Just a few days ago, a state-linked hacking group claimed responsibility for a disruptive cyberattack on a Fortune 500 medical technology company with no ransom demand and no negotiation, calling it retaliation for a U.S. military strike. The risk of this type of politically-motivated cyberattack may increase given the increasingly volatile geopolitical environment. To combat this, the President recently signed an executive order targeting cybercrime carried out by transnational criminal organizations, aimed at improving federal coordination in combatting cybercrime. Now is an important time for boards and management teams to focus on crisis and risk management, including durable operational resilience planning. This alert provides perspectives about current best practices on incident preparedness in the face of such threats, explains how this preparedness can be supplemented by an operational resilience framework, discusses the practical implications of the executive order, and lays out a governance hygiene checklist to guide your next cybersecurity oversight discussion.Continue Reading Cybersecurity in the Age of Cyber Warfare: Governance Reminders for Public Company Boards
Corporate Law
SEC Updates C&DI Guidance: January and February 2026 Roundup – Part 3
In January and February 2026, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance (Corp Fin) issued, revised, and withdrew several C&DIs addressing corporate transactions and capital markets practices. The full set of January and February releases is linked below:
- January 23, 2026: Release 1 | Release 2 | Release 3
- February 11, 2026: Release 1 | Release 2
- February 17, 2026: Release 1
Continue Reading SEC Updates C&DI Guidance: January and February 2026 Roundup – Part 3
SEC Updates C&DI Guidance: January and February 2026 Roundup – Part 2
In January and February 2026, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance (Corp Fin) issued, revised, and withdrew several C&DIs addressing corporate transactions and capital markets practices. The full set of January and February releases is linked below:
- January 23, 2026: Release 1 | Release 2 | Release 3
- February 11, 2026: Release 1 | Release 2
- February 17, 2026: Release 1
Continue Reading SEC Updates C&DI Guidance: January and February 2026 Roundup – Part 2
SEC Updates C&DI Guidance: January and February 2026 Roundup – Part 1
In January and February 2026, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance (Corp Fin) issued, revised, and withdrew several C&DIs addressing corporate transactions and capital markets practices. The full set of January and February releases is linked below:
- January 23, 2026: Release 1 | Release 2 | Release 3
- February 11, 2026: Release 1 | Release 2
- February 17, 2026: Release 1
Continue Reading SEC Updates C&DI Guidance: January and February 2026 Roundup – Part 1
Section 16(a) Reporting: SEC Adopts Final Rules for Foreign Private Issuers
On February 27, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted final rules implementing the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act, or HFIAA. As expected, the final rules require directors and officers of foreign private issuers with a class of equity securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act to report their beneficial ownership and transactions on Forms 3, 4, and 5. The rules take effect on March 18, 2026, meaning initial Form 3 filings are due in less than three weeks. The final rules contain no major surprises, and address several interpretive questions that remained open following enactment. As the SEC noted in explaining its decision to forgo notice-and-comment rulemaking, the amendments “simply conform the Commission’s rules and forms to the requirements of HFIA Act and involve limited exercise of agency discretion.” In this alert, we highlight the most significant clarifications and practical considerations for compliance. For additional background on HFIAA, please refer to our prior alert, Section 16(a) Insider Reporting: Legislation Ends Foreign Private Issuer Exemption.Continue Reading Section 16(a) Reporting: SEC Adopts Final Rules for Foreign Private Issuers
Selected Issues for Boards of Directors in 2026
2026 promises to be a year that will demand both agility and strategic foresight from boards of directors and management as they navigate unprecedented challenges.
Drawing on insights from colleagues across Cleary Gottlieb’s global offices, our 2026 edition of Selected Issues for Boards of Directors examines the critical issues that dominated boardroom discussions in 2025 and identifies the emerging trends that will shape board agendas in the year ahead.
Continue Reading Selected Issues for Boards of Directors in 2026
Fifth Circuit Reinstates CTA Injunction Pending Oral Arguments in March; FinCEN January 13 Deadline on Hold
On December 26, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated the previous grant of a stay of the injunction enjoining enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and beneficial ownership reporting rule. As a result, the nationwide preliminary injunction originally granted by the district court is once again in effect pending consideration of the DOJ’s appeal by the Fifth Circuit’s merits panel.Continue Reading Fifth Circuit Reinstates CTA Injunction Pending Oral Arguments in March; FinCEN January 13 Deadline on Hold
Section 16(a) Insider Reporting: Legislation Ends Foreign Private Issuer Exemption
On December 18, 2025, the President of the United States signed into law the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act (“HFIAA”), making officers and directors of foreign private issuers (“FPIs”) subject to public reporting of holdings of, and transactions in, the issuers’ equity securities under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The new law will become effective on March 18, 2026.Continue Reading Section 16(a) Insider Reporting: Legislation Ends Foreign Private Issuer Exemption
Preparing an Annual Report on Form 20-F – Guide for 2026
Form 20-F is the form used for an annual report of a foreign private issuer (“FPI”) filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or the “Commission”). This alert memorandum summarizes considerations that will affect the preparation of the annual report on Form 20-F for the year ending on December 31, 2025 (the “2025 20‑F”) and certain other developments pertinent to FPIs.Continue Reading Preparing an Annual Report on Form 20-F – Guide for 2026
Filing Fees and the Fuss over FEPT
The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted the “Filing Fee Disclosure and Payment Methods Modernization Rule” on October 13, 2021, to “make the filing process faster, less expensive, and more efficient for SEC staff and market participants.” Over the last few years, the SEC has phased in various requirements of this rule. However, effective July 31, 2025, all filers are now required to be compliant.Continue Reading Filing Fees and the Fuss over FEPT