Chair, White identifies current trends assailing SEC independence

by Cydney Posner Mary Jo White took the occasion of her final speech as SEC Chair, presented to the Economic Club of New York, to discuss how to maintain the role of the SEC as an effective financial regulator and how the SEC can “continue as a strong independent agency […]

Hitting populist note, U.K. proposes enhancements to corporate governance — will the new U.S. administration follow the populist playbook?

by Cydney Posner One of the prevailing narratives of the recent Presidential election was that the same gestalt that drove the Brits to vote for Brexit also animated the pro-Trump forces and led to his presidential victory.  Why then, when it comes to regulation of corporate conduct, do the two […]

Undo Dodd-Frank?

by Cydney Posner With Congress and the Presidency soon in Republican control, look for the Financial CHOICE Act (or perhaps an enhanced version) to be re-introduced in the next Congress.  The bill, sponsored by Jeb Hensarling, Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, was framed as a Republican proposal to […]

CEO-employee pay ratios may not be as bad as feared, says Mercer study

by Cydney Posner There’s been a lot of hand-wringing about what the data will show when public companies are finally required, in 2018, to disclose their CEO-to-median-employee pay ratios as required by new SEC rules implementing Dodd-Frank (discussed in this Cooley Alert).  Not to worry! Those ratios promise to be […]

T+2?

by Cydney Posner At an open meeting this morning, the SEC voted to propose shortening the standard settlement cycle for most broker-dealer transactions from three business days after the trade date to two business days after the trade date, i.e., T+2.  The SEC’s mandatory settlement cycle (Rule 15c6-1) was first […]

GAO issues second annual conflict minerals report

by Cydney Posner The GAO has issued its annual conflict minerals report to Congress, entitled  “Companies Face Continuing Challenges in Determining Whether Their Conflict Minerals Benefit Armed Groups.” The GAO is required to report annually on the effectiveness of the SEC’s conflict minerals rule in promoting peace and security in […]

Discussion Draft of the Financial CHOICE Act

by Cydney Posner A discussion draft for the Financial CHOICE Act is now publicly available.  Many of the provisions of interest from a corporate standpoint are in Title  IV—Capital Markets Improvements and Title X—Unleashing Opportunities for Small Business, Innovators, and Job Creators by Facilitating Capital Formation. (It doesn’t exactly unleash […]

OECD issues New Edition of OECD Due Diligence Guidance on conflict minerals and declassifies Report on Implementation of Guidance

by Cydney Posner Just in time for those Forms SD and conflict minerals reports, due May 31, the OECD has posted a new  edition of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas, Third Edition. The third edition states that it “provides […]