All posts by Cooley

Reincorporation Considerations for Late-Stage Private and Pre-IPO Companies

Introduction Companies thinking about, preparing for or going through the initial public offering (IPO) process have many things to do and many decisions to make (to put it mildly!). A relatively recent addition to this list of considerations for Delaware-incorporated companies is whether to reincorporate in a different state, with […]

Cooley Market Talks – Navigating Market Dynamics: Current Considerations for Healthcare and Life Sciences Companies

Previously Recorded – Virtual Event Against the backdrop of an ever-changing capital markets landscape, Cooley’s Market Talks virtual series cuts through the noise and drills down on what you need to know about the current market. During this installment of Market Talks, our panel of thought leaders focused on healthcare […]

Considerations for Implementing a Multi-Class Share Structure

Dual-class share structures involve two or more classes of authorized common stock, with one class having the traditional one vote (or, in the rare case of Snap, no votes) per share, and the other class having multiple votes per share. High-vote shares are usually allocated to certain pre-IPO stockholders – […]

Board Diversity for Foreign Private Issuers: Does Board Diversity Mean the Same Thing Worldwide?

Now that Nasdaq’s board diversity matrix disclosure deadline has arrived, foreign private issuers (FPIs) and companies considering US initial public offerings are increasingly considering their current board makeups and director candidates in light of US and home country requirements, as well as expectations of investors and shareholder advocacy groups. The […]

New SEC proposal takes on SPACs

Yesterday, the SEC voted, three to one, to propose new rules and amendments regarding SPACs, shell companies, the use of projections in SEC filings and a rule addressing the status of SPACs under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The proposal arrives in the context of calls from various corners, […]

Board diversity statute for “œunderrepresented communities ” held unconstitutional under California’s equal protection provisions

On April 1, the L.A. County Superior Court granted the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment in Crest v. Padilla, the taxpayer litigation challenging AB 979, California’s board diversity statute for “œunderrepresented communities. ”  (See this PubCo post.)   Unfortunately, at the time, only a minute order was released, which did not offer […]

SEC (finally) proposes new rules on climate disclosure [UPDATED “”PART I]

[This post is Part I of a revision and update of my earlier post primarily reflecting the contents of the proposing release. This post covers background and describes various aspects of the proposal other than the sections on GHG emissions disclosure and attestation, which will be covered in a separate post early […]

New SEC proposal takes on SPACs

Yesterday, the SEC voted, three to one, to propose new rules and amendments regarding SPACs, shell companies, the use of projections in SEC filings and a rule addressing the status of SPACs under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The proposal arrives in the context of calls from various corners, […]

UK Financial Conduct Authority Changes Listing Rules to Boost Growth and Innovation

On 2 December 2021, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) confirmed a series of rule changes designed to remove immediate barriers to listing, make its rulebooks more accessible, and protect and enhance market integrity. These changes came into force on 3 December 2021, except for minor changes to modernise and […]

Gensler on SPACs: Treat Like Cases Alike

What could Aristotle possibly have to say about SPACs? In remarks on Thursday before the Healthy Markets Association, SEC Chair Gary Gensler shared his thoughts on the regulation of SPACs with a theme drawn from antiquity: Aristotle’s maxim that we must “œtreat like cases alike. ” That concept, in Gensler’s […]