when is a lawyer required on an sec filing

by Jackie D'Amore 8 min read

Item 601 (b) (5) (i) of Regulation S-K requires that all Securities Act filings include an opinion of counsel regarding the legality of the securities being offered and sold pursuant to the registration statement.

Full Answer

What does a company need to file with the SEC?

Jul 06, 2018 · The filings required by these rules provide information to the holders of the securities about the person making the tender offer and the terms of the offer. The company that is the subject of a takeover must file its responses to the tender offer with the SEC. ... and does not constitute legal advice on any specific matter, nor does this ...

What are the exceptions to the SEC’s rules on subsidiary securities?

Dec 31, 2021 · SEC Form U-13-1: An application that doubles as both a request for approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for any mutual service company, or a declaration of organization and ...

How do I review SEC filings?

Oct 14, 2015 · SEC reporting companies are required to file quarterly reports on Form 10-Q within 45 days after the end of each of the first three quarters of their fiscal year. The purpose of Form 10-Q is to update information included in prior SEC filings and provide continuing disclosure including the company’s financial position during the year.

What is the purpose of SEC filings?

Late filings carry severe consequences to small business issuers. Generally the shareholders of late filing issuers cannot rely on Rule 144 for the sale or transfer of securities while the issuer is delinquent in its filing requirements. Rule 144(c) requires that adequate current public information with respect to the company must be available.

image

What are SEC filing requirements?

SEC rules require your company to file annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q with the SEC on an ongoing basis. These reports require much of the same information about the company as is required in a registration statement for a public offering.

What is required to be included in the prospectus filed with the SEC?

In the prospectus, your company must clearly describe important information about its business operations, financial condition, results of operations, risk factors, and management. The prospectus must also include audited financial statements.

Who is subject to SEC requirements?

All executive officers and directors and 10%-or-more shareholders of a company with securities registered under the Exchange Act (i.e., through the filing of a Form 10 or Form 8-A) are subject to the Exchange Act Reporting Requirements related to the reporting of certain transactions.

Can anyone file with the SEC?

All companies, foreign and domestic, are required to file registration statements, periodic reports, and other forms electronically through EDGAR. Anyone can access and download this information for free.Jan 9, 2017

Are privately held companies required to file with the SEC?

Unlike public companies, private companies are not required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), so the type of information and the depth of information that can be found in those documents is not necessarily going to be available for private companies.Apr 8, 2022

Which of the following documents must be filed with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933 before a company can issue new securities to the public?

Registration Statements

The Securities Act of 1933 mandates that all companies seeking to raise capital for new publicly offered products in the U.S. must file a prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Do SEC filings have to be audited?

Arthur Young: "The SEC requires the filing of audited financial statements in order to obviate the fear of loss from reliance on inaccurate information, thereby encouraging public investment in the Nation's industries." That has important implications for investors making investment decisions, for banks and financial ...Jun 24, 2002

What disclosures does the SEC require from public companies?

SEC-Required Disclosure Documents

The SEC requires all publicly-traded companies to prepare and issue two disclosure-related annual reports, one for the SEC itself and one for the company's shareholders. These reports are filed as documents called 10-Ks and must be updated by the company as events change substantially.

Who does the SEC protect?

investors
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is a U.S. government oversight agency responsible for regulating the securities markets and protecting investors.

What types of companies must register with the SEC?

All companies, domestic and foreign, are required to file registration statements and other forms electronically. Investors can then access registration and other company filings using EDGAR. Not all offerings of securities must be registered with the SEC.

What does the SEC consider a security?

(1) The term "security" means any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, security-based swap, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, ...

What types of companies does the SEC regulate?

The federal securities laws categorize investment companies into three basic types:
  • Mutual funds (legally known as open-end companies);
  • Closed-end funds (legally known as closed-end companies);
  • UITs (legally known as unit investment trusts).
Jul 9, 2013

Why was the SEC created?

Roosevelt. 1  The act was intended to help restore investor confidence following the stock market crash of 1929.

When is the deadline for filing a 10Q?

The Form 10-Q must be filed for the first three quarters of the company's fiscal year. The deadline to file is within 40 days from the end of the quarter. Unlike Form 10-K, the financial statements in Form 10-Q are unaudited, and the information required is less detailed. 9 .

Who is Adam Hayes?

Adam Hayes is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

What is a registration statement?

Registration statements provide information about the securities being offered by a company as well as its financial condition. A company preparing to offer securities to the public will file a Form S-1 registration statement with the SEC. The statement consists of two parts: 4 

What information does a prospectus contain?

Investors look especially to the prospectus, which contains all of the information a potential investor would need to make a quantitative evaluation of a new security's prospects. It will also often contain important qualitative information that can be interpreted by investors as potential red flags.

What is a 10K?

Form 10-K. Form 10-K is an annual report that provides a comprehensive analysis of the company's financial condition. Though the Form 10-K contains information that overlaps with the company's annual report, the two documents are not the same.

How long does it take to file a 10K?

Companies must submit this lengthy annual filing within 60 to 90 days of the close of their fiscal year. 5 . The Form 10-K is comprised of several parts. These include:

When do you have to file a 10Q?

SEC reporting companies are required to file quarterly reports on Form 10-Q within 45 days after the end of each of the first three quarters of their fiscal year.

Do companies have to file a 10K?

SEC reporting companies must file a 10-K report with the SEC annually. Form 10-K reports are generally different from the annual reports that corporations provide to shareholders. Form 10-K requires specific line item disclosures. Some companies provide their 10-K report to shareholders instead of an annual report.

What is a 10k report?

Form 10-K reports require a comprehensive picture of a company’s overall business and financial condition. 10-K reports also include at least two years of audited financial statements including a balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flow.

What is the purpose of a 10Q?

The purpose of Form 10-Q is to update information included in prior SEC filings and provide continuing disclosure including the company’s financial position during the year. Unlike Form 10-K’s requirements, financial statements contained in Form 10-Q do not have to be audited.

What is periodic reporting?

The SEC periodic reporting rules require that publicly traded companies disclose a wealth of information to the public. Periodic reporting also requires that these reports be written in plain English. Understanding these reports helps investors make informed decisions regarding whether to buy, sell or hold a company’s securities.

How often does the SEC review a company?

All reports filed with the SEC are subject to SEC review and comment and, in fact, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires the SEC undertake some level of review of every reporting company at least once every three years. Following are the reports that generally make up a public company’s Reporting Requirements and which are applicable to smaller reporting ...

How many shareholders do you need to deregister a company?

To deregister and suspend Reporting Requirements, an eligible issuer can file a Form 15. To qualify to file a Form 15, an issuer must either have (i) fewer than 300 shareholders; or (ii) fewer than 500 shareholders and the issuer’s assets do not exceed $10 million.

What is a small reporting company?

A “smaller reporting company” is an issuer that is not an investment company or asset-backed issuer or majority-owned subsidiary and that (i) had a public float of less than $75 million as ...

How long does it take to file a 10Q?

All smaller reporting companies are required to file a quarterly report on Form 10-Q within 45 days of end of each of its fiscal quarters. An extension of up to 5 calendar days is available for a Form 10-Q as long as the extension notice on Form 12b-25 is filed no later than the next business day after the original filing deadline.

What is Fair Disclosure Regulation?

The Fair Disclosure Regulation, enacted in 2000 (“Regulation FD”), stipulates that publicly traded companies broadly and publicly disseminate information instead of distributing it selectively to certain analysts or investors only.

What is a late filing?

Late filings carry severe consequences to small business issuers. Generally the shareholders of late filing issuers cannot rely on Rule 144 for the sale or transfer of securities while the issuer is delinquent in its filing requirements. Rule 144 (c) requires that adequate current public information with respect to the company must be available. The current public information requirement is measured at the time of each sale of securities. That is, the issuer, whether reporting or non-reporting, must satisfy the current public information requirements as set forth in Rule 144 (c) at the time that each resale of securities is made in reliance on Rule 144. For reporting issuers, adequate current public information is deemed available if the issuer is, and has been for a period of at least 90 days immediately before the sale, subject to the Exchange Act reporting requirements and has filed all required reports, other than Form 8-K, and has submitted electronically and posted on its website, if any, all XBRL data require to be submitted and posted.

What is Rule 144 C?

Rule 144 (c) requires that adequate current public information with respect to the company must be available. The current public information requirement is measured at the time of each sale of securities. That is, the issuer, whether reporting or non-reporting, must satisfy the current public information requirements as set forth in Rule 144 (c) ...

Staff Legal Bulletin No. 19 (CF)

Summary: This staff legal bulletin provides the views of the Division of Corporation Finance (the “Division”) regarding legality and tax opinions filed in connection with registered offerings of securities.

I. Topics Discussed

The Division is issuing this legal bulletin to provide guidance on preparing legality and tax opinions filed in connection with registered offerings of securities. This legal bulletin discusses:

IV. Consents

Section 7 of the Securities Act requires that there be filed with the registration statement the written consent of “any person whose profession gives authority to a statement made by him, [who] is named as having prepared or certified any part of the registration statement.” 49

When is Form 5 due?

SEC Form 5 is due within 45 days after the company’s year-end.

What is a Form 5?

SEC Form 5 reports any transactions in the Company’s equity securities that the reporting person engaged in during the company’s most recently completed fiscal year that were not previously reported on a Form 4, other than transactions that are exempt from Form 5’s reporting obligations.

What is S-K 1101(c)(1)?

2705.1 Regulation AB - Background - Regulation AB is the source of various disclosure items and requirements for “asset-backed securities” filings under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. “Asset-backed security ” is defined in S-K 1101 (c) (1) as a security that is primarily serviced by cash flows of a discrete pool of receivables or other financial assets, either fixed or revolving, that by their terms convert into cash within a finite time period, plus any rights or other assets designed to assure the servicing or timely distributions of proceeds to the security holders; provided that in the case of financial assets that are leases, those assets may convert to cash partially by the cash proceeds from the disposition of physical property underlying such leases. The definition of “asset-backed security” has a number of additional conditions listed at S-K 1101 (c) (2) which must be met in order for a security to be considered an “asset-backed security.”

Does Section 2410.1 apply to S-X 4-08?

Section 2410.1 does not apply to S-X 4-08 (g) significance because the number of significance tests and the significance thresholds used under S-X 4-08 (g) can differ from the number of significance tests and the significance thresholds used under S-X 3-09. See Section 2420.1. (Last updated: 6/30/2010)

What is SAB 80?

SAB 80 is an interpretation of S-X 3-05 for application in initial registration statements of first-time registrants that have been built by the aggregation of discrete businesses that remain substantially intact after acquisition. First-time registrants that meet the conditions in Section 2070.2 may apply SAB 80 instead of S-X 3-05 or S-X 8-04 in their initial registration statement. If a registrant chooses to use SAB 80 to measure significance of its acquired and likely to be acquired businesses for purposes of its initial registration statement, it must use SAB 80 for all such acquisitions.

What is Form 8-K 2110.1?

2110.1 “ Disposition ” – See Instruction 2 of Item 2.01, Form 8-K for the definition of “disposition.” Under this definition, a disposition would include, but not be limited to, a requirement to deconsolidate a subsidiary.

What is Form 8-K?

2120.1 Form 8-K - Item 2.01, Form 8-K reporting the disposition is required to be filed within four business days if either an asset disposition or a business disposition exceeds 10% significance. (See Section 2130 for guidance on measuring significance.) Historical financial statements of the disposed business are not required in the Item 2.01 Form 8-K, but may be required in proxy statements as described in Section 2120.2. Pro forma financial statements depicting the disposition are required to be included in the Item 2.01 Form 8-K filed within four business days of the disposition. The 71 calendar day grace period described in Item 9.01 of Form 8-K does not apply to business dispositions. [Instruction 4 (ii) to Item 2.01 Form 8-K and S-X 11-01 (b) (2) and C&DI for Exchange Act Form 8-K, Question 129.01] (Last updated: 6/30/2013)

What is S-4 form?

2200.1 Form S-4 - General - Form S-4 registers securities being offered to security holders of a business to be acquired. The Form S-4 requirements for target company financial statements vary based on a number of facts and circumstances, as summarized below. The determination of the target company should be based on the legal form of the transaction. The fact that the target company may be the acquiring company for accounting purposes does not change that analysis. For example, in both a reverse acquisition between two operating companies and the acquisition by a shell company, as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2 and Regulation C, Rule 405, of an operating company, the target company financial statements for purposes of Form S-4 are those of the legal target, which in these cases is also the accounting acquirer.

Can a REIT acquire a property after an IPO?

In addition, the REIT may identify properties that it will probably acquire soon after the IPO. The staff recognizes in these circumstances that the literal application of S-X 3-14 could result in the registrant providing financial statements of properties that are clearly insignificant to investors. In identifying the financial statements required to be included in the initial registration statement, the staff has allowed registrants to compute significance using a denominator equal to the total cost of the properties acquired immediately prior to filing an initial registration statement, properties to be acquired upon closing the IPO, and properties identified as probable future acquisitions.

Current Rules of Practice and Rules on Fair Funds and Disgorgement Plans

The official Rules of Practice are available at 17 CFR 201.100, et seq.

Current Rules of Practice Governing Disapproval Proceedings for SRO Proposed Rule Change Filings and for Proposed NMS Plans and Plan Amendments

As amended by Release No. 34-89618: Rescission of Effective-Upon-Filing Procedure for NMS Plan Fee Amendments and Modified Procedures for Proposed NMS Plans and Plan Amendments (October 15, 2020)

Previous Versions of Rules of Practice and Rules on Fair Funds and Disgorgement Plans

As amended by Release No. 34-86982: Technical Amendments to Update Cross-References to Commission’s FOIA Regulations (September 17, 2019)

What is SEC Form D?

Preparing and Filing SEC Form D. Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) provides exemptions that permit a company to offer and sell its securi ties without complying with the registration statement requirements of the Securities Act if certain conditions are met. A company claiming an exemption ...

What is Rule 506 of Regulation D?

Under Section 18 (b) (4) (D) of the Securities Act, any private placement made in compliance with Rule 506 of Regulation D preempts state Blue Sky laws . Section 18 (c) of the Securities Act, grants states the authority to require a Company to make a notice filing and pay a filing fee in connection with its Rule 506 offering. As a result, many states adopted statutes and rules mirroring Regulation D. Most states require the filing of Form D and the payment of a filing fee.

What is Regulation D?

Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) provides exemptions that permit a company to offer and sell its securities without complying with the registration statement requirements of the Securities Act if certain conditions are met. A company claiming an exemption under Regulation D is required ...

How long does it take to file Form D?

An issuer relying on a securities registration exemption provided by Regulation D, Section 3 (c) or Section 4 (6) is currently required to file a paper copy of Form D with the SEC not later than 15 days after the first sale of securities.

What is item 14?

Item 14 requires the issuer disclose that it intends to sell securities to persons who do not qualify as accredited investors and the number of such persons who already have invested. The company must specify the total number of investors in the offering including both accredited and non-accredited investors.

What is Rule 102?

Rule 102 governs the activities of issuers and selling security holders. Rule 103 pertains to Nasdaq passive market making. Rule 104 governs stabilization transactions and certain post-offering activities by the underwriters, and Rule 105 governs short selling in anticipation of a public offering. The following questions ...

When was Regulation M adopted?

Regulation M was adopted by the Commission on December 10, 1996 and was accompanied by an adopting release (See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 38067 (December 20, 1996), 62 FR 520 ("Adopting Release"); the Adopting Release may also be found on the Commission's Internet website (http://www.sec.gov)). Regulation M became effective on March 4, ...

What is a distribution participant?

The definition of a distribution participant includes any "other person who has agreed to participate or is participating in a distribution." Can an issuer or a selling security holder ever fit within the definition of a distribution participant?

image