Tagged: accredited investor

Capital Markets / SEC Rulemaking

Rule 506(c) Update: SEC Issues No-Action Letter Allowing Self-Certification of Accredited Investor Status in Certain Circumstances

On March 12, 2025, the staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Division of Corporate Finance issued a no-action letter in response to a request for Rule 506(c) interpretative guidance, agreeing that an issuer could reasonably conclude that it has taken reasonable steps to verify a purchaser’s accredited investor status in an offering of securities conducted under Rule 506(c) of Regulation D if the issuer requires purchasers to invest certain minimum investment amounts, when coupled with the purchaser’s written representations and certain related conditions as outlined in the incoming letter. Rule 506(c) of Regulation D permits issuers to broadly solicit and generally advertise an offering of securities, provided that: all purchasers in the...

Capital Markets / SEC Rulemaking

Revised Definition of an “Accredited Investor”

Effective December 8, 2020, the SEC’s definition of an “accredited investor” that is eligible to purchase securities in a private placement will be expanded to cover additional categories of investors, including investment advisers, individuals with certain professional certifications, and certain family offices, Indian tribes, governmental bodies, LLCs, funds and others.  For more details, click here. To take advantage of the new, broader definition, Canadian issuers should reach out to their U.S. counsel to update their applicable subscription agreement and other investment forms.

Capital Markets / Securities

Are Your Private Placement Documents Up To Date?

Over the last few years, many Canadian junior resource companies and startup companies have cut back on their legal spend, not necessarily undertaking a legal review of each new private placement of securities, or limiting their review to a Canadian one. Yet over this same time frame, the applicable U.S. rules and relevant interpretations have changed, and previously vetted forms may not be current. Indications that your U.S. law compliance practices in offering and selling securities could use a good scrub include the following: You don’t know the definition of a “foreign private issuer” or whether your company is one; You don’t know if your company has a “substantial U.S. market interest” in...