SEC proposes new rules on climate disclosure [UPDATED—PART II—GHG emissions]

[This post is Part II of a revision and update of my earlier post that primarily reflects the contents of the proposing release. Part I (here) covered the background of the proposal and described the SEC’s proposed climate disclosure framework, including disclosure of climate-related risks, governance, risk management, targets and goals, financial […]

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, […]

SEC (finally) proposes new rules on climate disclosure

“Highly anticipated” is surely an understatement for the hyperventilation that has accompanied the wait for the SEC’s new proposal on climate disclosure regulation. The proposed rulemaking has been a subject of conjecture for many months, and internal squabbles about where the proposal should land have leaked to the press. (See this […]

2022 TechGC SPAC & Direct Listing Virtual Conference

Wednesday, February 16, 2022 – Thursday, February 17, 2022Virtual Event Cooley is proud to sponsor the 2022 TechGC SPAC & Direct Listing Virtual Conference. 2021 proved to be a banner year for SPACs and Direct Listings and today both options are officially viewed as mainstream. Given this change, what role can […]

Delaware Finds Stockholder Claims Against SPAC Fiduciaries Subject to Entire Fairness Review

As SPAC IPOs broke records – in both value and volume – in 2020 (and again in 2021), it was inevitable that stockholder litigation would follow. More than 50% of the SPACs that went public in 2020 and 2021 are incorporated in Delaware, giving particular significance to SPAC litigation filed […]

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 “treat like cases alike.” That concept, in Gensler’s view, should apply […]

More SPAC restatements on the way?

It’s been weeks since the SEC last took SPACs to task!  According to Bloomberg, the SEC is now requiring many SPACs to “Big R” restate their financial statements because they tripped over the classification of certain shares they offered to investors.  Auditors with whom Bloomberg spoke said that the latest […]

Berkeley Fall Forum on Corporate Governance

Cooley and the Berkeley Center for Law and Business met for a two-day hybrid conference, featuring panel discussions, workshops and interviews on cutting-edge topics in corporate governance, M&A and business law. The Berkeley Forum was hosted live in San Francisco, in accordance with local safety regulations and vaccine mandates, and […]