September 15, 2009
Corp Fin Updates a Number of CDIs
Here’s my pitiful plea before today’s “meat.” Please drop a note and nominate “TheCorporateCounsel.net Blog” to be included in ABA Journal’s Top 100 Blogs. We were named last year and would like to be included in the list again. Yes, it’s vain – but this is a lot of work and peer recognition is appreciated!
Okay, on to the news. Yesterday, Corp Fin updated a slew of new Compliance & Disclosure Interpretations in a variety of topic areas (and issued new interps in one area). It looks like the Division will take advantage of the Web to quickly distribute updated guidance rather than relying on major overhauls every few years like the old days. That’s good news!
Here are the updated (and new) CDIs:
– Sections 13D/G and Regulation 13D/G (this includes new CDIs)
– Form 8-K
Going to Trial? Judge Rakoff Takes SEC to Task in Rejecting BofA Settlement
Yesterday, in a sternly-worded 12-page order, US District Court Judge Jed Rakoff’s refused to approve a $33 million settlement between the SEC and Bank of America over allegations of misleading proxy materials because the bonus obligations due to Merrill Lynch employees were not fully disclosed. As this Bloomberg article notes, even though a February 1st trial is scheduled, the SEC has limited options now because it argued before Rakoff that that there was insufficient evidence to charge individuals. The SEC’s best bet may be to dismiss the case and file an administrative claim that wouldn’t be heard in federal court.
The following excerpt from this NY Times article gives you a sense of how Judge Rakoff felt about the settlement:
He accused the S.E.C. of failing in its role as Wall Street’s top cop by going too easy on one of the biggest banks it regulates. And he accused executives of the Bank of America of failing to take responsibility for actions that blindsided its shareholders and the taxpayers who bailed out the bank at the height of the crisis.
The sharply worded ruling, which invoked justice and morality, seemed to speak not only to the controversial deal, but also to the anger across the nation over the excesses that led to the financial crisis, and the lax regulation in Washington that permitted those excesses to flourish.
Implicit in the judge’s remarks were broader questions on the anniversary of one of the most tumultuous weeks in Wall Street’s history: What do the giants of finance owe their shareholders and the investing public? And who will adequately oversee these behemoths?
As the drama of this case continues to unfold, Bank of America awaits the findings of NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo as some expect him to file a complaint charging individuals at Bank of America in connection with the disclosure of Merrill Lynch bonuses in the near future.
Obama Speaks on Lehman’s Collapse Anniversary: Latest Timetable for Congressional Reform
Yesterday, President Obama was also stern as he delivered a speech near Wall Street in which he talked about the need for financial reform. As noted in this NY Times article, the window for true reform is quickly closing as the stock market climbs every day. Below is an excerpt from that article about the possible timeline for Congress taking legislative action:
Senior Congressional Democrats had originally planned to have the House complete its work on the financial overhaul before turning to the more recalcitrant Senate. But the tighter time schedule has forced lawmakers to rethink that approach.
Later this week, Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts and the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, is expected to announce a series of hearings for the coming days before his committee marks up legislation in October. Aides say he is hoping to get legislation to the floor by the end of next month or beginning of November.
There is less certainty in the Senate, where Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut and the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, has been working to put together a package that could withstand the threat of a filibuster.
– Broc Romanek