Cydney S. Posner is Special Counsel at Cooley LLP. This post is based on her Cooley memorandum. Related research from the Program on Corporate Governance includes Short-Termism and Capital Flows by Jesse M. Fried and Charles C.Y. Wang (discussed on the Forum here); and Share Repurchases, Equity Issuances, and the Optimal Design of Executive Pay by Jesse M. Fried (discussed on the Forum here).
In May this year, the SEC adopted final rules intended to modernize and improve disclosure regarding company stock repurchases. The rule requires quarterly reporting of detailed quantitative information on daily repurchase activity and revises and expands the narrative requirements, including disclosure regarding the rationale for the buyback. (See this PubCo post.) It didn’t take long for the Chamber to object. Just over a week following adoption, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, along with two Texas co-plaintiffs, submitted a petition to the Fifth Circuit for review of the final rule. Petitioners made three arguments: that “(1) the rationale-disclosure requirement violates the First Amendment by impermissibly compelling their speech; (2) the SEC acted arbitrarily and capriciously in adopting the final rule by not considering their comments or conducting a proper cost benefit analysis; and (3) the SEC did not provide the public with a meaningful opportunity to comment.” On Halloween, the three-judge panel issued its opinion. The Court granted the petition, holding that the SEC violated the Administrative Procedure Act. But the Court did not vacate the rule—not yet anyway. Instead, the Court remanded the rule back to the SEC for 30 days to attempt to repair the analytical defects. Will the SEC adequately repair the defects? Will the Court ultimately vacate the rule? That all remains to be seen.
