Author Archives: Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation

How Companies Should Respond to the SEC’s Enhanced Focus on Rule 10b5-1 Plans

On June 7, 2021, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair, Gary Gensler, expressed concern about potential abuses of Securities Exchange Act Rule 10b5-1 and announced that he expects to revise the rule. The agency followed with an updated regulatory agenda which signals that proposed new rules may come before the end of the year. Rule […]

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Phantom of the Opera: ETF Shorting and Shareholder Voting

In our recent paper, Phantom of the Opera: ETF Shorting and Shareholder Voting, we analyze the impact of the short-selling of exchange traded funds (ETFs) on shareholder voting of the underlying securities. We introduce a novel measure of the wedge created between the economic ETF ownership and the voting rights of ETF underlying shares, which […]

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A New Angle on Cybersecurity Enforcement from the SEC

In recent years, companies across a wide range of industries have wrestled with the challenge of making appropriate disclosures about cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities. Earlier this week, an SEC enforcement action, In the Matter of First American Financial Corp. (June 14, 2021) (“FAFC”), shed important new light on these cyber disclosure issues. Importantly, the case […]

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The Board Diversity Census of Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards

While stakeholders and shareholders increase demands for gender, racial, and ethnic diversity in the boardrooms of America’s companies, many forward-thinking boards recognize the benefits of such change. This business case for board diversity is not new and may no longer be forward-thinking. The protests over racial injustices and state legislative action on board composition in […]

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Gensler Plans to “Freshen Up” Rule 10b5-1

[On June 7, 2021], in remarks before the WSJ’s CFO Network Summit, SEC Chair Gary Gensler scooped the Summit with news of plans to address issues he and others have identified in Rule 10b5-1 plans. Problems with 10b5-1 plans have long been recognized—including by former SEC Chair Jay Clayton—so it will be interesting to see […]

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Weekly Roundup: June 18–24, 2021

Sidley Sends Formal Comment Letter on the SEC’s Universal Proxy Proposal Posted by Kai H.E. Liekefett, Derek Zaba, and Beth E. Berg, Sidley Austin LLP, on Friday, June 18, 2021 Tags: Boards of Directors, Institutional Investors, Proxy access, Proxy voting, Rule 14a-8, SEC, SEC rulemaking, Securities regulation, Shareholder proposals, Shareholder value, Universal proxy ballots Do UK and EU Companies Lead US Companies in ESG Measurements in Incentive […]

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Prepared Remarks by SEC Chair Gensler at London City Week

Thank you for that kind introduction, Anthony. As is customary, I’d like to note that I’m not speaking on behalf of my fellow Commissioners or the SEC staff. I’m honored to be speaking again at London City Week. It’s been eight years since I last spoke here. That was about benchmark interest rates and the […]

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M&A Advisor Misconduct: A Wrong Without a Remedy?

Rarely have investment banks faced liability in their role as advisors on merger and acquisition (“M&A”) transactions. At first glance, this is puzzling. M&A deals are ubiquitous and frequently attract lawsuits. Moreover, in their other activities, most notably securities underwriting, investment banks are frequent litigation targets, being seen as deep-pocketed defendants. And yet, in advising […]

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Nasdaq Permits Primary Direct Listings and Proposes Relaxation of Pricing Limits

On May 19, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved Nasdaq’s proposal to permit companies to issue shares and raise capital in primary direct listings conducted on the Nasdaq Global Select Market without the involvement of traditional underwriters. The changes, which are effective immediately, closely align Nasdaq’s direct offering framework with that of the New York […]

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Do ESG Mutual Funds Deliver on Their Promises?

ESG investing is growing explosively, and the interest in ESG investing by retail investors continues to increase. A substantial proportion of retail ESG investing occurs through ESG mutual funds. The number of ESG mutual funds, and the assets they hold have each doubled in the past three years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has done nothing […]

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