Abstract
In 1998, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”) released a style manual titled “The Plain English Handbook.” The culmination of a drive by its Chairman, Arthur Levitt, the Handbook drew upon the rules of grammar, best industry practice, and even the support of billionaire Warren Buffett in calling for a layman’s translation of corporate disclosure documents. To varying degrees, commentators noted the significance of the Handbook. Initial textual studies provided mixed results. The press marveled at its novelty but securities regulation experts were less sanguine, chiding Commission members for naming themselves “language czars of the universe.” Meanwhile, the cause of corporate disclosure—a mission long defined by federal case law—continued its second phase as the SEC, the courts, and stock issuers sought to strike a balance between financial expertise and consumer satisfaction. From this effort came the separate but related causes of evaluating substantive content and delivering it in good faith. These causes eventually morphed, however, forcing jurists to locate further authority animating the remedial securities laws. Consequentially the Handbook, at times, tipped this balance of corporate disclosure.
Recommended Citation
J. Scott Colesanti,
Demanding Substance Or Form? The SEC's Plain English Handbook As A Basis For Securities Violations,
18 Fordham J. Corp. & Fin. L. 95
(2012).
Available at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/jcfl/vol18/iss1/4