All Securities and Exchange Commission articles – Page 68
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Blog
SEC Adopts Divisive Pay Ratio Rule
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s pay ratio rule is now final, approved by a 3-2 vote on Wednesday. The rule requires a comparison of CEO pay to the compensation of the median employee. Concessions to corporate concerns include the ability to exclude up to 5 percent of non-U.S. employees when ...
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Blog
SEC Confirms Expansive View on Whistleblower Protections
The SEC has published fresh guidance on who qualifies for whistleblower protections under the Dodd-Frank Act, essentially confirming the view that a person is not required to report misconduct to the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower to qualify for the expanded anti-retaliation protections under the law. Compliance officers should welcome ...
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Article
Small-Company Rules Inch Forward
Congress (and SEC commissioners) routinely complains that the SEC is so focused on churning out overdue rules for compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act, it has neglected to churn out overdue rules on capital formation required under the JOBS Act. In truth, the SEC is likely to move forward with what ...
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Blog
GAO: Dodd-Frank Plan for Ratings Agency Overseer is 'Premature'
A new government report says creation of an oversight body for credit rating agencies is “premature” right now, and that Washington should wait to see how rules the SEC adopted in June for agencies might change their behavior. Tighter oversight of credit rating agencies was one call from the Dodd-Frank ...
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Blog
Bill to Require SEC Disclosures on Human Trafficking
U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Chris Smith (D-N.J.) have introduced the Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act of 2015. The bill would require large public companies to disclose measures to prevent human trafficking, slavery, and child labor in their supply chains as part of annual ...
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Blog
SEC Sets Aug. 5 Date for Considering Final Pay Ratio Rule
The wait is over. On Aug. 5, the Securities and Exchange Commission will consider whether to adopt a rule requiring public companies to disclose the ratio of the annual total compensation of the chief executive officer to the median of the annual total compensation of the company’s employees. The proposed ...
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Blog
Mead Johnson Nutrition Pays $12M for FCPA Violations in China
Mead Johnson Nutrition will pay $12.03 million to settle civil charges that it violated books and records requirements of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act when a China-based unit made improper payments at state-owned hospitals. The settlement, the result of an administrative proceeding, was detailed in an Offer of Settlement the ...
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Blog
Gallagher Blasts Labor Dept.’s Proposed Fiduciary Rule
Image: Dan Gallagher, a reliably conservative voice at the SEC, is slamming the Labor Department’s proposed fiduciary standard for broker-dealers. The rule means clients who are not high net worth “will be ‘fired’ by their brokers or jettisoned to robo-advisers,” he said. Gallagher also lauded a court decision striking down ...
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Blog
White: SEC Enforcement Not Targeting Compliance Professionals
Image: The message from SEC Chairman Mary Jo White to compliance officers: They are not the target of enforcement efforts. Speaking to 1,000 compliance officers from financial services firms and broker-dealers at a Commission-sponsored forum, White said, “We do not bring cases based on second guessing compliance officers’ good faith ...
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Blog
Investor Advocates Want SEC to Create National Broker Database
A coalition of investor advocacy groups, including Public Citizen, the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association, and the PIABA Foundation, is calling upon the SEC to supplement the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s BrokerCheck system for vetting financial professionals with a national disciplinary database and to make improvements to the existing ...
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Blog
Appeals Court Opinion Sheds Light on Excluding Proxy Proposals
A newly released opinion from a federal appeals court sheds light on why Walmart was allowed to reject a shareholder proposal calling for a board review of its policies regarding the sale of high-capacity firearms. The opinion could provide a blueprint for future courts weighing in on the SEC’s traditional ...
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Blog
Mary Schapiro Joins CAQ Governing Board
Mary Schapiro, former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, has joined the Center for Audit Quality's Governing Board. Schapiro will serve as one of three independent Governing Board members who come from outside the public company auditing profession. Details inside.
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Blog
SEC to Finalize Clawback Requirements
The SEC will meet on Wednesday to consider the long-awaited clawback requirements under the Dodd-Frank Act. The SEC has postponed addressing the incentive compensation clawback provision for years. If the amendments are made, this will usher in a new wave of compliance requirements for many companies. More inside.
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Blog
Senator Presses SEC on Fake EDGAR Filings
Image: In a letter to SEC Chair Mary Jo White, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) demanded more information about fake filings, including a fictitious Avon takeover bid, that somehow make their way onto the agency’s EDGAR system. “This pattern of fraudulent conduct is troubling, especially in light of the relative ease ...