Background In August 2021, the SEC approved Nasdaq’s proposal on diversity inclusion premised on the self-accountability framework of comply or explain. This was coupled with approval of Nasdaq’s one-year complimentary board recruiting service, which can help further the diversity inclusion mandate for companies without access to candidates who can fulfill the requirement. Diversity has been defined on grounds of gender, race or ethnicity and LGBTQ+ status. The diversity incl

Interestingly, there is no single accepted definition of the term “corporate governance.” Broadly speaking, it refers to the system by which companies are directed and controlled. It also refers to a structure through which the objectives of the company are set, and the means of attaining those objectives and monitoring performance are determined (OECD). Unsurprisingly, many believe that only public companies should be concerned with implementing corporate governance practice

Background ESG disclosures have become front and center for businesses and corporations in recent years. Findings from a recent 2019 survey conducted by the Harvard Business Review show that ESG issues were “almost universally top of mind” among seventy senior business executives that cut across investment banks and asset management firms. Earlier in July, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”)’s Chairman Gary Gensler said: “Investors are looking for consistent,

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”) have found particular favor in the United States over the past two years as an alternative to the traditional IPO structure, with capital raised by SPACs in the US in Q1 2021 alone exceeding the already-record 2020 annual total of $87.9 billion USD. However, in recent months, SPAC activity has slowed substantially, dropping 82% by the conclusion of Q2 2021 — with some citing concerns around a lack of viable targets for de-SPAC