On November 13, 2025, following the end of the federal government shutdown, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued guidance that offers much‑needed clarity to issuers, underwriters, and advisors navigating filings made during and immediately after the shutdown. With more than 900 registration statements filed during the shutdown, questions quickly mounted regarding automatic effectiveness, the treatment of missing information under Rule 430A, acceleration mechanics, and the status of filings already in the review pipeline. The staff (the Staff) of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance (the Division) addressed these topics directly through a series of Questions and Answers. This alert explains the guidance, describes the practical implications for capital markets and M&A participants, and recommends near‑term steps to adapt filing and transaction timelines.

ExxonMobil Corporation (Exxon) recently made headlines as the first U.S. public company to receive a green light from the SEC for a retail voting program based on Standing Voting Instructions (SVIs), officially known as the Exxon Voter Pool.

On September 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to solicit public comment on questions relating to the implementation of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act. Through this ANPRM, Treasury sought feedback on a wide range of potential regulatory issues, including clarity around issuance and marketing restrictions, compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) obligations, anti-money laundering (AML) and sanctions enforcement, coordination between state and federal oversight, foreign regulatory comparability, and tax implications.