Natalie Bannerman
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IPOs, crypto and deregulation: The SEC prepares for a shift in 2026
Hot off the heels of his NYSE address, SEC chair lays out his vision for the Commission in 2026 and beyond On December 2, 2025, SEC chairman Paul Atkins rang the opening bell at the NYSE and delivered a keynote address titled Revitalizing America’s markets at 250. In a sweeping vision for the future of US capital markets, he argued the rule that over decades have piled up around public companies have made going public costlier and more burdensome – causing the number of listed firms to decline by roughly 40 percent since the mid-1990s. Atkins painted the exchanges not…
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The new age of US bank deregulation: what it means for GRC professionals
The US banking sector is preparing for a new regulatory landscape that could reshape risk management across financial institutions and markets NYSE-listed social media company Snaphas appointed long-term outside counsel Zachery Briers as its new general counsel. He joins from Munger, Tolles & Olson where he worked for 13 years as a partner. Briers succeeds Michael O’Sullivan, who in September announced plans to step down from the role at the end of the year. In a LinkedIn post announcing his appointment, Briers says: ‘Snap continues to redefine how people communicate and express themselves and I look forward to contributing to…
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People moves: Snapchat owner names Zachary Briers as new GC
Plus, Life360, Strategy Inc and Incyte all name new general counsel The US is entering a new phase of financial deregulation, marked most visibly by the November 2025 decision by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and other federal regulators to ease key leverage rules for banks, which set minimum capital ratios to ensure financial institutions have enough capital to absorb losses and maintain solvency. The reforms reduce the enhanced supplementary leverage ratio (eSLR) for the largest institutions and lighten capital obligations for smaller banks. According to Reuters, subsidiaries at major banks could see capital requirements fall by about 27…
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The week in GRC: Glass Lewis mulls investment adviser registration as Armani appoints new board
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web On the latest episode of the Governance Matters podcast, editor Laurie Havelock is joined by senior reporter Natalie Bannerman to discuss all the latest goings on from the world of GRC. ISS has unveiled its 2026 benchmark policy updates, ushering in a greater focus on that transparency and accountability across all jurisdictions. At the same time, the SEC’s 2026 exam priorities spotlight data privacy and – for the first time in years –exclude cryptocurrencies, signalling a softer stance on the asset. Also, fresh on the heels of the Corporate…
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People moves: Elon Musk’s xAI appoints former DOGE legal chief James Burnham as general counsel
Plus, Forward Industries, Ur-Energy and Solar Alliance Energy grow their GRC teams Published earlier this week, ISS released its 2026 Benchmark Policy Updates, effective for shareholder meetings held on or after February 1, 2026. One of the most consequential shifts in the newly released standards is that the proxy advisory will recommend voting against directors at companies with multi-class share structures, unless specific exceptions apply. Notably, ISS would permit support where the structure involves convertible preferred shares evaluated on an ‘as-converted’ basis and this treatment applies regardless of whether the multi-class shares are common or preferred. This marks a significant…
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ISS 2026 Benchmark Policy changes: What companies need to know
Proxy advisor has released its latest policies for the 2026 proxy season, signalling a change in expectations James Burnham has been named as the new general counsel at Elon Musk’s technology company xAI. Revealed in short mention at the end of a press release, Burnham joins following his tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency(DOGE) as general counsel. Prior to this he also held roles like senior associate counsel at The White House under the Trump Administration and counselor to the attorney general at the US Department of Justice. Burnham succeeds Robert Keele who stepped down as head of legal…
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Rising to the top: Insights from Corporate Governance Awards nominees and winners
Corporate leaders from across industries reflected on the pride, purpose and impact of being recognized at the 2025 Corporate Governance Awards. Though corporate governance is centered on sticking to the regulations, it’s important to recognize those GCs and legal teams who go above and beyond. At its best, award-winning corporate governance reflects integrity, transparency and purpose-driven leadership at listed companies. We spoke to the nominees and winners of the 2025 Corporate Governance Awards to discover their perspectives on what it means to be recognized for excellence in the field – and why other governance professionals should follow in their wake.…
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SEC’s 2026 exam priorities: data privacy takes center stage as crypto is dropped
Next year, the SEC is sending a clear message: safeguarding customer data is no longer optional On November 17, the SEC’s Division of Examinations released its 2026 examination priorities –a document that, as always, serves as both a roadmap for registrants and a clear statement of where the agency believes the biggest risks to investors and markets now lie. While the list is not exhaustive, it provides an unusually sharp look at how the SEC is recalibrating its approach heading into the next regulatory cycle. This year, that recalibration is significant. Keith Cassidy, acting director of the Division of Examinations…
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The week in GRC: The SEC reviews rules for ‘big four’ auditors as Starbucks faces a shareholder lawsuit
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web –The SEC is weighing changes to conflict of interest rules that restrict which companies the ‘big four’ accounting firms – KPMG, Deloitte, PwC and EY – may audit, according to the commission’s chief accountant Kurt Hohl. As reported by the Financial Times (paywall), speaking at Baruch College’s annual auditing standards conference, Hohl warned that long-standing independence rules may no longer be ‘fit for purpose’ as technology and AI companies form increasingly complex partnerships. Because large accounting firms now sell software and AI tools from companies such as Microsoft and…
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Almost nine in 10 companies chose classified boards at IPO, research shows
Newly public companies are holding onto IPO-era governance protections far longer than investors anticipate Some 88 percent of companies adopt classified boards immediately following their IPO, while 80 percent of those who remain publicly listed hold onto the governance structure, new research shows. The statistic from Cooley’s Post-IPO Governance Trends 2025 report – which surveyed 225 US-based, post-IPO companies – underscores one of the clearest themes in the study: newly public companies continue to hold tight to protective governance structures long after going public. Classified boards are not the only IPO-era protection that proves durable. Supermajority voting requirements remain widespread,…