Perhaps the most vexing threshold issue faced by any company considering a capital raise is which securities exemption to pursue. The chosen exemption largely depends on the targeted amount of the raise, as well as the manner in which potential investors will be solicited and the type of disclosure to be provided. But this presents
general solicitation
Why Private Capital and Crowdfunding Markets Should be Nervous about President Biden’s Regulatory Freeze
A freeze on government regulation is generally perceived by most people as being a positive development for private enterprise. Not necessarily so, however, when the regulation being frozen is itself a reform of preexisting regulatory burdens.
Among the many Presidential Actions taken by President Biden on his first day in office was one entitled Regulatory…
“Demo Days are Here Again”: Part Two of Exempt Offering Amendments Deeper Dive
At the 1932 Democratic National Convention, the live band at one point burst into “Happy Days are Here Again”, FDR’s favorite, drawing raucous cheers from convention delegates. It went on to become the Democratic Party’s unofficial theme song for years to come. The song is also associated with the repeal of Prohibition shortly after FDR’s…
Significant Exempt Offering Rule Reforms Approved by SEC to Facilitate Capital Formation
On November 2, 2020, the SEC adopted significant rule amendments to simplify, harmonize and improve the exempt offering framework to facilitate capital formation and investment opportunities in startups and emerging companies. The rule amendments were initially proposed in March 2020, and first conceived in a concept release in June 2019. The reforms simplify the integration…
In my Backyard: Real Estate Developers can Use Equity Crowdfunding both to Fund Projects and Convert Opposition
Real estate developers should seriously consider equity crowdfunding to fund development projects for two major reasons, one of which has little or nothing to do with money. The first reason is that new securities offering legislation enacted in 2012 creates new legal capital raising pathways which allow developers for the first time to use the…
“Third Time’s a Charm”: House Adopts JOBS Act 3.0 to Fix Earlier Capital Raising Reform Efforts
It’s not often that the House of Representatives votes nearly unanimously on anything noteworthy these days, but that’s exactly what the House did on July 17 in voting 406-4 for the “JOBS and Investor Confidence Act of 2018”, also known on the street as “JOBS Act 3.0”, which is the latest iteration of the effort…
Good Choice: Important Capital Formation Reforms in Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 Passed by House
On June 8, 2017, the House of Representatives passed the Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 on a vote of 233-186. Congress loves acronyms, and here “CHOICE” stands for Creating Hope and Opportunity for Investors, Consumers and Entrepreneurs. Although the thrust of the bill is focused on repeal or modification of significant portions of the Dodd-Frank…
SEC Adopts Rules to Facilitate Intrastate and Regional Offerings
On October 26, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted final rules intended to make intrastate and regional offerings more viable pathways for smaller raises. The new rules (i) amend Rule 147 to simplify the “doing business” standard, (ii) create a new intrastate exemption, Rule 147A, which allows use of the internet and other forms…
Title III Crowdfunding Goes Live Today with Much Potential, but Different Reality
Ever since the Federal securities laws were enacted in 1933, all offers and sales of securities in the United States had to either be registered with the SEC or satisfy an exemption from registration. The commonly used private offering exemption, however, prohibited any act of general solicitation. The JOBS Act of 2012 created a new…
New SEC Guidance on What Constitutes “General Solicitation”
August 6, 2015 was a productive day for the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance on the issue of the prohibition on general solicitation in the context of online private offerings under Rule 506(b). My last blog post, entitled “It’s Complicated”: Establishing “Preexisting Relationships” with Prospective Investors, analyzed the…