An SEC Rollback and a Tribute to Barney Frank

The award-winning Compliance into the Weeds is the only weekly podcast that takes a deep dive into a compliance-related topic, literally going into the weeds to explore it more fully. Looking for some hard-hitting insights on compliance? Look no further than Compliance into the Weeds! In this episode of Compliance into the Weeds, Tom Fox and Matt Kelly discuss SEC Chair Paul Atkins’ proposals to overhaul filer categories and sharply reduce corporate reporting and governance obligations, including SOX 404B internal control testing and Dodd-Frank say-on-pay votes, alongside a companion proposal to allow semi-annual instead of quarterly reporting. Matt explains the shift to only two categories, raising the large accelerated filer threshold to $2B market cap, eliminating smaller reporting company status, and leaving roughly 80% of public companies as non-accelerated filers with reduced disclosures (e.g., two years of audited financials). They note a five-year IPO grace period, dubbed the “Elon exemption”, that could cover large new issuers such as SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic. They warn of weakened investor protection, reduced enforcement, and significant impacts on compliance and culture. The episode closes with reflections on Barney Frank’s intellect, style, and Dodd-Frank legacy. Key highlights: Atkins Rollback Overview New Filer Categories and Elon Exemption Investor Protection Fallout Compliance Culture Impacts Remembering Barney Frank Resources: Matt on Radical Compliance Tom in Compliance Week Tom Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn A multi-award-winning podcast, Compliance into the Weeds was most recently honored as one of the Top 25 Regulatory Compliance Podcasts, a Top 10 Business Law Podcast, and a Top 12 Risk Management Podcast. Compliance into the Weeds has been conferred a Davey, a Communicator Award, and a W3 Award, all for podcast excellence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices