Publications
Amendments to Rules Governing Trading Plans and Insider Filings
Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance
January 2023
In a recent article for the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, Eleazer Klein, Adriana Schwartz and Daniel A. Goldstein discuss the SEC's adopted amendments to Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which may impact fund managers who have board representation or otherwise have access to material nonpublic information.
On Dec. 14, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted amendments to Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), that include, among other things, changes to Rule 10b5-1(c)(1)’s affirmative defense to insider trading liability under Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 under the Exchange Act. These changes are aimed at addressing concerns that have long been raised as to whether corporate insiders purport to utilize 10b5-1 plans under the affirmative defense in situations that in fact involve opportunistic trading while in possession of material non-public information (“MNPI”). As discussed below, the amendments may impact fund managers who have board representation or otherwise have access to MNPI. The SEC also adopted amendments to Forms 4 and 5 filed under Section 16 of the Exchange Act to require that filers identify transaction that have been executed pursuant to 10b5-1 plans as well requiring Forms 4 to be filed to report gifts of securities (and no longer allow for deferred reporting of gifts on Form 5).
Related Insights
Alerts
On Feb. 16, 2024, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”), issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (“Proposed Rule”)[1] continuing the process of implementing regulations to combat illicit finance risks posed by abuse by some in the real estate market. The Proposed Rule would require certain persons involved in residential real estate closings and settlements to submit reports (“Real Estate Reports”) and keep accurate records of certain non-financed transfers of US residential real property. The reasoning behind the Proposed Rule is explained extensively in FinCEN’s December 2021 Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Real Estate Transactions Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which discusses “the opacity of shell companies or other legal entity structures to mask true beneficial ownership of a property and their involvement in real estate transactions.”[2]
Alerts
On Feb. 16, 2024, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”), issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (“Proposed Rule”)[1] continuing the process of implementing regulations to combat illicit finance risks posed by abuse by some in the real estate market. The Proposed Rule would require certain persons involved in residential real estate closings and settlements to submit reports (“Real Estate Reports”) and keep accurate records of certain non-financed transfers of US residential real property. The reasoning behind the Proposed Rule is explained extensively in FinCEN’s December 2021 Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Real Estate Transactions Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which discusses “the opacity of shell companies or other legal entity structures to mask true beneficial ownership of a property and their involvement in real estate transactions.”[2]
Alerts
On Feb. 16, 2024, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”), issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (“Proposed Rule”)[1] continuing the process of implementing regulations to combat illicit finance risks posed by abuse by some in the real estate market. The Proposed Rule would require certain persons involved in residential real estate closings and settlements to submit reports (“Real Estate Reports”) and keep accurate records of certain non-financed transfers of US residential real property. The reasoning behind the Proposed Rule is explained extensively in FinCEN’s December 2021 Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Real Estate Transactions Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which discusses “the opacity of shell companies or other legal entity structures to mask true beneficial ownership of a property and their involvement in real estate transactions.”[2]