TheCorporateCounsel.net

September 27, 2013

The Looming Government Shutdown: It’s Impact on You (& the SEC)

With a government shutdown starting to look quite possible on Tuesday, many members have emailed me this week wondering how deals will get through Corp Fin if it indeed happens. As I blogged last week, sadly we’ve seen this movie before. Here’s a blog about what the SEC said back in ’11, when a shutdown seemed likely (but never happened). Essentially, the SEC’s statement said:

EDGAR will remain fully functional – but that the SEC’s Divisions (including Corp Fin) will be unable to process filings, provide interpretive advice, issue no-action letters or conduct any other normal activities. As a result, new or pending registration statements or applications for exemptive relief will not be processed regardless of the status of any review of those filings.

There will be only an “extremely limited number” of Staffers working during the shutdown – so although the SEC’s statement provides an email address and phone number for emergencies, I imagine only true emergencies will be handled by the Staff. Other than these designated essential Staffers, any attempt to work during the shutdown is a firing offense – so there is nothing that a staffer can do for you even out of kindness of their heart. The government is scheduled to shutdown tonight at midnight.

I imagine that we will see a similar statement from the SEC either today or on Monday…

Improving Your Communications

In this podcast, Theresa Hyatte and Scott Morgan of MorganHyatte explain why – and how to – better communicate, including:

– What types of communication training do most corporate lawyers need?
– How is training for talking to the media different than other types of communication training?
– How can a corporate lawyer tell if they are someone that needs training?
– What is your process for training?

My two-minute video on the “do’s & don’ts of public speaking” has been popular – and a good starter for the types of enhancements that Theresa and Scott are talking about…

Poll: How Many Corp Fin Staffers Are “Essential”?

In the eyes of a federal shutdown, how many Corp Fin Staffers are considered “essential”? Take a guess in this poll:

free polls

– Broc Romanek