Public Chatter
man walking up spiral concrete staircase

Public Chatter

Public Chatter provides practical guidance—and the latest developments—to those grappling with public company securities law and corporate governance issues, through content developed from an in-house perspective.   
Placeholder image
August 25, 2021

Nasdaq’s “Board Diversity” FAQs: 45 & Growing

A few weeks ago, I blogged about 5 things you should know about Nasdaq's new board diversity disclosure requirement.

 View blog post
Placeholder image
August 24, 2021

Should In-House Lawyers Keep Track of SEC Comment Letter Trends?

 In a word, probably not. Okay, that's two words. I find that some in-house lawyers will look at the SEC Staff comment letters sent to their peer companies to get an inkling of what the Staff might ask their company about their 10-Ks and 10-Qs. But otherwise, keeping track of comment letter trends is something that law firms and the Big 4 tend to handle for them. View blog post
Placeholder image
August 23, 2021

Where to Start When Considering a Climate Pledge

 So many companies have already announced a climate pledge that this topic has sort of been beaten to death. But some of the issues to consider bear repeating for those who still haven't taken the plunge. View blog post
Placeholder image
August 19, 2021

“Well, That Didn’t Work.” Handling the Disclosure Implications of Getting Out of a Business Line

 Following up on my latest blog about new lines of business, no one hits a home run every time. Not even the best of companies. Sometimes a line of business will be shut down. View blog post
Placeholder image
August 18, 2021

The SEC Brings Another Cyber Breach Disclosure Case! 5 Things to Consider

 For years, we've heard that the SEC's Enforcement Division has been policing cybersecurity breach disclosures and related disclosure controls. The SEC has conducted a number of SEC investigations over that time, but very few of those have seen the light of day. View blog post
Placeholder image
August 17, 2021

When Should a Pre-IPO Company Start Worrying About Shareholder Engagement?

 If you're a private company seeking to go public someday, you probably spend a lot of time worrying about raising the next round and keeping the ship afloat. View blog post
Placeholder image
August 16, 2021

ESG Diligence: Why You Need to Check EPA & Other Environmental Databases

You might find that potential customers or suppliers suddenly get cold feet with you. They indicate you're not environmentally-friendly enough for their business. Your company is green and complies with environmental laws. What gives? It simply could be a matter of a governmental administrative mishap.

 View blog post
Placeholder image
August 12, 2021

Closing the Insider Trading Window for Climate Events

 As extreme climate events move from the nearly impossible to possible - and even probable - circumstances are likely to arise that cause you to consider closing the trading window for insiders. View blog post
Placeholder image
August 11, 2021

You Asked for It! An ESG Materiality Graphic

 During our recent webcast - "The ESG Cutting Edge: Reporting & Engagement" – an audience member asked for a graphic to help explain the sometimes confusing variety of "materiality" definitions that arise when talking about ESG issues. View blog post
Placeholder image
August 10, 2021

Our "Shareholder Engagement Workshop" - Mock Engagement & More...

We've decided to hold a second installment of our popular "Shareholder Engagement Workshop" for in-house practitioners as the initial one filled to capacity so quickly. It's being held next Tuesday, August 17th - so if you're in-house and interested, please drop me a line and I'll shoot over an invite. Here's how the workshop works:

 View blog post
Placeholder image
August 9, 2021

5 Things to Know About Nasdaq’s Board Diversity Disclosure Requirement

 On Friday, the SEC issued this 82-page Order approving both Nasdaq's proposed board diversity disclosure requirement and a proposed board recruiting service proposal. Both of these proposals were originally proposed last December and then amended in February. View blog post
Placeholder image
August 5, 2021

Yes, You Can Disclaim Beneficial Ownership in a Form 4 in Appropriate Circumstances

 Unless you're a diehard Section 16 fan, you might not realize that reporting securities as "indirectly owned through others" is not a binding admission of beneficial ownership. That can be a tough concept to grasp. It doesn't seem real sometimes. Although not common, there certainly are situations where the extent of an insider's beneficial ownership isn't clear. View blog post
Placeholder image
August 4, 2021

The Enjoyable Transition to Deliberate & Intentional Business Travel

I never thought I'd miss business travel. Not taking a business trip for over a year has been as big of a change to my routine as working from home. With clients all over the country, plus law firm leadership responsibilities, I used to travel a lot, and probably flew somewhere almost once a week.

 View blog post
Placeholder image
August 3, 2021

The In-House Lawyer and the New Business Line’s Marketing Machine

 Following up on my latest blog, Broc and I were mulling over the important question: "how does the publicity about a new line of business look in SEC filings compared to the marketing machine?" Obviously, the two different communication channels serve differ View blog post
Placeholder image
August 2, 2021

The Quorum Problem for Smaller Companies is Growing

 Recently, I was talking to Steve Pantina, who is co-founder and CEO of Proxy Analytics. View blog post
© 2026 Perkins Coie LLP