Client Alerts
March 04, 2020

SEC Provides Conditional Regulatory Relief and Assistance for Companies Affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

On March 4, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) announced that it is providing conditional regulatory relief for certain publicly traded company filing obligations under the federal securities law in response to the potential impacts of the coronavirus.

Commission Order

The Commission relief issued in the order is that the Commission staff will take the following positions with respect to certain obligations under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act) and the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act):

  • For purposes of eligibility to use Form S-3 (and for well-known seasoned issuer status, which is based in part on Form S-3 eligibility), a company relying on the exemptive order will be considered current and timely in its Exchange Act filing requirements if it was current and timely as of the first day of the relief period and it files any report due during the relief period within 45 days of the filing deadline for the report.
  • For purposes of the Form S-8 eligibility requirements and the current public information eligibility requirements of Rule 144(c), a company relying on the exemptive order will be considered current in its Exchange Act filing requirements if it was current as of the first day of the relief period and it files any report due during the relief period within 45 days of the filing deadline for the report.
  • Companies that receive an extension on filing Exchange Act annual reports or quarterly reports pursuant to the order will be considered to have a due date 45 days after the filing deadline for the report. As such, those companies will be permitted to rely on Rule 12b-25 if they are unable to file the required reports on or before the extended due date.

Disclosure Considerations for All Companies

The Commission encourages all companies and other related persons to consider their activities in light of their disclosure obligations under the federal securities laws. For example, where a company has become aware of a risk related to the coronavirus that would be material to its investors, it should refrain from engaging in securities transactions with the public and take steps to prevent directors and officers (and other corporate insiders who are aware of these matters) from initiating such transactions until investors have been appropriately informed about the risk.

When companies do disclose material information related to the impacts of the coronavirus, they are reminded to take the necessary steps to avoid selective disclosures and to disseminate such information broadly. Depending on a company’s particular circumstances, it should consider whether it may need to revisit, refresh or update previous disclosure to the extent that the information becomes materially inaccurate.

Companies providing forward-looking information in an effort to keep investors informed about material developments, including known trends or uncertainties regarding the coronavirus, can take steps to avail themselves of the safe harbor in Section 21E of the Exchange Act for this information.

Requests for Additional Assistance Relating to COVID-19

Some companies and other affected persons may require additional or different assistance in their efforts to comply with the requirements of the federal securities laws and therefore are encouraged to contact Commission staff. Registrants facing administrative difficulties in the filing process (e.g., inability to obtain a required signature due to an executive officer being located in a quarantined zone) are encouraged to contact the staff who will be available to help address these issues. The Commission staff will address these and any other issues on a case-by-case basis in light of their fact-specific nature.

 

 

Authors and Editors

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