SEC Announces Advisory Committee Meeting in San Francisco to Discuss Small Business Issues

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2012-169

Washington, D.C., Aug. 29, 2012 – The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that its Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies will hold its next meeting in San Francisco on September 7 to discuss market structure and disclosure rules among other issues affecting smaller companies.

The Advisory Committee was formed last year to provide a formal mechanism for the SEC to receive advice and recommendations on privately-held small businesses and publicly-traded companies with a market capitalization of less than $250 million. More information about the Committee and its members is available at http://www.sec.gov/info/smallbus/acsec.shtml.

The Advisory Committee, which typically meets at the SEC´s Washington headquarters, is holding the meeting on the West Coast in order to hear from a different pool of small business representatives and learn more about the issues affecting that region.

The meeting will be held at the SEC´s San Francisco Regional Office located at 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 2800. The event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific time, is open to the public, but pre-registration is required by September 5 to attend in person.

To attend, send an e-mail to SmallBusiness@sec.gov with the subject line of "Register for Advisory Committee Meeting" and provide a name, phone number, and any organizational affiliation.

Or register by phone by calling 202-551-3460 and leaving a name, phone number, and any organizational affiliation in a voice mail message.

All attendees will be required to show a government-issued photo ID to gain entrance.

The meeting will not be webcast on the SEC´s website, but a live audio feed will be available by calling 877-732-6722 and providing the Meeting ID number 1535.

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Agenda and Participants

9 a.m.

Update from Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee

9:15 a.m.

Presentations and Discussion of Market Structure Issues and Impact on IPOs

• Jay Ritter – Cordell Professor of Finance, Warrington College of Business Administration, University of Florida

• David Weild – Chairman and CEO, Capital Markets Advisory Partners

• Edward Kim – Managing Director, Capital Markets Advisory Partners

Noon

Lunch and a Presentation by SEC Enforcement Staff on Compliance Risks Facing Small and Emerging Companies

1 p.m.

Presentations and Discussion of Disclosure Rules for Smaller Public Companies

• Steven E. Bochner, Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

• Jeff Schwartz, Associate Professor, University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law

• Robert Bartlett, Professor of Law, University of California - Berkeley School of Law

3:30 p.m.

Discussion of Next Steps/Closing Comments

4 p.m.

Meeting Concludes

9 a.m.	Update from Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee
9:15 a.m.	Presentations and Discussion of Market Structure Issues and Impact on IPOs • Jay Ritter – Cordell Professor of Finance, Warrington College of Business Administration, University of Florida • David Weild – Chairman and CEO, Capital Markets Advisory Partners • Edward Kim – Managing Director, Capital Markets Advisory Partners
Noon	Lunch and a Presentation by SEC Enforcement Staff on Compliance Risks Facing Small and Emerging Companies
1 p.m.	Presentations and Discussion of Disclosure Rules for Smaller Public Companies • Steven E. Bochner, Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati • Jeff Schwartz, Associate Professor, University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law • Robert Bartlett, Professor of Law, University of California - Berkeley School of Law
3:30 p.m.	Discussion of Next Steps/Closing Comments
4 p.m.	Meeting Concludes