Monday, April 5, 2021
Not far behind the dramatic increase in the use of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) is a corresponding increase in the number of shareholder lawsuits and increased activity at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In recent days, Reuters reported that the SEC opened an inquiry seeking information on how underwriters are managing the risks involved in SPACs,
[i] and the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance (Corp Fin) and acting chief accountant have issued two separate public statements on certain accounting, financial reporting and governance issues that should be considered in connection with SPAC-related mergers.
[ii] This increase in activity by SEC staff comes on the heels of nearly two dozen federal securities class action filings, several SEC investor alerts and earlier guidance from Corp Fin.