Regulation

Washington D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed amendments to its rules to enhance and standardize disclosures regarding cybersecurity risk management, strategy, governance, and incident reporting by public companies. "Over the years, our disclosure regime has evolved to reflect evolving risks and investor needs," said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. "Today, cybersecurity is an emerging risk with which public...

Washington D.C. – The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced three awards totaling approximately $3 million to whistleblowers who provided information and assistance in three separate covered actions. In the first order, the SEC issued an award of approximately $1.5 million to a whistleblower who provided new information that caused the SEC staff to commence an examination and later open...

Harmed Investors to Receive Amounts Recovered Washington D.C., — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that registered investment adviser City National Rochdale, LLC (CNR) has agreed to pay more than $30 million to settle charges that its undisclosed conflicts of interest defrauded current and prospective clients. The money CNR pays will be placed into an SEC Fair Fund for...

SEC Raises Threshold for Reg A+ Offerings to $75 Million On November 2, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved amendments, originally proposed in the SEC’s June 2019 concept release and March 2020 proposing release, to its “patchwork” exempt offering framework. The amendments represent important changes for private and public companies that rely on private offerings as part of their strategies to raise capital....

Wall Street has a new obsession: special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). SPACs are an alternative to the traditional way businesses raise money known as initial public offerings (IPOs). Since January 1, 2021 SPACs have raised over $88 billion, making up 83 percent of public offerings this year and raising more money than they did in all of 2020. As investment banks and professional investors celebrate this booming...

Reg CF is increasing from $1.07 million to $5 million. This change alone should see Regulation Crowdfunding investment exceed $1 billion in 2021 (up from around $250 million over the last 12 months). Founders will be able to “test the waters” (i.e. explore potential investor demand) before officially launching a Reg CF round and filing a Form C. Regulation Crowdfunding allows startup...

Washington D.C., Dec. 18, 2020 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against California-based biotechnology company Decision Diagnostics Corp. and its CEO, Keith Berman, with making false and misleading claims in numerous press releases that the company had developed a working, break-through technology that could accurately detect Covid-19 through a quick blood test. The SEC temporarily suspended...

Issuers rejoice as the SEC Raises Reg CF to $5 million and Reg A+ to $75 million. The Securities and Exchange Commission delivered new proposals to change the limits issuers can raise through Reg CF and Reg A+. The new changes will dramatically change and impact platforms that offer online securities and increase the benefits for smaller issuer companies looking...

Uber, Postmates, Lyft have an uphill battle in trying to keep their business model sustainable thanks to new California worker law. Uber and Lyft are now essentially taxi services. Uber Technologies Inc on Wednesday informed its California customers that it would switch to providing estimates as opposed to fixed prices for its rides in response to a new law that makes...

Uber and Postmates Sue To Challenge California’s New Labor Law SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Ride-share company Uber and on-demand meal delivery service Postmates sued Monday to block a broad new California law aimed at giving wage and benefit protections to people who work as independent contractors. The lawsuit filed in U.S. court in Los Angeles argues that the law set to...