The SEC adopted technical rule and form amendments (https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2017/33-10332.pdf) under the JOBS Act that impact almost every periodic report and registration statement by adding an additional “check the box” item on the covers (as well as the introductory language prior to such item.

Specifically, in the section where companies check off what type of issuer they are, there is now a new box for emerging growth company (“EGCs” - they will also still check the other relevant box for accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, etc.). In addition, to provide a uniform way to identify if EGCs have elected to take advantage of JOBS Act rules permitting them to defer adoption of accounting standards, the covers will also include an additional check the box item regarding such election. An example is below.

The SEC today adopted an amendment to shorten by one business day the standard settlement cycle for most broker-dealer securities transactions. Currently, the standard settlement cycle for these transactions is three business days, known as T+3. The amended rule shortens the settlement cycle to two business days, T+2. Broker-dealers will be required to comply with the amended rule beginning on September 5, 2017.  For more information, view the SEC's press release.

As anyone who has ever tried to find an exhibit to an SEC filing that is incorporated by reference knows, it is not always easy or quick! 

Help is on the way - yesterday, the SEC approved
rule changes that will require companies to include a hyperlink to each exhibit (other than XBRL exhibits and certain other limited exemptions) in their filings' exhibit indexes. The rules will also require all filings to be in HTML format since ASCII format cannot support functional hyperlinks.

The final rules will take effect on September 1, 2017 (September 1, 2018 for smaller reporting companies and non-accelerated filers).

An Sullivan team represented Hospitality Properties Trust (Nasdaq: HPT) in its underwritten public offerings of $400 million of 4.95% unsecured senior notes due February 15, 2027 and $200 million of 4.50% unsecured senior notes due June 15, 2023, the latter of which consisted of a re-opening of an outstanding series of HPT’s notes. HPT expects to use the net proceeds from these offerings to repay amounts outstanding under its unsecured revolving credit facility, for general business purposes and possibly to redeem some or all of its outstanding 7.125% series D cumulative redeemable preferred shares of beneficial interest.

The offering press release can be viewed here and the prospectus related to the offerings can be found here.

The S&W team included Howard Berkenblit, Bill Curry, and Jeff Morlend,  as well as Ameek Ponda and Brian Hammell on tax matters.

Sullivan is a leading corporate law firm advising clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to emerging businesses. With more than 175 lawyers in Boston, London, New York and Washington, D.C., the firm offers services in a wide range of areas, including corporate finance, banking, trade finance, securities and mutual funds, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, tax, real estate and REITs, private equity and venture capital, bankruptcy, environment and natural resources, climate change, renewable energy and water resources, regulatory law, and employment and benefits. For more information please visit www.sullivanlaw.com.  

The SEC Division of Corporation Finance issued a new interpretation yesterday that allows a company to post its annual report to shareholders to its website (and keep it posted for at least one year) rather than mail the SEC seven hard copies. Rule 14a-3 under the Exchange Act requires the mailing solely for the SEC’s information, one of the few paper filings still around in the age of EDGAR. Under its current practice, when the SEC receives the hard copies it posts on a company’s EDGAR list that it has been submitted but does not include the actual document if not submitted electronically. The annual report to shareholders substantially overlaps the annual report on Form 10-K in any case. Since most companies already post their annual reports for at least a year, the new interpretation effectively means one less mailing to worry about, though companies must still mail the annual report with the proxy statement when sending out annual meeting materials to shareholders.

The SEC today proposed amendments to the proxy rules to require parties in a contested election to use universal proxy cards that would include the names of all director nominees. The proposal gives shareholders the ability to vote by proxy for their preferred combination of board candidates, similar to voting in person. The proposed rules would require proxy contestants to provide shareholders with a proxy card that includes the names of both management and dissident director nominees. In addition, the proposed rules would require management and dissidents to provide each other with notice of the names of their nominees, establish a filing deadline and a minimum solicitation requirement for dissidents, and prescribe presentation and formatting requirements for universal proxy cards.

The SEC also proposed amendments to the proxy rules to ensure that proxy cards specify the applicable shareholder voting options in all director elections and require that proxy statements disclose the effect of a shareholder’s election to withhold its vote. Under the proposed amendments, proxy cards would be required to include an “against” voting option for the election of directors when there is a legal effect to a vote against a nominee and to provide shareholders the ability to “abstain” in a director election governed by a majority voting standard. The proposed change would eliminate the current ability to provide a “withhold” voting option when it has the legal effect of an “against” vote. 

The SEC has proposed a rule amendment to shorten the standard settlement cycle for most broker-dealer securities transactions from three business days after the trade date (T+3) to two business days after the trade date (T+2). The proposed amendment is designed to reduce the risks that arise from the value and number of unsettled securities transactions prior to the completion of settlement, including credit, market, and liquidity risk directly faced by U.S. market participants. 

For more information about the proposal see:  https://www.sec.gov/news/pressrelease/2016-200.html

The SEC has proposed rule amendments that would require companies that file registration statements and periodic and current reports to include hyperlinks to each exhibit listed in the exhibit index of their filings (in a more subtle change, the index would be required to appear before the signatures rather than simply appearing before the exhibits as is current required). All filings will need to be submitted in HTML format.  

The practical impact of these amendments, if approved, would be to make it much more efficient to locate exhibits, particularly those incorporated by reference. For example, under current rules if an investor wants to find a company's bylaws on EDGAR he or she must locate the bylaws on the exhibit list (such as in the most recent 10-K or 20-F) which will list the filing with which the bylaws were most recently filed. He or she must then separately locate that filing. Hyperlinking would effectively eliminate the second step, saving time.

The SEC has announced that in fiscal year 2017 the fees that public companies and other issuers pay to register their securities with the Commission will be set at $115.90 per million dollars.  This change, which will begin on October 1, 2016, is an increase from the current rate of $100.70 per million dollars.

Click below for more SEC filing requirements and obligations of directors, officers and principal stockholders of a publicy held companies.