Category: SEC Rulemaking

New SEC Cybersecurity Disclosure Rules

Canadian issuers that are reporting issuers with the Securities and Exchange Commission should be aware of new rules that impose disclosure requirements regarding cybersecurity risk management, strategy, governance and incidents. The new rules have two basic components.   First, certain issuers will have new disclosure requirements regarding the registrant’s processes and policies for cybersecurity risk management,...

Canadian Companies Listed on the NYSE, NYSE American, or Nasdaq Must Adopt Updated Clawback Policies by December 1, 2023

As discussed in our Governance & Compliance Insider blog and a recent Dorsey eUpdate, all companies with securities listed on NYSE, NYSE American, or Nasdaq will be required to adopt and comply with updated clawback policies governing the recovery of erroneously awarded compensation by December 1, 2023, pursuant to rules proposed by each stock exchange...

Implications of SEC Amendment to Insider Trading Safe Harbor for Canadian Issuers

On December 14, 2022, the SEC adopted final rules amending Rule 10b5-1, a safe harbor from liability under the U.S. insider trading rules.  The safe harbor permits directors, executive officers and others, including issuers, to engage in securities transactions while in possession of material non-public information, by entering into a binding contract, instruction or plan...

New NASDAQ Board Diversity Disclosure Rules

As discussed in more detail here, on August 6, 2021, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) approved NASDAQ Rules 5605(f) and 5606, which require each NASDAQ listed company (subject to certain narrow exceptions) to (i) publicly disclose, to the extent permitted by applicable law, information on the voluntary self disclosed gender, racial...

Revised Definition of an “Accredited Investor”

Effective December 8, 2020, the SEC’s definition of an “accredited investor” that is eligible to purchase securities in a private placement will be expanded to cover additional categories of investors, including investment advisers, individuals with certain professional certifications, and certain family offices, Indian tribes, governmental bodies, LLCs, funds and others.  For more details, click here....

Proposed SEC Exemption for Certain Finders

On October 7, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (”SEC”) proposed a new limited, conditional exemption from broker-dealer registration requirements of Section 15(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”) for “finders” who assist issuers with raising capital in private markets from accredited investors. The proposed exemption would permit natural...

SEC Filing Deadlines for Canadian Issuers

During the current coronavirus crisis, the SEC has issued an Order providing filing extensions that apply to Canadian issuers. The following is a summary of the SEC’s new filing requirements. Form 40-F For Canadian issuers eligible to file their SEC annual report on Form 40-F under the Canada-U.S. Multi-jurisdictional Disclosure System (“MJDS”), Form 40-F continues...

New SEC Proposed Amendments Seek to Improve and Harmonize Private Offering Exemptions

On March 4, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) proposed amendments to the private offering exemptive framework under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) to “simplify, harmonize, and improve certain aspects of the framework” with the goal of promoting capital formation while maintaining investor protections. The current private offering...

20-F and 40-F Filers Don’t Get Many of the Benefits of the Amended Accelerated Filer Definition

For Form 10-K filers, the SEC’s March 12 amendments to the “accelerated filer” definition made sense and helped better coordinate the “smaller reporting company” definition with the “accelerated filer” definition. The amendments would, in part, exclude from the definition of “accelerated filer” and “large accelerated filer” issuers that are eligible to be a smaller reporting...