Public Offerings (Chapter 7) Flashcards
Section 5 bars
• § 5(a): Unlawful to sell a security unless registration in effect
o Text: “Unless a registration is in effect as to a security, it shall be unlawful for any person, directly or indirectly (1) to . . . sell [a] security through the use of medium of any prospectus . . . .”
• § 5(b)(1): Prospectus Ban
o Text: “It shall be unlawful for any person (1) to . . . transmit any prospectus relating to any security with respect to which a registration statement has been filed under this title, unless such prospectus meets the requirements of section 10 . . . .”
• § 5(b)(2): Prospectus Delivery Requirement
o Text: “It shall be unlawful for any person (1) to carry . . . any such security for the purpose of sale or for delivery after sale, unless accompanied or preceded by a prospectus that meets the requirements” of § 10(a).
• § 5(c): Unlawful to offer to sell or offer to buy unless registration has been filed
o Text: “It shall be unlawful for any person . . . to offer to sell or offer to buy . . . any security, unless a registration statement has been filed as to such security . . . .”
Section 7
x
Rule 421
x
Form S-1
All companies qualify, except for the securities of foreign governments or the political subdivisions of such governments.
Form S-3
Available to domestic issuers that satisfy one of several eligibility provisions.
(1) The most important category: companies that (a) have been reporting companies for at least one year; (b) were timely in their periodic filings during the past year; and (c) have over $75 million in equity held by non-affiliates.
(2) This $75 mil float req’t is waived if the company is selling no more than 20% of its equity.
Sec. (2)(a)(3)
x Defines offer
Sec. (2)(a)(4)
x
Sec. (2)(a)(10)
x
Sec. (2)(a)(11)
x
Sec. 4(1)
x
Sec. 5
What provisions, and when do they matter?
§ 5(a): no sales (applies through waiting period)
§ 5(c): no offers (applies through pre-filing period)
§ 5(b)(1): (starts with waiting period) no prospectus unless meets requirements of § 10
§ 5(b)(2): (post-effective period) Cannot transmit securities for sale unless § 10(a) prospectus before or after
Sec. 10
x
Rule 135
x
Rule 163
Safe harbor for WKSIs: Provides a special exemption solely for WKSIs communicating during the pre-filing period.
o Applies to both oral and written communications.
• Written = free writing prospectuses and prospectuses under 2(a)(10).
• By deeming a Rule 163 written communication as a prospectus, the SEC creates both Rule 10b-5 and 12(a)(2) private antifraud liability.
WKSIs relying on 163 must meet several conditions:
• (1) Written communication must include a specified legend – 163(b)(1)
• (2) WKSI must file written communications under 163 with the SEC “promptly” after the filing of the RS – 163(b)(2)
• (3) An offering participant who is an underwriter or dealer, even if acting on behalf of the WKSI, may not take advantage of 163 – 163(c)
Rule 163A
30-day cool down rule, general safe harbor
It imposes several conditions:
o (1) Communication may not refer to the securities offering – 163A(a)
o (2) Issuer must take reasonable steps to ensure that further distribution or publication of the communication does not occur during the 30 days immediately prior to the filing of the RS – 163A(a)
o (3) An offering participant who is an underwriter or dealer, even if acting on behalf of the issuer, may not take advantage of Rule 163A – 163A(c)
Justification: to provide a sufficient time period to cool any interest in the offering that might arise from the communication.
Rule 168
Reporting issuer safe harbor: Safe harbor for regularly released or disseminated factual business info and forward-looking info. If it applies, it excludes comm’s from the definition of an offer for purposes of 5(c) and 2(a)(10).
Conditions Imposed:
• (1) Only factual business or forward-looking info are permitted under 168(a).
• (2) An offering participant who is an underwriter or dealer, even if acting on behalf of the issuer, cannot rely on Rule 168. – 168(b)(3)
• (3) Rule 168 doesn’t permit disclosure of info about the public offering, nor can such disclosure be a “part of the offering activities.” – 168(c)
• (4) The info under 168 must be regularly released or disseminated – 168(a), and the issuer must have previously released or disseminated the same type of info in the ordinary course of business – 168(d)(1).
Rule 169
Non-reporting issuer safe harbor: Provides a safe harbor for regularly released or disseminated factual business info for all issuers, including those who fail to qualify for 168.
o Conditions imposed:
• (1) Unlike 168, only factual business info is permitted – 169(a)
• 169(b)(1) defines factual business info to include:
o (i) Factual info about the issuer, its business or financial developments, or other aspects of its business; and
o (ii) Advertisements of, or other info about, the issuer’s products or services.
• (2) An offering participant who is an underwriter or dealer, even if acting on behalf of the issuer, cannot rely on Rule 169. – 169(b)(2)
• (3) Release of info may neither contain info about the public offering nor represent it as “part of the offering activities.” – 168(c)
• (4) The info under 169 must be regularly released or disseminated – 169(a), and the issuer must have previously released or disseminated the same type of info in the ordinary course of business – 169(d)(1).
Rule 405
Electronic communications are “offers” if NOT in real-time
- “real time” = if the other person on the other side of the communication has the ability to ask questions and get answers
- Hyperlinks can be an offer – Rule 433(e)