This high-level overview of a couple of noteworthy DOL regulatory initiatives should be useful for boards and management teams alike.  The first  is a proposed amendment to a popular “prohibited transaction” exemption, which, if passed, will have a significant impact on many financial contracts, including existing loan and ISDA contracts.  The second is a final regulation governing ERISA plan investments, which could alter how plan investors consider ESG as part of their investment strategy and manage their investments in public companies
Continue Reading The DOL Finalizes Yet Another Rule on ESG and Proxy Voting and Proposes Significant Amendments to the QPAM Exemption

The following post was originally included as part of our recently published memorandum “Selected Issues for Boards of Directors in 2023”.

In March 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued for public comment a rule proposal regarding certain climate-related disclosures that reporting companies would need to include in their registration statements

We have once again asked our colleagues from around our firm to boil down the issues in their fields that boards of directors and senior management of public companies will be facing in the coming year. In the following pages, we present the results for 2023 – focused updates on 18 topics that will surely feature at the top of board agendas throughout the year.Continue Reading Selected Issues for Boards of Directors in 2023

The Department of Labor released its final rule clarifying the application of ERISA’s fiduciary duties to the selection of investments and investment courses of action, including with respect to the consideration of ESG factors and the exercise of shareholder rights. Please click the link below for a high-level overview of the final rule, which discusses

As you are likely aware, the SEC published in March 2022 an ambitious proposal to require public companies to provide climate-related disclosures. If the proposal is adopted – which seems likely, at least in some form – it will place heavy new demands on public companies and require them to provide climate-related information in their registration statements and annual reports filed with the SEC.
Continue Reading Cleary Submits Comments on SEC Climate Proposal

On April 21, 2022, Cleary Gottlieb partners Nicolas Grabar and Francesca Odell, and associate Shuangjun Wang participated in the Governance Watch Webcast, “Briefing on Proposed SEC Climate-Related Disclosure Rules,” organized by Cleary and The Conference Board ESG Center.

The discussion focused on the long-awaited SEC proposal on climate-related disclosure rules, how companies should get