Following the April 2, 2020 virtual meeting of the SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee in which the Committee urged the SEC to ease crowdfunding restrictions to allow established small businesses to quickly access potential investors (see HERE), the SEC has provided temporary, conditional expedited crowdfunding access to small businesses. The temporary rules are intended to expedite the offering process for smaller, previously established companies directly or indirectly affected by Covid-19 that are seeking to meet their funding needs through the offer and sale of securities pursuant to Regulation Crowdfunding.
The temporary rules will provide eligible companies with relief from certain rules with respect to the timing of a company’s offering and the financial statements required. To take advantage of the temporary rules, a company must meet enhanced eligibility requirements and provide clear, prominent disclosure to investors about its reliance on the relief. The relief will apply to offerings launched between May 4, 2020 and August 31, 2020.
TEMPORARY RULES
Title III of the JOBS Act, enacted in April 2012, amended the Securities Act to add Section 4(a)(6) to provide an exemption for crowdfunding offerings. Regulation Crowdfunding went into effect on May 16, 2016. The exemption allows issuers to solicit “crowds” to sell up to $1,070,000 (as adjusted for inflation in 2017) in securities in any 12-month period as long as no individual investment exceeds certain threshold amounts. The threshold amount sold to any single investor cannot exceed (a) the greater of $2,000 or 5% of the lower of annual income or net worth of such investor if the investor’s annual income or net worth is less than $100,000; and (b) 10% of the annual income and net worth of such investor, not to exceed a maximum of $100,000, if the investor’s annual income or net worth is more than $100,000. When determining requirements based on net worth, an individual’s primary residence must be excluded from the calculation. Regardless of the category, the total amount any investor can invest is limited to $100,000. For a summary of the provisions, see HERE.
In March 2020, the SEC published proposed rule changes to harmonize, simplify and improve the exempt offering framework including Regulation Crowdfunding. The proposed rules would increase the offering limit to $5 million; increase the investment limit by altering the formula to be based on the greater of, rather than lower of, an investor’s annual income or net worth; remove investment limits on accredited investors; allow the use of special purpose vehicles and reduce the types of securities that can be sold in a Regulation Crowdfunding offering. However, the timing for implementation of the proposed rules, either as proposed or with changes, is uncertain.
As noted, the temporary rules are intended to provide existing eligible smaller businesses with quick access to capital by reaching out to the “crowd” which may include local investors, customers, vendors, etc., that are willing to support small businesses. This table, which was included in the SEC press release announcing the temporary rules, and to which I have provided explanatory and further detailed information, is a very good summary of the temporary rules.
| Requirement | Existing Regulation Crowdfunding | Temporary Amendment |
| Eligibility | The exemption is not available to:
|
To rely on the temporary rules, issuers must meet the existing eligibility criteria PLUS:
|
| Offers permitted | After filing of offering statement (including financial statements) | After filing of offering statement, but financial statements may be initially omitted (if not otherwise available) |
| Investment commitments accepted | After filing of offering statement on Form C (including financial statements) | After filing of offering statement on Form C that includes financial statements or amended offering statement that includes financial statements.
That is, the temporary rule allows a test-the-waters period by allowing the company to file a Form C and post offering information on a funding platform, gathering indications of interest, prior to filing financial statements. If the offering does not garner interest, the company may determine to abandon or delay the offering and would not have occurred the expense of financial statement preparation. Certain disclosures will need to be added if no financial statements are included and no investment commitments can be accepted until the financial statements have been provided. |
| Financial statements required when issuer is offering more than $107,000 and not more than $250,000 in a 12-month period | Financial statements of the issuer reviewed by a public accountant that is independent of the issuer | Financial statements of the issuer and certain information from the issuer’s federal income tax returns, both certified by the principal executive officer.
Must also provide a statement that financial information certified by the principal executive officer has been provided instead of financial statements reviewed by an independent public accountant. |
| Sales permitted | After the information in an offering statement is publicly available for at least 21 days | As soon as an issuer has received binding investment commitments covering the target offering amount (note: commitments are not binding until 48 hours after they are given) |
| Early closing permitted | Once target amount is reached if:
|
As soon as binding commitments are received reaching target amount if:
|
| Cancellations of investment commitments permitted | For any reason until 48 hours prior to the deadline identified in the issuer’s offering materials. Thereafter, an investor is not able to cancel any investment commitments made within the final 48 hours of the offering (except in the event of a material change to the offering). | For any reason for 48 hours from the time of the investor’s investment commitment (or such later period as the issuer may designate). After such 48-hour period, an investment commitment may not be cancelled unless there is a material change to the offering. |
The Author
Laura Anthony, Esq.
Founding Partner
Anthony L.G., PLLC
A Corporate Law Firm
Securities attorney Laura Anthony and her experienced legal team provide ongoing corporate counsel to small and mid-size private companies, OTC and exchange traded public companies as well as private companies going public on the Nasdaq, NYSE American or over-the-counter market, such as the OTCQB and OTCQX. For more than two decades Anthony L.G., PLLC has served clients providing fast, personalized, cutting-edge legal service. The firm’s reputation and relationships provide invaluable resources to clients including introductions to investment bankers, broker-dealers, institutional investors and other strategic alliances. The firm’s focus includes, but is not limited to, compliance with the Securities Act of 1933 offer sale and registration requirements, including private placement transactions under Regulation D and Regulation S and PIPE Transactions, securities token offerings and initial coin offerings, Regulation A/A+ offerings, as well as registration statements on Forms S-1, S-3, S-8 and merger registrations on Form S-4; compliance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including registration on Form 10, reporting on Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K, and 14C Information and 14A Proxy Statements; all forms of going public transactions; mergers and acquisitions including both reverse mergers and forward mergers; applications to and compliance with the corporate governance requirements of securities exchanges including Nasdaq and NYSE American; general corporate; and general contract and business transactions. Ms. Anthony and her firm represent both target and acquiring companies in merger and acquisition transactions, including the preparation of transaction documents such as merger agreements, share exchange agreements, stock purchase agreements, asset purchase agreements and reorganization agreements. The ALG legal team assists Pubcos in complying with the requirements of federal and state securities laws and SROs such as FINRA for 15c2-11 applications, corporate name changes, reverse and forward splits and changes of domicile. Ms. Anthony is also the author of SecuritiesLawBlog.com, the small-cap and middle market’s top source for industry news, and the producer and host of LawCast.com, Corporate Finance in Focus. In addition to many other major metropolitan areas, the firm currently represents clients in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Atlanta, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Denver, Tampa, Detroit and Dallas.
Ms. Anthony is a member of various professional organizations including the Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA), Palm Beach County Bar Association, the Florida Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the ABA committees on Federal Securities Regulations and Private Equity and Venture Capital. She is a supporter of several community charities including siting on the board of directors of the American Red Cross for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, and providing financial support to the Susan Komen Foundation, Opportunity, Inc., New Hope Charities, the Society of the Four Arts, the Norton Museum of Art, Palm Beach County Zoo Society, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts and several others. She is also a financial and hands-on supporter of Palm Beach Day Academy, one of Palm Beach’s oldest and most respected educational institutions. She currently resides in Palm Beach with her husband and daughter.
Ms. Anthony is an honors graduate from Florida State University College of Law and has been practicing law since 1993.
Contact Anthony L.G., PLLC. Inquiries of a technical nature are always encouraged.
Follow Anthony L.G., PLLC on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter.
Listen to our podcast on iTunes Podcast channel.
law·cast
Noun
Lawcast is derived from the term podcast and specifically refers to a series of news segments that explain the technical aspects of corporate finance and securities law. The accepted interpretation of lawcast is most commonly used when referring to LawCast.com, the securities law network. Example: “LawCast expounds on NASDAQ listing requirements.”
Anthony L.G., PLLC makes this general information available for educational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Furthermore, the use of this information, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create or constitute an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us via this information in any form will not be considered as privileged or confidential.
This information is not intended to be advertising, and Anthony L.G., PLLC does not desire to represent anyone desiring representation based upon viewing this information in a jurisdiction where this information fails to comply with all laws and ethical rules of that jurisdiction. This information may only be reproduced in its entirety (without modification) for the individual reader’s personal and/or educational use and must include this notice.
© Anthony L.G., PLLC
