The recent changes the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has made have shaken up the public market in a way that could permanently reshape the balance of power between companies and investors. Today on the Bite-Sized Business Law Podcast, we welcome Walker Newell to discuss the SEC’s big reset and its effects on investors, businesses, and their advisors. In this conversation, you’ll hear all about Walker’s career, his time at the SEC, and his unexpected foray into D&O insurance. We delve into the shareholder proposal rules and how things have changed before discussing the SEC’s new proposal to end quarterly reporting and how Walker thinks companies will react. We then discuss the mandatory securities arbitration issue and what companies must consider before adopting such a clause. Finally, Walker talks about future developments within this area and shares advice for young professionals about how his time working in government informed and influenced the rest of his career. Thanks for tuning in! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Welcoming Walker Newell to the show. 
• A brief overview of his background and his time at the SEC. 
• Walker breaks down the shareholder proposal rules. 
• What has changed within the SEC this year after the shutdown. 
• Walker tells us about the brand-new proposal the SEC put out regarding quarterly reporting. 
• What the Mandatory Securities Arbitration issue is and how companies should be thinking about it.
• Finding a balance between shareholders and management. 
• How Walker’s time at the SEC influenced his career. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Walker Newell on LinkedIn

SEC Comment Page for Semiannual Reporting Proposal 

Fordham University School of Law Corporate Law Center