Law lecture to examine impact of SEC’s transparency measures

Lin (Lynn) Bai, professor of law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, will discuss the impact of the SEC’s adoption of new transparency measures in her lecture “The SEC’s (Ill-Fated) Stock Repurchase Transparency Reform: A Missed Opportunity for Investor Protection”.  This event, the 2024 Harold C. Schott Lecture, will be held at 12:15 p.m., Friday, October 25, 2024, in Room 140 at the College of Law (2925 Campus Green Drive). The lecture is free and open to the public. CLE: 1 hour of general CLE has been approved for KY and OH. Parking is available at the Campus Green Garage. Registration is appreciated.

About the Lecture

In May 2023, the SEC adopted new transparency measures designed to improve oversight of corporate stock buybacks. However, the new regulation faced immediate and successful challenges in court, prompting the agency to suspend its implementation in November 2023 for further cost-benefit analysis. Critics contended that the new regulation would offer minimal additional benefit to investors given the current regulatory framework. Despite this legal setback, advocates for the re-proposal of the regulation persist. This article shows that the new regulation would open new avenues of legal recourse for investors, fortify their claims that might otherwise be dismissed, and unlock corporate records for inspection that were previously inaccessible. The new regulation would enhance investor protection and market integrity.

About the Lecturer

PHoto of lecturer: Professor Lynn Bai

Professor Lynn Bai

Lin (Lynn) Bai, professor of law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, specializes in corporate and securities law. Her research has been published in esteemed journals, including the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business Law, Virginia Law & Business Review, NYU Journal of Law and Business, William & Mary Business Law Journal, Emory Corporate Governance and Accountability Review, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and Wisconsin Law Review, among others. Notably, her article "The Uptick Rule of Short Sale Regulation – Can It Alleviate the Downward Pressure from Negative Earnings Shocks?" was cited by the SEC in its amendments to short sale regulations. Additionally, her co-authored work, "There are Plaintiffs, and . . . There are Plaintiffs: An Empirical Analysis of Securities Class Action Settlements" (with James D. Cox and Randall S. Thomas), was recognized as one of the "Top 10 Corporate and Securities Articles of 2008" by Corporate Practice Commentator.

Professor Bai joined the College of Law faculty in 2007 after a decade of experience in corporate finance and securities law, serving as a lawyer and investment banker in New York, as well as a securities market regulator in Hong Kong. She received her BA from Beijing University, JD from the University of Texas at Austin, LLM from Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law, and PhD from Duke University, Fuqua School of Business.

Lead photo: istockphoto.com; Bai: UC Photography  

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