The SEC Has Proposed The Use Of Universal Proxy Cards
Posted by Securities Attorney Laura Anthony | February 28, 2017 Tags: , , , , , ,

The SEC has seen a huge exodus of key officials and employees since the recent change in administration, and the ultimate effect of these changes on pending or proposed rule making remains to be seen. However, some proposed rules, whether published or still in drafting process, will remain largely unaffected by the political changes. This could be one of them. In particular, on October 16, 2016, the SEC proposed amendments to the federal proxy rules to require the use of universal proxy cards in connection with contested elections of directors. The proposed card would include the names of both the company and opposed nominees. The SEC also proposed amendments to the rules related to the disclosure of voting options and standards for the election of directors.

Currently where there is a contested election of directors, shareholders likely receive two separate and competing proxy cards from the company and the opposition. Each card generally only contains the directors supported by the sender of the proxy – i.e. all the company’s director picks on one card and all the opposition’s director picks on the other card. A shareholder that wants to vote for some directors on each of the cards, cannot currently do so using a proxy card. The voting process would only allow the shareholder to return one of the cards as valid.  If both were returned the second would cancel out and replace the first under state corporate law.

Shareholders can always appear in person and vote for any directors, whether company or opposition supported, but such appearance is rare and adds an unfair expense to those shareholders. In an effort to provide the same voting rights to shareholders utilizing a proxy card instead of in person appearance, the proposed new rule would require the use of a universal proxy card with all nominees listed on a single card.

Opposition to the proposed rule is concerned that it will give more power to shareholder activists groups and encourage additional proxy contests ultimately damaging the corporation that pays the price, both directly and indirectly, by such adversarial processes.

In an era of strong shareholder activism, the regulation of a company’s obligation in the face of a shareholder proposal has been complex, populated with a slew of no-action letters, SEC guidance through C&DI, and court rulings. In October 2015, the SEC issued its first updated Staff Legal Bulletin on shareholder proposals in years (see my blog HERE) and on the same day the SEC issued specific guidance related to merger and acquisition transactions (see my blog HERE).

SEC Proposed Rule

Introduction and Background

Each state’s corporate law provides for the election of directors by shareholders and the holding of an annual meeting for such purpose.  Company’s subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”), must comply with Section 14 of the Exchange Act, which sets forth the federal proxy rules and regulations. Private companies, and companies that voluntarily file reports with the SEC (called ’33 Act companies) are not subject to the Section 14 proxy requirements. The SEC views its regulatory authority over the proxy process as “preventing the recurrence of abuses which have frustrated the free exercise of the voting right of stockholders.”

Currently shareholders that appear in person for a meeting, can vote from any of the choices for a director. However, shareholders voting by proxy, which is the vast majority (as high as 99.9%) can only choose from the candidates on the proxy card provided by the party soliciting such vote. In a contested election a shareholder will receive two separate proxy cards and solicitations, one from the company and one from the opposition. Under state law, a shareholder cannot submit two separate proxy cards as the second cancels out and replaces the first.

Although the current proxy rules do allow for all candidates to be listed on a single card, such candidate must agree. Generally in a contested election the opposing candidates will not agree presuming it will impede the process for the opposition or have the appearance of an affiliation or support that does not exist. Moreover, neither party is required to include the other’s nominees, and accordingly, even if the director nominees would consent, they are not included for strategic purposes.

As mentioned, shareholders appearing in person can vote for any duly nominated directors, regardless of whether supported by a company or the opposition. However, in today’s world shareholders rarely appear in person. Besides the time and expense of traveling to and appearing at a meeting, where shares are held in a brokerage account in street name, a shareholder desiring to appear in person needs to go through an added process of having a proxy changed from the brokerage firm to their individual name before they will be on the list and allowed to appear and vote in person. Over the years some large shareholders have taken to sending a representative to meetings so that they could split a vote among directors nominated by a company and those nominated by opposition.

In 1992 the SEC adopted Rule 14a-4(d)(4), called the “short slate rule,” which allows an opposing group that is only seeking to nominate a minority of the board, to use their returned proxy card, and proxy power, to also vote for the company nominees. The short slate rule has limitations. First it is granting voting authority to the opposition group who can then use that authority to vote for some or all of company nominees, at their discretion. Second, although a shareholder can give specific instruction on the short slate card as to who of the company nominees they will not vote for, they will still need to review a second set of proxies (i.e. those prepared by the company) to get those names.

In 2013 the SEC Investor Advisory Committee recommended the use of a universal proxy card and in 2014 the SEC received a rulemaking petition from the Council of Institutional Investors making the same request. As a response, the SEC issued the new rule proposal which would require the use of a “universal proxy” card that includes the names of all nominated director candidates.

In its rule release the SEC discusses the rule oppositions fear that a universal proxy card will give strength to an already bold shareholder activist sector, but notes that “a universal proxy card would better enable shareholders to have their shares voted by proxy for their preferred candidates and eliminate the need for special accommodations to be made for shareholders outside the federal proxy process in order to be able to make such selections.”

Companies have a concern that dissident board representation can be counter-productive and lead to a less effective board of directors due to dissension, loss of collegiality and fewer qualified persons willing to serve. The SEC rule release solicits comments on this point.

Moreover, there is a concern that shareholders could be confused as to which candidates are endorsed by who, and the effect of the voting process itself. In order to avoid any confusion as to which candidates are endorsed by the company and which by opposition, the SEC is also including amendments that would require a clear distinguishing disclosure on the proxy card. Additional amendments require clear disclosure on the voting options and standards for the election of directors.

Proposed Amendments

In order to provide for the use of universal proxy cards, the SEC has proposed amendments to the proxy rules related to the solicitation of proxies, the preparation and use of proxy cards and the dissemination of information about all director nominees in a contested election. In particular the proposed rules:

  • Revise the consent required of a bona fide nominee such that a consent for nomination with include the consent to be included in all proxy statements and proxy cards. Clear disclosure distinguishing company and dissident nominees will be required in all proxy statements;
  • Eliminates the short slate rule for companies other than funds and BDC’s as the rule would no longer have an effect or be necessary;
  • Requires the use of universal proxy cards in all non-exempt solicitations in connection with contested elections. The universal proxy card would not be required where the election of directors is uncontested.  There may be cases where shareholder proposals are contested by a company in which case a shareholder would still receive two proxy cards, however, in such case, all director nominees must be included in each groups proxy cards.
  • Requires dissidents to provide companies with notice of intent to solicit proxies in support of nominees other than the company’s nominees, and to provide the names of those nominees. The rule changes specify timing and notice requirements;
  • Requires companies to provide dissidents with notice of the names of the company’s nominees;
  • Provides for a filing deadline for the dissidents’ definitive proxy statement;
  • Requires dissidents to solicit the holders of shares representing at least a majority of the voting power of shares entitled to vote on the election of directors;
  • Prescribes requirements for the universal proxy cards, including form, content and disclosures;
  • Makes changes to the form of proxy including requiring an “against” and “abstain” voting option; and
  • Makes changes to the proxy statement disclosure to require a better explanation of the effect of a “withhold” vote in an election.

The SEC rule release has a useful chart on the timing of soliciting universal proxy cards:

Due Date Action Required
 

No later than 60 calendar days before the anniversary of the previous year’s annual meeting date or, if the registrant did not hold an annual meeting during the previous year, or if the date of the meeting has changed by more than 30 calendar days from the previous year, by the later of 60 calendar days prior to the date of the annual meeting or the tenth calendar day following the day on which public announcement of the date of the annual meeting is first made by the registrant. [proposed Rule 14a-19(b)(1)]

 

Dissident must provide notice to the registrant of its intent to solicit the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of shares entitled to vote on the election of directors in support of director nominees other than the registrant’s nominees and include the names of those nominees.

No later than 50 calendar days before the anniversary of the previous year’s annual meeting date or, if the registrant did not hold an annual meeting during the previous year, or if the date of the meeting has changed by more than 30 calendar days from the previous year, no later than 50 calendar days prior to the date of the annual meeting. [proposed Rule 14a- 19(d)] Registrant must notify the dissident of the names of the registrant’s nominees.
No later than 20 business days before the record date for the meeting.  [current Rule 14a-13] Registrant must conduct broker searches to determine the number of copies of proxy materials necessary to supply such material to beneficial owners.
By the later of 25 calendar days before the meeting date or five calendar days after the registrant files its definitive proxy statement. [proposed Rule 14a-19(a)(2)] Dissident must file its definitive proxy statement with the Commission.

The proposed new rules will not apply to companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or BDC’s but would apply to all other entities subject to the Exchange Act proxy rules, including smaller reporting companies and emerging growth companies.

The Author

Laura Anthony, Esq.
Founding Partner
Legal & Compliance, LLC
Corporate, Securities and Going Public Attorneys
LAnthony@LegalAndCompliance.com

Securities attorney Laura Anthony and her experienced legal team provides ongoing corporate counsel to small and mid-size private companies, OTC and exchange traded issuers as well as private companies going public on the NASDAQ, NYSE MKT or over-the-counter market, such as the OTCQB and OTCQX. For nearly two decades Legal & Compliance, LLC has served clients providing fast, personalized, cutting-edge legal service. The firm’s reputation and relationships provide invaluable resources to clients including introductions to investment bankers, broker dealers, institutional investors and other strategic alliances. The firm’s focus includes, but is not limited to, compliance with the Securities Act of 1933 offer sale and registration requirements, including private placement transactions under Regulation D and Regulation S and PIPE Transactions as well as registration statements on Forms S-1, S-8 and S-4; compliance with the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including registration on Form 10, reporting on Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K, and 14C Information and 14A Proxy Statements; Regulation A/A+ offerings; all forms of going public transactions; mergers and acquisitions including both reverse mergers and forward mergers, ; applications to and compliance with the corporate governance requirements of securities exchanges including NASDAQ and NYSE MKT; crowdfunding; corporate; and general contract and business transactions. Moreover, Ms. Anthony and her firm represents both target and acquiring companies in reverse mergers and forward mergers, including the preparation of transaction documents such as merger agreements, share exchange agreements, stock purchase agreements, asset purchase agreements and reorganization agreements. Ms. Anthony’s legal team prepares the necessary documentation and assists in completing the requirements of federal and state securities laws and SROs such as FINRA and DTC for 15c2-11 applications, corporate name changes, reverse and forward splits and changes of domicile. Ms. Anthony is also the author of SecuritiesLawBlog.com, the OTC Market’s top source for industry news, and the producer and host of LawCast.com, the securities law network. In addition to many other major metropolitan areas, the firm currently represents clients in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Atlanta, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Denver, Tampa, Detroit and Dallas.

Contact Legal & Compliance LLC. Technical inquiries are always encouraged.

Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.

Legal & Compliance, LLC makes this general information available for educational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Furthermore, the use of this information, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create or constitute an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us via this information in any form will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

This information is not intended to be advertising, and Legal & Compliance, LLC does not desire to represent anyone desiring representation based upon viewing this information in a jurisdiction where this information fails to comply with all laws and ethical rules of that jurisdiction. This information may only be reproduced in its entirety (without modification) for the individual reader’s personal and/or educational use and must include this notice.

© Legal & Compliance, LLC 2017

Copy of Logo


« »
SEC Issues White Paper On Penny Stock Risks
Posted by Securities Attorney Laura Anthony | February 21, 2017 Tags: , , , , , ,

On December 16, 2016, the SEC announced several new settled enforcement proceedings against market participants including issuers, attorneys and a transfer agent, related to penny stock fraud. On the same day the SEC issued a new white paper detailing the risks associated with investing in penny stocks. This blog summarizes the SEC white paper.

As I have written about on numerous occasions, the prevention of micro-cap fraud is and will always be a primary focus of the SEC and other securities regulators. In fact, the SEC will go to great lengths to investigate and ultimately prosecute micro-cap fraud. See my blog HERE regarding the recent somewhat scandalous case involving Guy Gentile.

Introduction

The SEC Division of Economic and Risk Analysis published a white paper on the risks and consequences of investing in stocks quoted in the micro-cap markets versus those listed on a national securities exchange. The paper reviewed 1.8 million trades by more than 200,000 investors and concludes that returns on investment in the micro-cap markets tend to be negative with the returns and risk worsening for less transparent companies or those involved in improper promotional campaigns.

The white paper notes that the incidence of and amount of negative returns, as well as alleged market manipulation increase with the fewer disclosure-related requirements associated with the company. The white paper, on the whole, is very negative towards OTC Markets securities. However, off the top, I think the white paper is skewed unfairly against OTC Markets securities when it should target those lower-tier securities that do not provide disclosures to the public.

This blog will summarize the white paper, including many of its facts and figures, but will find issue with its framework. The white paper does not give fair distinction to the higher OTCQX tier of OTC Markets. In fact, “OTCQX” only appears twice in the entire white paper, both in a footnote that purports to list the OTCQX requirements, but fails to mention the quantitative requirements, including that the security not be a penny stock as defined by the federal securities laws. The shortened “QX” does appear 13 times in the white paper, providing some factual and statistical information such as market size and trading patterns, but again, ignores the meaningful distinction related to the penny stock definition. For a review of the OTCQX tier of OTC Markets and its listing requirements, see my blog HERE.

It is axiomatic that the vast majority of new jobs are created by small and emerging companies and that these companies are critical to the economic well being of the United States. See, for example, my blog on the SEC report on the definition of accredited investor HERE and its study on private placements HERE.

According to both Bloomberg and Forbes, 8 out of 10 new businesses fail within 18 months and that number jumps to 96% in the first 10 years. However, despite that failure rate, it is indisputable that we need entrepreneurs to continue forming new businesses and access supportive capital, to have a healthy economy.

Likewise, it is axiomatic to all micro-cap market participants that those companies that fail to provide meaningful disclosure to the public, are more likely to result in investment losses. Those companies are also more likely to engage in market manipulation and other securities law violations. However, those companies that do provide meaningful disclosure to the public, whether through SEC reporting or alternatively to the OTC Markets, and especially those companies that trade on the OTCQX, are the very small and emerging companies that are necessary and vital to our healthy economy. They may be the 8 out of 10 or the 96%, but some will also be the 2 out of 10 and 4% ­­– and all are necessary.

Also, the fact is that bank financing is not readily available for these companies, and they have no choice but to try to access capital through the public. That public wants an exit strategy and that exit strategy tends to be the public markets. Where the companies are small and immature in their business life cycle, the OTC Markets provide that secondary trading market. In discussing this aspect of the economies of these small public companies, they are more positively referred to by the SEC as “venture” companies and the trading market as a “venture exchange” (see my blog HERE).

Many times when a company ceases to provide disclosure or information to the public and remains dark for a period of time, its business operations have failed, it has gone private, or otherwise has been abandoned. These companies continue to trade, and sometimes with high volume with no public information. The SEC makes an effort to eliminate these companies through its Operation Shell-Expel (see HERE), but unfortunately many remain and new ones are added all the time as the 8-out-of-10 cycle continues.

Although all penny stocks are risky, and are undeniably the highest-risk investments, grouping all OTC Markets into the white paper, in the fashion that the SEC has done, strikes me as fundamentally unfair. Throughout my summary of the SEC White Paper, I provide thoughts and commentary.

SEC White Paper

The SEC White Paper begins with an introduction on some high-level differences between an exchange traded security and one on the OTC Markets. One of the biggest distinctions is that the majority of ownership and trading of an exchange listed security is by institutional investors, whereas the majority of ownership and trading on the OTC Markets is by individuals. The SEC points out that institutions tend to be more proactive in research and shareholder activism, creating a check on corporate governance.  As an aside, these institutions are also more sophisticated and able to assert greater influence and power over a company than an individual small shareholder.

The SEC quickly highlights the negative literature on OTC Markets securities, including that they have poor liquidity, generate negative and volatile returns and are often subject to market manipulation, including by the dissemination of false and misleading information. Although OTC securities offer the opportunity to invest in early-stage companies that may grow to be larger successful ones, the number that do exceed is small (such as the 2 out of 10 in my summary above).

One portion of the white paper’s information I find interesting is that despite the risks, OTC Markets continue to grow and investor demands for these stocks continues to rise. The SEC offers two hypotheses for this. The first is that OTC investors are simply gambling for the big return, just as they do with the lottery.  The second is that OTC Markets investors simply make bad investment decisions. However, the report does admit that little is known about the characteristics of OTC investors and that this is likely the first comprehensive study trying to determine those demographics. Personally, I also think that many OTC Markets investors are day traders and that although a particular stock may go down over time, those day traders are taking advantage of the small intraday price changes to make a profit.

The SEC reviewed 1.8 million trades by more than 200,000 investors and concludes that returns on investment in the micro-cap markets tend to be negative, with the returns and risk worsening for less transparent companies or those involved in improper promotional campaigns, and are also worse for elderly and retired investors and those with lower levels of income and education.  The SEC white paper purports to be the first study of its kind that examines investor outcomes around stock promotions and level of disclosure.

I would suggest that the exact same results (i.e., lower returns on less transparent investments and those engaged in improper promotional campaigns and lower returns for the elderly and lower income and education demographic) would be found for any investments in any studied market and are not unique to OTC Markets securities. To be clear, I don’t think the correlation is necessarily improper activity, though that could be the case especially when looking at some stock promotions. Companies that provide less disclosure may have less capital and financial resources to further their business plan and, as such, are far riskier investments. Also, companies that provide less disclosure may be less interested in furthering the public aspect of their business.  Even if the underlying business is sound, if they are not providing public disclosure, the stock price and liquidity are unlikely to reflect the underlying business, which could result in poor investor returns.

The SEC white paper continues with a three-part discussion: (i) OTC Market structure and size; (ii) review of academic literature; and (iii) analysis of OTC investor demographics and outcomes.

OTC Market Structure and Size

The SEC white paper describes the basic makeup of OTC Markets including its three tiers of OTC Pink, OTCQB and OTCQX. I’ve written about these market tiers many times. For a review of the three tiers, see my blog HERE, though I note that both the OTCQB and OTCQX have updated their listing standards since that blog was written. The OTC Pink remains unchanged. For the most current listing standards on the OTCQX see HERE and for the OTCQB see HERE.

The SEC white paper also references the OTCBB, which technically still exists, but has fewer than 400 listed securities and does not have a readily accessible quote page.

The SEC white paper has a lot of information on the market size and its growth over the years. Without getting into a lot of facts and figures, I note that the OTC Markets grew by 47% from 2012 through 2015, with $238 billion of trading in 2015. There are approximately 10,000 securities quoted on OTC Markets, as compared to approximately 2,700 on NASDAQ, of which only approximately 675 are micro-cap companies.

The OTC Markets monthly newsletter gives a complete review and breakdown of the size of OTC Markets. For the one month of December 31, 2016, the following is the number of traded securities and volume:

Monthly Trade Summary – December 2016
Market Designations Number
of Securities*
Monthly
$ Volume
Monthly $ Volume
per Security
2016 $ Volume*
OTCQX 461 $3,844,835,942 $8,340,208 $36,847,879,435
OTCQB 933 $3,249,939,872 $3,483,322 $13,638,584,206
Pink 8,234 $14,648,939,577 $1,779,079 $142,411,521,245
Total 9,628 $21,743,715,392 $2,258,383 $192,897,984,887

Literature Review

The SEC white paper continues with a summary of recent academic research and analysis including on OTC Markets securities’ liquidity, returns, market manipulation, transition to an exchange and investor participation.

Liquidity refers to the ability of shareholders to quickly buy and sell securities near the market price without substantial price impact. Where there is a lack of liquidity, it is difficult to sell.  Also, low-volume stocks tend to have wider price fluctuations and bid-ask spreads, and are more expensive for dealers to hold in inventory. OTC Markets securities are less liquid than those listed on a national exchange such as the NYSE MKT or NASDAQ. Research also shows that there tends to be lower liquidity with less transparency and disclosure. None of this is surprising, though many of us that work in the OTC Markets space have seen the anomaly of a company with no information, and likely no underlying business or management, trading on heavy volume.

The returns on OTC Markets securities are also very different than exchange traded securities. Returns on OTC Markets are often negative, volatile and skewed (the lottery factor). Where the majority of trades have negative returns, there is the incidence of extremely high, lottery-like returns on some of the securities. This, again, is not surprising. OTC Markets-traded companies tend to be smaller companies and thus would naturally have a smaller market capitalization and smaller returns as well as the potential for larger upside.

Again, returns on companies that provide less transparency and public information tend to be lower.  Interestingly, another hypothesis as to why returns are lower is the short-sale constraints on OTC Market securities. Many OTC Market securities are ineligible for margin (and thus short sales), and locating shares for borrow can be challenging. Those that are margin-eligible usually have a very high carry interest and per-share transaction cost for short sales. The argument is that short sales create an equilibrium and thus help reflect a truer stock price such that the stock will be less vulnerable to negative price adjustments. However, unfortunately, sophisticated traders can open offshore accounts that will allow for short selling of OTC Market securities, opening those same securities up to manipulation by those investors.

OTC Markets securities are relatively often the target of market manipulation, including outright fraudulent disclosures and pump-and-dump schemes. Generally these schemes are conducted in the trading of those companies that are less transparent in disclosures. A market manipulation scheme can involve the dissemination of false information followed by taking advantage of the price changes that result. The scheme can be perpetrated by the company and its insiders, or by unaffiliated investors.  Examples include spam and email campaigns, rumors and false information in Internet chat rooms or forums, and false “analyst reports.” Research shows these schemes are effective – that is, the price increases while the stock is being touted and falls when the campaign is over.

Obviously not all increases in stock prices are a result of improper behavior. OTC Markets stocks react to legitimate news and growth as well.  In fact, the majority of extreme increases in trading price and volume are the result of changes in company fundamentals and not market manipulation. Moreover, not investor relations and stock promotion is perfectly legal and can be completely legitimate. It is when false or misleading information is being disseminated, or targeted marketing aimed at vulnerable investor groups is used, that it is problematic. The key is recognizing the difference, which generally involves transparency from companies that provide steady, consistent disclosure with apparent credible information.

Many OTC investors are hoping to “bet” on the company that will grow and move to an exchange where it is likely the stock price will increase substantially, as will liquidity. The SEC white paper gives dismal statistics on the rates of graduation. However, it does note that the rate of movement to an exchange is much higher for OTCQX or OTCQB (9%) than OTC Pink companies (less than 1%). The SEC white paper also suggests that companies that graduate to an exchange from the OTC Markets underperform those companies that go public onto an exchange in the first instance.

The last area that the SEC white paper discusses in this section is investor participation and, in particular, why that investor participation continues to grow year over year. The SEC white paper gives two hypotheses, the first being that investors are drawn by the opportunity for lottery-like payoff and the second is that investors are “duped about the stock return probabilities.”  Although this sounds harsh, the white paper is not actually referring to market manipulation, but rather suggests that all OTC investors, including the most sophisticated, make poor estimates on return probabilities. No reason for this is offered.

Studies show that although investors frequently lose small investments in OTC stocks, they also occasionally receive an extremely large return. As such, the SEC white paper suggests that these investors are really just gamblers. I’m sure that oftentimes is correct.

Data Analysis and Investor Demographics

The Division of Economic and Risk Analysis studied a sampling of trades for specific securities and time periods which included information on the issuer, trade and investor. The purpose of the review was to determine a relationship between investor returns on the one hand and stock promotions, company transparency and investor demographics on the other hand. However, the information used for the analysis is admittedly biased in that such information was taken from the SEC enforcement files for the year 2014. Since one or more parties to the trades were the subject of enforcement proceedings, this information would not be indicative of the usual OTC company.

The SEC white paper comes to the conclusion that there is a positive correlation between losses and market manipulation and lack of transparency. As discussed above, this is not surprising and is actually quite logical. The white paper also found a positive correlation between losses and elderly, lower-income and poorly educated investors.

The Author

Laura Anthony, Esq.
Founding Partner
Legal & Compliance, LLC
Corporate, Securities and Going Public Attorneys
LAnthony@LegalAndCompliance.com

Securities attorney Laura Anthony and her experienced legal team provides ongoing corporate counsel to small and mid-size private companies, OTC and exchange traded issuers as well as private companies going public on the NASDAQ, NYSE MKT or over-the-counter market, such as the OTCQB and OTCQX. For nearly two decades Legal & Compliance, LLC has served clients providing fast, personalized, cutting-edge legal service. The firm’s reputation and relationships provide invaluable resources to clients including introductions to investment bankers, broker dealers, institutional investors and other strategic alliances. The firm’s focus includes, but is not limited to, compliance with the Securities Act of 1933 offer sale and registration requirements, including private placement transactions under Regulation D and Regulation S and PIPE Transactions as well as registration statements on Forms S-1, S-8 and S-4; compliance with the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including registration on Form 10, reporting on Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K, and 14C Information and 14A Proxy Statements; Regulation A/A+ offerings; all forms of going public transactions; mergers and acquisitions including both reverse mergers and forward mergers, ; applications to and compliance with the corporate governance requirements of securities exchanges including NASDAQ and NYSE MKT; crowdfunding; corporate; and general contract and business transactions. Moreover, Ms. Anthony and her firm represents both target and acquiring companies in reverse mergers and forward mergers, including the preparation of transaction documents such as merger agreements, share exchange agreements, stock purchase agreements, asset purchase agreements and reorganization agreements. Ms. Anthony’s legal team prepares the necessary documentation and assists in completing the requirements of federal and state securities laws and SROs such as FINRA and DTC for 15c2-11 applications, corporate name changes, reverse and forward splits and changes of domicile. Ms. Anthony is also the author of SecuritiesLawBlog.com, the OTC Market’s top source for industry news, and the producer and host of LawCast.com, the securities law network. In addition to many other major metropolitan areas, the firm currently represents clients in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Atlanta, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Denver, Tampa, Detroit and Dallas.

Contact Legal & Compliance LLC. Technical inquiries are always encouraged.

Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.

Legal & Compliance, LLC makes this general information available for educational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Furthermore, the use of this information, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create or constitute an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us via this information in any form will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

This information is not intended to be advertising, and Legal & Compliance, LLC does not desire to represent anyone desiring representation based upon viewing this information in a jurisdiction where this information fails to comply with all laws and ethical rules of that jurisdiction. This information may only be reproduced in its entirety (without modification) for the individual reader’s personal and/or educational use and must include this notice.

© Legal & Compliance, LLC 2017


« »
What Does The SEC Do And What Is Its Purpose?
Posted by Securities Attorney Laura Anthony | February 14, 2017 Tags: , , , , ,

As I write about the myriad of constantly changing and progressing securities law-related policies, rules, regulations, guidance and issues, I am reminded that sometimes it is important to go back and explain certain key facts to lay a proper foundation for an understanding of the topics which layer on this foundation. In this blog, I am doing just that by explaining what the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is and its purpose. Most of information in this blog comes from the SEC website, which is an extremely useful resource for practitioners, issuers, investors and all market participants.

Introduction

The mission of the SEC is to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly and efficient markets and facilitate capital formation.  Although each mission should be a priority, the reality is that the focus of the SEC changes based on its Chair and Commissioners and political pressure. Outgoing Chair Mary Jo White viewed the SEC enforcement division and task of investor protection as her top priority. Jay Clayton will likely shift the top priority to capital formation.

In addition to regulating and overseeing the processes involved in capital formation (registration and exemptions), the SEC regulates the market participants themselves, including securities exchanges, brokers and dealers, investment advisors, investment companies, issuers and investors, and civilly enforces the law as to each of these participants.  Related to securities exchanges, brokers and dealers and investment advisors, the SEC is primarily concerned with disclosure, fair dealing and protecting against fraud. The SEC brings hundreds of enforcement proceedings each year. For a review of the SEC 2016 enforcement results, see my blog HERE.

The federal securities laws are based on the premise that all investors, whether large institutions or private individuals, should have access to disclosure and information about an investment both before they buy it and during the time they hold the investment. The public company reporting requirements are designed to provide meaningful, comparable information and data about public companies so that investors can conduct due diligence and make an analysis as to whether to buy, sell or hold a particular security.

In order to be effective in its mission in an ever-changing global economy, the SEC must stay connected with market participants and their needs, and be abreast of, and utilize, technological advances. Moreover, the SEC considers the education of investors as a key component to its mission. Educated investors make better decisions. The majority of leads and ultimate evidence on wrongdoing come from investors themselves and, as such, better educated investors provide a more useful resource for enforcement.

History

The SEC was formed as a response to the stock market crash of October 1929 and the following period of the Great Depression. First, Congress passed the Securities Act of 1933, which was designed to regulate disclosure and truth in the purchase and sale of securities. Second, Congress passed the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which created the SEC and was designed to regulate the people who sell and trade securities, including public companies, brokers, dealers and exchanges. Joseph Kennedy, John F. Kennedy’s father, was the first Chairman of the SEC.

Organization

The SEC is controlled by five commissioners appointed by the president. Each commissioner serves a five-year term and the terms are staggered as to the individual commissioners. One of the commissioners is designated as the chairman by the president. By law, and in an effort to ensure bipartisan policies, no more than three of the commissioners can belong to the same political party.

The SEC is divided into five divisions and 23 offices, all of which are headquartered in Washington, D.C., although there are 11 regional offices throughout the country. A brief summary of each division follows.

Divisions

Division of Corporation Finance

The Division of Corporation Finance (CorpFin) oversees disclosure documents filed by companies with the SEC, including, for example, registration statements on Form S-1, 1-A or Form 10, SEC reports on Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K, and proxy materials related to annual and special shareholder meetings. CorpFin routinely reviews the documents filed with the SEC and may provide comments on the filings. For information on responding to SEC comments, see my blog HERE.

CorpFin provides administrative interpretations and guidance on the federal securities laws for the public and makes specific recommendations to the SEC for rule implementation and changes. In addition to the more formal written no-action letter process, CorpFin maintains staff that is available to answer calls by potential issuers and investors to provide guidance and interpretations on the federal securities laws, including related to whether a particular offering would qualify for an exemption from the registration requirements. CorpFin also works with the Office of Chief Accountant to monitor accounting activities, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), which formulates generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Division of Enforcement

The Division of Enforcement conducts investigations and brings civil and administrative proceedings on behalf of the SEC to enforce the federal securities laws. The Division of Enforcement is not itself a criminal prosecutory authority but does work with law enforcement agencies such as the Department of Justice and Attorney General offices around the U.S. to recommend and assist with criminal cases.

All SEC investigations are private. Once an investigation is completed, the SEC will decide to take no action, pursue a civil complaint or pursue an administrative proceeding. Matters that may result in civil or administrative proceedings are often settled first. Although this firm does not represent clients in enforcement proceedings, I have written about the topic in general on numerous occasions. For further reading on enforcement penalties, see HERE. Related to the SEC Whistleblower program, see HERE. For reading related to the SEC’s efforts to prevent microcap fraud, see HERE.

Division of Trading and Markets

The Division of Trading and Markets is responsible for the SEC’s role of maintaining fair, orderly and efficient markets.  In executing its duties, the Division provides daily oversight of major market participants, including the securities exchanges, broker-dealers, self-regulatory organizations including FINRA and the MSRB, clearing agencies, transfer agents, securities information processors and credit rating agencies. This Division also oversees the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which provides insurance against loss in customer accounts due to the bankruptcy or other overall failure of brokerage firms. SIPC does not ensure against individual losses from market declines or negligent or fraudulent broker conduct.

The Division of Trading and Markets also assists with financial integrity programs for broker-dealers, reviewing rules proposed by self-regulatory organizations, drafting and proposing rules and interpretations related to market operations and surveilling the markets.

Division of Investment Management

The Division of Investment Management helps oversee the investment management industry, including mutual funds, fund managers, analysts and investment advisors. The Division of Investment Management is responsible for both investor protection and promoting capital formation in the industry balancing between disclosure by funds and limiting regulatory costs that ultimately reduce gains.

The Division of Investment Management assists the SEC in promulgating and interpreting laws and regulations in the investment management industry, responds to no-action letter and exemptive relief requests, reviews investment company and investment advisor filings with the SEC, and assists in enforcement proceedings.

Division of Economic and Risk Analysis

The Division of Economic and Risk Analysis helps with all aspects of the SEC’s mission through its economic analysis and data analytics. This Division interacts with all other divisions and offices of the SEC, providing economic and risk analyses related to policymaking, rulemaking, enforcement and examinations. The Division also provides advance risk assessments as to litigation, examinations, registrants reviews and general economic support.

Offices of the SEC

The SEC has several offices that perform functions related to the SEC’s overall mission, including, but not limited to, the Office of General Counsel, the Office of the Chief Accountant, the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations, the Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, the Office of Credit Ratings, the Office of International Affairs, the Office of Municipal Securities, the Office of Ethics Counsel, the Office of the Investor Advocate, the Office of Women and Minority Inclusion, the Office of the Chief Operating Officer, the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Office of Public Affairs, the Office of the Secretary, the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of Administrative Law Judges, a few of which deserve explanation.

The General Counsel, as part of the Office of the General Counsel, is appointed by the Chairman, is the chief legal officer of the SEC and provides legal advice and counsel to all divisions, other offices, commissioners and the Chairman on all matters within the SEC’s jurisdiction. The General Counsel office also represents the SEC in all civil and administrative litigation matters.

The Chief Accountant, as part of the Office of the Chief Accountant, is also appointed by the Chairman and advises the SEC on all accounting and auditing matters, including approving PCAOB auditing rules. In addition, the Office of the Chief Accountant assists the SEC in establishing accounting principles and overseeing the private sector accounting standards-setting process. The Chief Accountant liaises with FASB, which in turn establishes GAAP. It also liaises with the PCAOB, the International Accounting Standards Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

The Office of Investor Education and Advocacy responds to questions, complaints and suggestions from the public. The Office also publishes information and holds seminars and other outreach educational programs to educate the public on the securities laws and their rights.

The Author

Laura Anthony, Esq.
Founding Partner
Legal & Compliance, LLC
Corporate, Securities and Going Public Attorneys
LAnthony@LegalAndCompliance.com

Securities attorney Laura Anthony and her experienced legal team provides ongoing corporate counsel to small and mid-size private companies, OTC and exchange traded issuers as well as private companies going public on the NASDAQ, NYSE MKT or over-the-counter market, such as the OTCQB and OTCQX. For nearly two decades Legal & Compliance, LLC has served clients providing fast, personalized, cutting-edge legal service. The firm’s reputation and relationships provide invaluable resources to clients including introductions to investment bankers, broker dealers, institutional investors and other strategic alliances. The firm’s focus includes, but is not limited to, compliance with the Securities Act of 1933 offer sale and registration requirements, including private placement transactions under Regulation D and Regulation S and PIPE Transactions as well as registration statements on Forms S-1, S-8 and S-4; compliance with the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including registration on Form 10, reporting on Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K, and 14C Information and 14A Proxy Statements; Regulation A/A+ offerings; all forms of going public transactions; mergers and acquisitions including both reverse mergers and forward mergers, ; applications to and compliance with the corporate governance requirements of securities exchanges including NASDAQ and NYSE MKT; crowdfunding; corporate; and general contract and business transactions. Moreover, Ms. Anthony and her firm represents both target and acquiring companies in reverse mergers and forward mergers, including the preparation of transaction documents such as merger agreements, share exchange agreements, stock purchase agreements, asset purchase agreements and reorganization agreements. Ms. Anthony’s legal team prepares the necessary documentation and assists in completing the requirements of federal and state securities laws and SROs such as FINRA and DTC for 15c2-11 applications, corporate name changes, reverse and forward splits and changes of domicile. Ms. Anthony is also the author of SecuritiesLawBlog.com, the OTC Market’s top source for industry news, and the producer and host of LawCast.com, the securities law network. In addition to many other major metropolitan areas, the firm currently represents clients in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Atlanta, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Denver, Tampa, Detroit and Dallas.

Contact Legal & Compliance LLC. Technical inquiries are always encouraged.

Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.

Legal & Compliance, LLC makes this general information available for educational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Furthermore, the use of this information, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create or constitute an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us via this information in any form will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

This information is not intended to be advertising, and Legal & Compliance, LLC does not desire to represent anyone desiring representation based upon viewing this information in a jurisdiction where this information fails to comply with all laws and ethical rules of that jurisdiction. This information may only be reproduced in its entirety (without modification) for the individual reader’s personal and/or educational use and must include this notice.

© Legal & Compliance, LLC 2017


« »
House Passes Creating Financial Prosperity For Business And Investors Act
Posted by Securities Attorney Laura Anthony | February 7, 2017 Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

ABA Journal’s 10th Annual Blawg 100

——————————————————————————————————

On December 5, 2016, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Creating Financial Prosperity for Businesses and Investors Act (H.R. 6427) (the “Act”), continuing the House’s pro-business legislation spree. The Act is actually comprised of six smaller acts, all of which have previously been considered and passed by the House in 2016. The Act is comprised of: (i) Title I: The Small Business Capital Formation Enhancement Act (H.R. 4168); (ii) Title II: The SEC Small Business Advocate Act (H.R. 3784); (iii) Title III: The Supporting American’s Innovators Act (H.R. 4854); (iv) Title IV: The Fix Crowdfunding Act (H.R. 4855); (v) Title V: The Fair Investment Opportunities for Professionals Experts Act (H.R. 2187); and (vi) Title VI: The U.S. Territories Investor Protection Act (H.R. 5322).

Title I: The Small Business Capital Formation Enhancement Act (H.R. 4168)

This Act requires the SEC to respond to the findings and recommendations of the SEC’s annual Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation, which forum I attended in 2016 and found very interesting and productive. The Act would require the SEC to respond to recommendations by issuing a public statement evaluating the finding or recommendation and indicating what action the SEC intends to take as a result. Currently, the SEC is required to hold the annual Government-Business Forum to review the current status of problems and programs related to small business capital formation. The SEC is also required to prepare summaries of the Forum and any findings made by the Forum but is not required to comment or take a position on same.

The SEC is already legally required to review and respond to findings of the Investor Advisory Committee but currently is not required to take this additional step related to the small business forum. As with the Investor Advisory Committee, the SEC’s action on recommendations could be simply to review the matter further, conduct a study, consider or propose a rule change, or the SEC could state that it is taking no action at all. The Act does not limit, direct or require any particular response, just that a response be made. This Act was originally passed as part of the Financial Choice Act.

Title II: The SEC Small Business Advocate Act (H.R. 3784)

This legislation establishes the Office for Small Business Capital Formation within the SEC to assist small businesses and their investors in resolving problems and to provide a forum to identify issues and propose changes to statutes, regulations and rules to benefit small businesses and their investors and generally facilitate capital formation. The SEC would be required to review and respond to any recommendations by the committee. However, like similar rules, including the proposed H.R. 4168, the SEC’s response could be to review the matter further, conduct a study, consider or propose a rule change, or the SEC could state that it is taking no action at all.

The new Office for Small Business Capital Formation would be responsible for planning and holding the annual Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation. The new office would also analyze the effects of new and proposed rules on small businesses. The purpose would be to create an office in the SEC that would advocate for rule and policy changes on behalf of small businesses and their investors.  In order to give the office independence in its role, the office would provide its reports directly to various committees of Congress without review or oversight by the SEC itself.

The legislation also establishes the SEC Small Business Advisory Committee to provide the SEC with advice on rules, regulations and policies related to capital formation, securities trading, public reporting and corporate governance for emerging, privately held and smaller reporting companies with less than $250 million in public float. This new SEC Small Business Advisory Committee would essentially replace the voluntarily created SEC Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies. The Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies was last renewed by the SEC Chair and Commissioners on September 24, 2015 for a period of two years and accordingly, unless renewed again, will dissolve later this year.

As a reminder, the Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies was organized by the SEC to provide advice on SEC rules, regulations and policies regarding “its mission of protecting investors, maintaining fair, orderly and efficient markets and facilitating capital formation” as related to “(i) capital raising by emerging privately held small businesses and publicly traded companies with less than $250 million in public market capitalization; (ii) trading in the securities of such businesses and companies; and (iii) public reporting and corporate governance requirements to which such businesses and companies are subject.”

The SEC would have the same mandate to review and respond to recommendations by the new committee. My prior blog discussing this act is HERE.

Title III: The Supporting America’s Innovators Act (H.R. 4854)

This legislation creates a new small “qualifying venture capital fund” under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and increases the current registration exemption under Section 3(c)(1) of the Investment Company Act to allow for up to 250 investors in such qualifying venture capital fund. Currently Section 3(c)(1) of the Investment Company Act exempts pooled funds, such as hedge funds, from registering under the Act as long as they have fewer than 100 equity holders. There is no limit on the amount of invested capital in a fund to qualify for the 3(c)(1) exemption. H.R. 4854 would create a new class of pooled fund, called a “qualifying venture capital fund,” which would be defined as any venture fund with $10 million or less of invested capital and allow up to 250 investors in such fund.

Title IV: The Fix Crowdfunding Act (H.R. 4855)

From the time the SEC published the final Regulation Crowdfunding rules and regulations on October 30, 2015, the regulatory framework has met with wide criticism, including that the process is too costly considering the $1 million raise limitation. The most commonly repeated issues with the current structure include: (i) the $1 million annual minimum is too low to adequately meet small business funding needs; (ii) companies cannot “test the waters” in advance of or at the initial stages of an offering; and (iii) companies cannot currently use a Special Purchase Vehicle (SPV) in a crowdfunding offering. The Fix Crowdfunding Act only addresses one of these three complaints.

The Fix Crowdfunding Act would also allow for the use of special purpose vehicles (SPV’s) in the fundraising process. The Act would allow for SPV’s by amending the Investment Company Act of 1940 to add a newly defined “crowdfunding vehicle” which is limited by its organizational and charter documents to one that acquires, holds and disposes of securities of a single issuing company in one or more crowdfunding transactions conducted under Section 4(a)(6) and Regulation Crowdfunding.

In addition, the newly defined “crowdfunding vehicle” would need to meet the following requirements: (i) have only one class of securities; (ii) neither the vehicle nor any person associated with the vehicle can receive any compensation in connection with the purchase, holding or sale of securities of the investment target; (iii) the vehicle can only purchase securities issued in a transaction under Section 4(a)(6) and Regulation Crowdfunding; (iv) both the crowdfunding vehicle and investment target must remain current in their respective disclosure obligations under Regulation Crowdfunding; and (v) the crowdfunding vehicle must be advised by either a state or federally registered investment advisor (RIA).

A crowdfunding SPV will be exempt from the current per-investor investment limits under Regulation Crowdfunding (i.e., (a) if either annual income or net worth is less than $100,000, the investment limitation is the greater of $2,000 or 5% of the lesser of annual income or net worth; or (b) if both annual income and net worth are equal to or greater than $100,000, the investment limitation is 10% of the lesser of annual income or net worth). However, investments into the crowdfunding SPV would remain subject to the per-investor limitations.

It is thought that an SPV structure helps protect the smaller investors by allowing them to pool funds together with larger investors in an entity that offers separate protections than the offering company itself. The SPV structure has become prevalent in Rule 506(c) offerings where the company is utilizing a platform to advertise and attract investors. However, under Rule 506(c), which is limited to accredited investors, it has not been problematic for SPV’s to stay within the current exemptions to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 by having fewer than 100 investors.

The Fix Crowdfunding Act also modifies the current exemption from the Exchange Act Section 12(g) registration requirements under Regulation Crowdfunding. The Exchange Act and Regulation Crowdfunding currently provide that security holders who acquired their securities in a crowdfunded offering are not counted for purposes of the registration threshold, provided that the issuer is current in its required annual reports and has engaged a transfer agent for its securities. The Fix Crowdfunding Act would remove the annual report and transfer agent conditions if the issuer had a public float for the last semi-annual period of less than $75 million, or if the public float is zero for such period annual revenues of less than $50 million in the most recently completed fiscal year.

One of my colleagues in the world of corporate finance, Dara Albright, wrote a great letter to Representative McHenry supporting the Fix Crowdfunding Act. Ms. Albright’s letter can be read HERE.

Title V: The Fair Investment Opportunities for Professionals Experts Act (H.R. 2187)

This legislation amends the definition of “accredited investor” under the Securities Act of 1933 to include: (i) persons whose individual net worth, together with their spouse, exceeds $1,000,000, adjusted for inflation, excluding the value of their primary residence; (ii) persons with an individual income greater than $200,000, or $300,000 for joint income, both adjusted for inflation; (iii) any person currently licensed or registered as a broker or investment adviser by the SEC, FINRA, an equivalent SRO, or state securities regulator; and (iv) persons whom the SEC determines have demonstrable education or job experience to qualify as having professional subject-matter knowledge related to a particular investment (FINRA or an equivalent self-regulatory organization must verify the person’s education or job experience).

My prior blog discussing this act is HERE.

Title VI: The U.S. Territories Investor Protection Act (H.R. 5322)

This legislation amends the Investment Company Act to terminate an exemption for investment companies located in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and other territories of the United States. Currently an exemption applies for entities located in these territories that limits sales of securities to residents of the particular territory in which they operate. The Act contains a three-year phase-in safe harbor.

Other 2016 House Legislation

Earlier in 2016 I wrote about: (i) H.R. 1675 – the Capital Markets Improvement Act of 2016, which has 5 smaller acts embedded therein; (ii) H.R. 3784, establishing the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation and Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee within the SEC; and (iii) H.R. 2187, proposing an amendment to the definition of accredited investor. See my blog HERE.

In early July, the House passed H.R. 2995, an appropriations bill for the federal budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1.  No further action has been taken. The 259-page bill, which is described as “making appropriations for financing services and general government for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017, and for other purposes” (“House Appropriation Bill”), contains numerous provisions reducing or eliminating funding for key aspects of SEC enforcement and regulatory provisions. My discussion on this provision can be read as part of my blog on the Financial Choice Act, a link to which is below.

On September 8, 2016, the House passed the Accelerating Access to Capital Act. Unlike many of the House bills that passed in 2016, this one gained national attention, including an article in the Wall Street Journal. The Accelerating Access to Capital Act is actually comprised of three bills: (i) H.R. 4850 – the Micro Offering Safe Harbor Act; (ii) H.R. 4852 – the Private Placement Improvement Act; and (iii) H.R. 2357 – the Accelerating Access to Capital Act. See my blog HERE.

On September 13, 2016, the House passed the Financial Choice Act, which is an extreme anti-regulation act that would dramatically change the current SEC regime and dismantle a large portion of the Dodd-Frank Act. Read my blog on the Financial Choice Act HERE.

The Author

Laura Anthony, Esq.
Founding Partner
Legal & Compliance, LLC
Corporate, Securities and Going Public Attorneys
LAnthony@LegalAndCompliance.com

Securities attorney Laura Anthony and her experienced legal team provides ongoing corporate counsel to small and mid-size private companies, OTC and exchange traded issuers as well as private companies going public on the NASDAQ, NYSE MKT or over-the-counter market, such as the OTCQB and OTCQX. For nearly two decades Legal & Compliance, LLC has served clients providing fast, personalized, cutting-edge legal service. The firm’s reputation and relationships provide invaluable resources to clients including introductions to investment bankers, broker dealers, institutional investors and other strategic alliances. The firm’s focus includes, but is not limited to, compliance with the Securities Act of 1933 offer sale and registration requirements, including private placement transactions under Regulation D and Regulation S and PIPE Transactions as well as registration statements on Forms S-1, S-8 and S-4; compliance with the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including registration on Form 10, reporting on Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K, and 14C Information and 14A Proxy Statements; Regulation A/A+ offerings; all forms of going public transactions; mergers and acquisitions including both reverse mergers and forward mergers, ; applications to and compliance with the corporate governance requirements of securities exchanges including NASDAQ and NYSE MKT; crowdfunding; corporate; and general contract and business transactions. Moreover, Ms. Anthony and her firm represents both target and acquiring companies in reverse mergers and forward mergers, including the preparation of transaction documents such as merger agreements, share exchange agreements, stock purchase agreements, asset purchase agreements and reorganization agreements. Ms. Anthony’s legal team prepares the necessary documentation and assists in completing the requirements of federal and state securities laws and SROs such as FINRA and DTC for 15c2-11 applications, corporate name changes, reverse and forward splits and changes of domicile. Ms. Anthony is also the author of SecuritiesLawBlog.com, the OTC Market’s top source for industry news, and the producer and host of LawCast.com, the securities law network. In addition to many other major metropolitan areas, the firm currently represents clients in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Atlanta, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Denver, Tampa, Detroit and Dallas.

Contact Legal & Compliance LLC. Technical inquiries are always encouraged.

Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.

Legal & Compliance, LLC makes this general information available for educational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Furthermore, the use of this information, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create or constitute an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us via this information in any form will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

This information is not intended to be advertising, and Legal & Compliance, LLC does not desire to represent anyone desiring representation based upon viewing this information in a jurisdiction where this information fails to comply with all laws and ethical rules of that jurisdiction. This information may only be reproduced in its entirety (without modification) for the individual reader’s personal and/or educational use and must include this notice.

© Legal & Compliance, LLC 2017


« »