On March 5, 2026, the SEC granted exemptive relief from Section 16(a) beneficial ownership reporting requirements for directors and officers of foreign private issuers (“FPIs”) incorporated or organized in certain jurisdictions with insider reporting regimes substantially similar to the United
Cleary Securities, Disclosure, and Governance Watch
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Reframing Board Diversity Disclosure in 2026 Proxy Statements
Board diversity disclosure is undergoing a meaningful recalibration. After years of increasing pressure by shareholders and other stakeholders to increase the number of women and underrepresented minorities on boards and provide robust disclosure of board demographic information, the framework is…
Section 16(a) Reporting: SEC Adopts Final Rules for Foreign Private Issuers
On February 27, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted final rules implementing the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act, or HFIAA. As expected, the final rules require directors and officers of foreign private issuers with a class of equity securities…
Lawsuits Filed Under SEC’s Revised Rule 14a-8 No-Action Letter Process
When the SEC announced changes to the Rule 14a-8 no-action letter process in November 2025, many observers—ourselves included—anticipated that some shareholder proponents might turn to litigation if companies excluded their proposals under the new framework. That anticipated litigation…
SEC Staff Issues Guidance on Tokenized Security Taxonomies
On January 28, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) Division of Corporation Finance, Division of Investment Management, and Division of Trading and Markets (the “Divisions”) published a joint statement providing taxonomies for tokenized securities (the “Guidance”).[1] The Guidance…
The NAL Landscape Post-SEC Announcement
I. Introduction
In November 2025, the Division of Corporate Finance (the “Staff”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced that it would no longer provide substantive responses to most no-action requests for shareholder proposals during this proxy season.…
Selected Issues for Boards of Directors in 2026
2026 promises to be a year that will demand both agility and strategic foresight from boards of directors and management as they navigate unprecedented challenges.
Drawing on insights from colleagues across Cleary Gottlieb’s global offices, our 2026 edition of…
Executive Order on “Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting” – Key Implications for Defense and Government Contractors
On January 7, 2026, the White House issued an Executive Order (EO) titled “Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting,” announcing an effort to “accelerate defense procurement and revitalize the defense industrial base” by preventing “major defense contractors” from “conduct[ing] stock…
Fifth Circuit Reinstates CTA Injunction Pending Oral Arguments in March; FinCEN January 13 Deadline on Hold
On December 26, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated the previous grant of a stay of the injunction enjoining enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and beneficial ownership reporting rule. As a result, the nationwide preliminary injunction…
Section 16(a) Insider Reporting: Legislation Ends Foreign Private Issuer Exemption
On December 18, 2025, the President of the United States signed into law the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act (“HFIAA”), making officers and directors of foreign private issuers (“FPIs”) subject to public reporting of holdings of, and transactions in, the…