On July 22, 2011, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the SEC’s controversial proxy access rule, Rule 14a-11, which would have allowed shareholders to have their director nominees included in a company’s proxy materials so long as the shareholders and their nominees satisfied certain conditions. The Court found that the SEC was arbitrary and capricious in promulgating Rule 14a-11 by failing to adequately consider the economic consequences of the rule and its effect on efficiency, competition and capital formation. 

This webcast, featuring an experienced panel from Sidley Austin LLP, will address the major differences between the new Over-the-Counter derivatives central clearinghouses, margins, clearing member insolvencies, and the portability of trades. The panel will examine these issues from the end user customer’s viewpoint, with the goal of arming end users with the necessary information to assist them in selecting the clearinghouse for their trades.

Join us Wednesday, May 4 at 12:00 PM EDT for a CLE accredited webinar, Online Privacy Issues Within Our Borders and Across the Pond. A panel of experts will discuss recent developments in online privacy and data protection in the EU and the U.S., social media site privacy lawsuits, the Sony and Epsilon data security breaches, and proposed regulatory responses to concerns about tracking online behavior.

Through this webcast, we’ll examine the potential impact and costs associated with new derivatives regulation, and provide actionable steps you can take to help your business continue to thrive even in this highly regulated environment. Sharon Brown Hruska from NERA Consulting, Steven Goldberg from Grant Thornton LLP, Evan Koster from Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP and Michael Sackheim from Sidley Austin LLP will join to provide insight, experience and advice on how they’re addressing Dodd-Frank.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that was signed into law in July 2010 includes sweeping changes in the realm of corporate governance. Many of these changes are now mandated, and this experienced panel assembled and presented by Westlaw Business will closely examine the issue.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that was signed into law in July 2010 significantly affects the mechanics of financing for public companies. The changes in how companies will obtain working capital and acquisition financing, new governance rules, and other modifications in the management of the financial markets will be examined by an experienced panel presented by Westlaw Business.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that was signed into law in July 2010 contains numerous provisions for the registration and regulation of hedge funds and other investment vehicles. Investors and operators in these funds need to be aware of the high volume of changes that will affect the way they conduct business.

After a rough 2009, how is 2010 shaping up for the private equity market and what can we expect the remainder of the year to look like.

Given volatile markets, larger and more seasoned issuers are considering PIPE transactions and hybrid offerings as potential capital raising alternatives. For similar reasons, issuers with already effective shelf registration statements are considering transactions that are marketed over a short period of time.

The global economy has lost a lot in the last 18 months, but 2010 can be a time of great opportunity for mergers and acquisitions. We are seeing the appearance of rising unsolicited deal activities and increasing receptivity in the markets. This Westlaw Business webcast will analyze the M&A outlook for 2010 from a number of perspectives.

New rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission will have an effect on a wide range of corporate filings that require disclosure regarding corporate governance, directors and executive officers and compensation, including Form 10-K. This webcast will feature a detailed discussion about 10K disclosures moderated by Ely Razin, Senior Director and Editor in Chief, Westlaw Business and featuring law firm and in-house counsel.

Recent activity by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and pending legislation in Congress suggests numerous changes in the proxy landscape for 2010. Enhanced corporate governance disclosure, new compensation standards, and greater shareholder access to proxy statements are the major points of concern, but other important changes in corporate governance will also take place.

Now that the capital markets are once again opening, many foreign issuers will consider accessing the U.S. markets as part of their financing strategy. Foreign issuers that do not wish to become subject to U.S. reporting requirements have a number of alternatives including private placements of debt securities and Rule 144A offerings. We will discuss the institutional debt private placement market and the 144A market. For foreign issuers that choose to go public in the U.S., there have been a number of recent developments to consider. We will discuss these developments, including those that are part of the SEC's Foreign Issuer Reporting Enhancements (FIRE).