For the ninth year in a row, the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) has released the Audit Committee Transparency Barometer. This report has provided investors with insights into the disclosures made by audit committees in proxy statements each year since … Continue reading
Category Archives: ESG
How the SEC’s Focus on Climate Change Might Affect Comment Letters
On Wednesday, Acting SEC Chair Allison Herren Lee directed the Division of Corporation Finance to begin focusing on climate-related disclosures. This is the first action the SEC has taken to address climate-related disclosure since the Commission’s 2010 Interpretive Guidance. The … Continue reading
Pledged Securities in SPACs Pose Double Risk
Pledging securities, when a beneficial owner pledges their company shares as collateral, poses significant risks to corporate governance and share price. This risk is heightened when securities related to a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) investment are pledged, due to … Continue reading
Risk of Pledged Securities for Public Companies
Pledged securities – shares of a public company that are pledged by their owner as collateral – present a potentially serious risk to a company’s governance and share price. When a major owner of a company pledges their shares, it exposes the company … Continue reading
A Closer Look into Human Capital Management Disclosures
In 2017, the Human Capital Management Coalition petitioned the SEC to expand disclosures surrounding the human capital management policies, practices, and performance. In response to this request, after significant discussion, the SEC amended Regulation S-K Item 101(c) and required disclosure of … Continue reading
Post-Wirecard, Germany Seeks to Tighten Audit Rules
According to the Financial Times, Germany has responded to the Wirecard scandal by proposing a slew of audit regulations aimed at bolstering auditor independence. The proposal includes reducing the maximum auditor tenure from 20 years to 10 years and limiting … Continue reading