Crowdfunding Counselor Sam Guzik, A Voice Galvanizing & Advocating for the Crowd

 

[The following interview of Samuel S. Guzik appeared in Crowdfund Insider on December 1, 2015]

Sam Guzik National Press Club B

“I do not recycle or repackage the ideas of others.  I try to focus instead on broader JOBS Act issues and events which have thus far gone unnoticed – or barely noticed – and which require further thought, analysis and hopefully, action, by louder and more powerful voices.  A lone voice can start a revolution, but history shows that it takes a noisy crowd to get things to the finish line. If you will indulge me for a moment, I suggest that this time history will be no different.”

Sam Guzik Washington DCAfter receiving a B.S. degree in Industrial and Labor relations from Cornell University and graduating from Stanford University Law School, thought leader Sam Guzik was admitted to practice in both New York and California. With more than 35 years of experience as a corporate and securities attorney and business advisor in private practice in New York and Los Angeles, including as an associate at Willkie Farr and Gallagher, a partner at the LA law firm of Ervin, Cohen and Jessup and in the firm he founded in 1993, Guzik & Associates, Samuel Guzik has represented public and privately held companies and entrepreneurs on a broad range of business and financing transactions, both public and private.  Guzik has represented businesses in a diverse range of industries, including digital media, apparel, health care and numerous high technology based businesses. A recognized authority and thought leader on matters relating to the JOBS Act of 2012 and the ongoing SEC rulemaking, including Regulation D Rule 506 private placements, Regulation A+, and investment crowd finance, Guzik has been consulted by Congressional members, state legislators and the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy on matters relating to the JOBS Act and state securities matters. He has also been cited by SEC Commissioner Daniel M. Gallagher on two occasions in public statements, both for his advocacy on behalf of SMEs and his thought leadership on SEC rulemaking and post-JOBS Act reforms.

A prolific writer on JOBS Act issues affecting entrepreneurs, small and emerging companies, investors and Internet-based funding portals, Guzik is a frequent blogger on The Corporate Securities Lawyer Blog, addressing developing corporate and securities laws issues, and on Crowdfund Insider as its Crowdfunding Counselor.  In 2014 he published two major commentaries on JOBS Act rulemaking in The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation: the first article, entitled “Regulation A+ Offerings – a New Era at the SEC,” discussing the SEC’s proposed regulations implementing JOBS Act Title IV Regulation A+;  the second article entitled “SEC Crowdfunding Rulemaking under the JOBS Act – An Opportunity Lost?” addressing deficiencies in the SEC’s proposed Title III investment crowdfunding regulations.  His articles have also been cited in national business publications on issues relating to federal securities regulation, including The Economist, Forbes, Bloomberg’s BusinessWeek, Compliance Weekly and Equities.com. Guzik, a founding member of The Heritage Foundation Securities Regulation Working Group, focusing on federal regulatory issues affecting small businesses and emerging growth companies, also served as a member of the Advisory Council of the Crowdfunding Professional Association before being appointed to their Board of Directors in March 2015.

 

Be sure to participate in the 2015 Americas Alternative Finance Benchmarking Survey by Friday, 18 December. The Survey, a joint venture of The Centre for Alternative Finance at University of Cambridge Judge Business School and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation team at Chicago Booth School of Business, is the first comprehensive and empirical assessment of crowdfunding, P2P lending and other forms of alternative finance across North, Central and South America.

Douglas Monieson“The Alternative Finance team has been contacting hundreds of alternative finance platforms in the US, Canada and Latin America,” according to Douglas Monieson, Associate Director at the University of Chicago Alternative Finance Institute. “The support from our research partners – universities; organizations including Inter-American Development Bank and the Development Bank of Canada; corporate sponsors like the CME Group and KPMG; associations including Crowdnetics, Lend Academy, and Crowdfund Insider; and the platform themselves – has been outstanding.  All recognize the importance of independent, systematic and reliable benchmark research to facilitate a better understanding of Alternative Financing in economics, finance and public policy.”

I recently caught up with Guzik between NextGen’s Equity Crowdfunding Conference, Thanksgiving preparations and CfPA’s Third Annual Crowdfunding Summit.  He discussed the importance of the 2015 Americas Alternative Finance Benchmarking Survey, as well as the hot topics  of post-JOBS Act reform, Title III, Regulation A+, CfPA’s strategic plans and the 2 December House Financial Services Committee’s hearing on bill HR 3784. Our interview follows.

Erin: How will the University of Cambridge / UChicago 2015 Americas Alternative Finance Benchmarking Survey be impactful to the Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA)? Do you believe the data will aid policy makers in making good policy decisions? 

Cambridge Chicago Supporting OrganizationsSam: The CCAAFB Survey will be impactful not only to the CfPA, but to the industry, industry participants as well as policy makers.  Raw data, and the conclusions which can be derived from it will be immensely helpful, especially when compiled and analyzed by these leading academic institutions. We are at the very beginnings of a new, Internet-based, financing system. Absent reliable data, we are at the mercy of conjecture and anecdotal events, which is inherently unreliable. Equally as important, academicians can review and analyze this data through a number of disciplines: macro-economic and micro-economic, social and cultural behavior and finance.  The studies which this data will produce will be of immense guidance, both in term of understanding what is working, and why, but also to help the industry, crowdfunders and regulators evaluate important next steps.

Erin: Why is the advent of equity crowdfunding so important? How can crowdfunding help bridge the gap between the “vast capital deserts which lay between the shores of New York City and the San Francisco Bay”?  Which platforms are most effectively bringing people, ideas and capital together? What sets them apart?

New_York_City_Midtown_from_Rockefeller_Center_NIHSam: Equity crowdfunding is immensely important as an efficient allocator of resources, allowing capital to be directed to companies outside the traditional capital networks, and also providing investors with an abundance of real time data and investor feedback through the wisdom of the crowd. Statistically, capital for early stage businesses has concentrated geographically in certain major metropolitan areas, specifically, New York, Massachusetts and California – leaving the “flyover states” underserved. Equity crowdfunding also provides a broader reach for populations traditionally underserved by traditional capital sources, such as women and minorities. We are also seeing data from accredited investor crowdfunding in the U.S. which shows the influx of capital in the U.S. from long distances, including outside the U.S.

Finfair Sam GuzikThere are an unlimited number of platforms which will flourish in this new environment: community based platforms, industry verticals such as real estate, technology and media; and platforms appealing to targeted affinity groups, such as socially conscious companies. It would be unfair to single out any one platform.  Companies looking for the right platform must do their homework, taking into consideration such factors as the area of concentration of the platform, its track record, the strength of its investor base, and site traffic generally.

Erin: Since graduating from Stanford Law, you have honed specialties in corporate, securities, finance, private offerings, public offerings, reverse mergers, contracts, business, mergers, acquisitions and real estate law. You also hold a BS in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell and a law degree from Stanford.  How does your background provide a foundation for a nimble career trajectory shift into the realm of crowdfunding and alternative finance? 

standford law schoolSam: As far as my academic background, what has stayed with me most is the conclusion I drew in law school in my first securities law class: our regulatory system, now more than 80 years old, has long lived with too many ambiguities and uncertainties.  Though this has been narrowed somewhat by the SEC providing “safe harbors” for companies to raise money short of a full SEC registration, more is needed to open up avenues of capital formation for startups and SMEs.  The widespread adoption and availability of Internet technology and communications channels now makes it possible to close some of the gaps in our regulatory structure, and provide more cost-effective means for startups and emerging companies to raise capital.  All that is required is the political will of regulators and Congress, and recalculating the appropriate balance as between investor protection, efficiency of capital markets and “right sized” regulation for the smallest of companies who can least afford burdensome, complex regulations.

Erin: How does the CfPA plan to “organize, energize and channel the forces that are necessary to move the post-JOBS Act forward”?

Sam: The first step is to have the industry leaders share my belief that what this post-JOBS Act industry needs is a collective voice, especially in D.C. where there remains a great deal of work ahead, in terms of fine-tuning regulations, adopting new regulations, and effecting further legislation to build on the JOBS Act of 2012.  This will require a combination of the CfPA demonstrating leadership in these areas and involving key industry participants and thought leaders.

Erin: In terms of advocacy, outreach, establishing best practices and calling out less-than-best-practices, how does the CfPA intend to “nurture” the nascent crowdfunding industry?

Sam: There are many opportunities. Indeed, there are too many opportunities relative to the resources of any single organization, including the CfPA. All of these efforts start with strong, diverse leadership, with recognized industry leaders, something the CfPA has succeeded in accomplishing in 2015. It truly takes multitudes of disciplines, including academic, legal, accounting, and financial, not to mention having expertise in industries which have proven to be a good fit for crowdfunding.  This leadership core must be able to engage with as many industry partners and affiliates as possible, as the industry’s strength, and the strength of the CfPA, will require “crowdsourcing” in the broadest sense. Within this framework, an expanded crowdsourced network with the right partners, anything and everything is possible.  The CfPA is in the process of implementing plans for 2016 in terms of outreach and best practices, fueled by the recent completion of JOBS Act rule making for unaccredited investment crowdfunding and Regulation A+. The CfPA is fortunate to have a wealth of talent on its Board, to energize and implement effective initiatives in the areas most in need of attention as we begin a new era, advocacy, outreach and best practices.

CfPA Board of Directors 2015

Erin: Please take a moment to talk about the dynamic CfPA team, including such notables as Brian Korn, Scott McIntyre, Thell Woods, Joe Bartlett, Jordan Fishfeld, Alon Hillel-Tuch, John Mueller, Rodney Sampson, Richard Swart, Ph.D., Rose Spinelli, Xiaochen Zhang and Crowdfund Insider Senior Contributor Anthony Zeoli.

Sam: We have a wealth of talent who have shown the ability to be industry leaders. We are fortunate to have the leaders in academia, finance, entrepreneurship, marketing, advocacy and other important disciplines. Many of them have international reach. And as a collective group, we have seen great traction in attracting international interest.

Erin: What challenges have you faced as President of CfPA?

Sam: Initially, the biggest challenge for me was how to define the focus of the CfPA. Crowdfunding has become a broad, unwieldy space in a short number of years. And up until now our resources have been limited, both financial resources and the bandwidth of CfPA leaders and membership.  Take our Board, for example. Most of us are already fully committed to activities outside the CfPA.  There is a need for some level of part-time staff to effectively conduct outreach with our membership and prospective membership alone. However, as we approach year end, with an expanded Board, we are beginning to attract industry support, both financially and in terms of actively participating in core CfPA activities. With the JOBS Act now in full swing, I expect this trend to accelerate.  There is now the semblance of a post-JOBS Act industry. If we show leadership, with tangible results, I expect to see growing industry support at the CfPA.

Erin: You recently stated, “I ultimately learned that a single voice can make a difference. But a collective voice – the power of a noisy crowd – is essential to sustained progress.”  What experiences led to learning these lessons?

Patrick McHenry Delivers StatementSam: A collective voice is important, especially when under the umbrella of an industry trade organization such as the CfPA. Let’s face it, there are strong countervailing forces in Washington, D.C., whose priorities are often at odds with necessary legislative and regulatory change.  These forces are well- organized, well-financed and well-staffed, replete with full time executive directors, staff attorneys and paid lobbyists. Proponents of the JOBS Act and post-JOBS Act reform are no match for these forces. It takes not only the continued actions of individuals, but also a permanent, established industry voice.  The time was not right for this back in 2012, but with the JOBS Act now in full swing, the time truly is now.

How did I come to these conclusions? From reviewing the low priority given to our engines of job creation and small business over the past 35 years, and listening to D.C veterans who share the goals of enhancing channels of capital formation for startups and emerging businesses. Some of my biggest influencers in this area have been Congressman Patrick McHenry, the recently retired SEC Commissioner Dan Gallagher, and David Burton, Senior Fellow at The Heritage Foundation.

Daniel Gallagher Title IVAs a veteran securities attorney, one of the conclusions I came to was that small and emerging businesses lacked a strong, effective advocate at the SEC. This led me to publish an article in Crowdfund Insider in February 2014 advocating for a Small Business Advocate at the SEC who reported not only to the Commission but to Congress. Though the need for this new office seemed obvious, I could find nothing in the public record discussing the need for a small business advocate at the SEC prior to my article. This led to a meeting with then SEC Commissioner Dan Gallagher in June 2014 to discuss the efficacy of this idea.

SME Small Medium EnterprisesIn September 2014 Commissioner Gallagher adopted this proposal, appropriately titled “Whatever Happened to Promoting Small Business Capital Formation?” citing me as a proponent. This started a chain of events which ultimately led to an introduced bill in Congress in October 2015, HR 3784, with bi-partisan sponsorship and backed by major industry trade associations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Venture Capital Association, Small Business Investor Alliance, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBEC), and the Crowdfunding Professional Association, of which I am President. The bill is scheduled to be the subject of hearings on December 2 in the House Financial Services Committee and reportedly has yet to face any opposition. I expect that ultimately this bill will become law, helping entrepreneurs in pursuit of capital for many years to come.

What I learned from this experience is that a single voice can be effective, but it takes collective action in Washington to get the ball over the finish line. It took the involvement of not only the public outcry of an SEC Commissioner, but a DC-based small business trade association who heard this call to action, the Small Business Investor Alliance, to help bridge the gap between an idea whose time had come and an introduced bill, by actively pursuing legislation on the Hill.

Erin: Do you believe Title III will fulfill its mission of facilitating access to capital for SMEs?

Washington DC Capitol BuildingSam: Yes, Title III will fulfill its mission. The first step is to take back the ground that Congressman McHenry’s bill lost in the Senate, a victim of special interest groups and partisan politics. I expect that the task will be easier in 2016, with various forms of crowdfinance having a track record, both in the U.S. and abroad.  The ghosts which some saw in Congress in 2012 simply have not appeared. But a stagnant, jobless economic recovery is still with us. Imagine – a legislative fix that does not require increased government expenditures or new taxes. It is as simple as striking a better, wiser balance between protecting investors and the integrity of our capital markets, on the one hand, and allowing efficient access to capital for the smallest of businesses.

Erin: Which dots still need to be connected to make Title III more workable? Many see some challenges regarding the final rules on Title III, i.e. no SPVs and a low limit for a raise and low investor limits. How will Congress act to address these issues?

Cost of RegulationsSam: I am confident that we will see legislation in 2016 to make Title III more efficient and effective. We now have a fixed target, final SEC rules, and a track record for equity crowdfunding. A number of areas which need to be addressed: increasing the offering limit from $1 million to $5 million; limiting portal liability, letting it act more as an independent intermediary, rather than a quality filter; revising issuer liability to remove the strict liability type standard in Title III, replacing it instead with the tried and true “anti-fraud” liability standard applicable to issuers conducting private placements; allowing full use of social media outside the confines of the crowdfunding portal, and allowing Title III companies to “test the waters” similar to what is now allowed under Regulation A+; allowing investors to form special purpose vehicles to group together large groups of investors under a single entity, allowing intermediaries and their affiliates to have a greater economic stake in their issuers; and removing investment limits for accredited investors. Yes, a tall list, but one which will ultimately see fruition, though some of these issues may take some time to resolve.

Erin: Do you think Regulation A+ is living up to its potential?

A +Sam: The correct answer is that it is too early to tell, as this is a new vehicle for capital formation. The informed answer is that it is showing early signs of promise. We are seeing quality underwriters begin to enter this space with filed offerings. And we are also seeing some companies getting strong traction in testing the waters campaigns. I expect this market to show strong incremental growth, simply because there has been a vacuum in the small IPO market for the past two decades, and Regulation A+ seems perfectly poised to fill the gap.

Erin: What are your thoughts about Title II accredited crowdfunding?

Sam: Title II has gotten off to a slow start, as it is new. But it has also shown incremental sustained growth over the past two years. It has proven to be a tremendous fit for the real estate industry, and those seeking financing in the $1.5 -$2.0 million range. I expect that this area will grow as intermediaries develop broader investor bases and the investing public has an opportunity to view the track record of some of the early Title II investments.

Posted in Capital Raising, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, Crowdfunding, General, Regulation A+ Resource Center | Comments Off on Crowdfunding Counselor Sam Guzik, A Voice Galvanizing & Advocating for the Crowd

JOBS ACT CROWDFUNDING IN 2016 – IT’S TIME TO CONNECT THE DOTS IN THIS NEW ERA

For those of you who follow my ramblings on Crowdfund Insider, you know that I do not put out infomercials – nor do I recycle or repackage the ideas of others.  I try to focus instead on broader JOBS Act issues and events which have thus far gone unnoticed – or barely noticed – and which require further thought, analysis and hopefully, action, by louder and more powerful voices.  A lone voice can start a revolution, but history shows that it takes a noisy crowd to get things to the finish line. If you will indulge me for a moment, I suggest that this time history will be no different.

Back in June 2015 I predicted that we would see (finally) JOBS Act Title III rules by year end 2015. But behind that bold, perhaps reckless prediction, was a House Appropriations Bill which quietly moved out of this powerful Congressional committee.  Along with it was a narrative baked into the Bill Report, addressed to the SEC, reminding it that there was to be no free lunch – no requested 10% budget increase for the SEC – at least not in 2015. This Committee said that the SEC must first attend to implementing Title III crowdfunding – in a smart and effective way – calling the then SEC proposed rules “inoperable.” Not apparent to most, the iron fist of the House Appropriations Committee was astutely guided by Congressman Patrick McHenry, now Deputy Whip and Vice Chair of the House Financial Services Committee.

Yet it still took a crowd to move Title III rules to the finish line – hundreds of comment letters – and hundreds of meetings by individuals and organizations in D.C. behind closed doors – both at the SEC and in Congress – with the help of a nascent advocacy group known as CfIRA (Crowdfund Intermediary Regulatory Advocates), headed by DJ Paul, Chris Tyrell and Kim Wales – and under the watchful guidance of veteran New York securities attorney Doug Ellenoff.

Congressman McHenry will be the first person to tell you that things cannot get done in Washington without broad, vocal popular support.  As he reminded 700 people in attendance at the Angel Capital Association at their March 2014 Summit, Washington is not where  business is done – rather, it is a place where business is destroyed. He also reminded this group of the vast capital deserts which lay between the shores of New York City and the San Francisco Bay –  the need to bridge this gap – and the importance of breaking down unnecessary regulatory and legislative barriers.

The statistics don’t lie. Today, more businesses are failing than are being born. And those that are being born, or taking their early steps, are dependent in the first instance not only on human resources and drive – but capital – sometime tiny amounts. Crowdfunding, however one may define it, has at its core the power of the Internet – with its low cost and lightning speed – able to bring together people, ideas and capital.  All that stood in our way was the will to succeed – and a regulatory structure borne out of a bygone era -when telephones were a novelty, and automobiles were a luxury item few could afford.

What a Difference 8 Decades Makes

The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the JOBS Act) was the first major federal legislative recognition that it was time for a change for regulatory reform to aid small business capital formation. And the power and low cost of the Internet, a technology driven beast, could be harnessed with small dollars and big ideas. It was simply a matter of breaking down outmoded regulatory barriers. And so, borne out of the JOBS Act was Title II (what I refer to as rich man’s crowdfunding), Title IV (the Regulation A+ “Mini-IPO”), and last but not least, Title III equity crowdfunding (what I sometimes refer to as “real equity crowdfunding”).

With JOBS Act rulemaking finally in the books in 2015, as well as the many pronouncements of either its early demise or unlimited future potential, it is time to sober up and take a good, hard look at the road that must be travelled in 2016 and beyond – and more importantly, how to travel that road – if our entrepreneurs and our economy are to flourish.

Another Missed Headline – Even Giants Need to Organize Together to Break Down the Barriers in the DC Beltway – This Month’s Case in Point.

Whether you are of a mind that today’s outcome of the JOBS Act is a glass half full or half empty, we can all agree on one thing: there is still a vacuum that needs to be filled.

On November 3, 2015, a new voice in Washington was borne. The name was new, but the faces behind it were well known –  arguably the most powerful voices in this new age economy – with seemingly unimaginable and unlimited human and financial resources, and the power that typically accompanies it.  This new collective voice uttered its first public words with a Press Release, remarking:

“This alliance of remarkably innovative companies brings a new voice to Washington’s financial conversations, and we look forward to engaging on a wide range of opportunities. Whether it is protecting consumers, growing small businesses, or promoting financial literacy and savings, [this newly formed group] wants policymakers to understand how new technologies can help solve today’s policy challenges.”

Who was this new voice in Washington? Who were these “remarkably innovative companies.” No, it was not the voice of CfIRA (Crowdfunding Intermediaries Regulatory Advocates). Nor was it the voice of the CfPA (Crowdfunding Professional Association). But it should have been. Instead it was the voice of a new DC based coalition: “Financial Innovation Now (FIN).” And who were its industry supporters: No, it was not  Crowdfunder, CrowdCheck,  SeedInvest,  EarlyShares, CircleUp, AngelList or any of the many other JOBS Act progeny. No, it was not even some of the newcomers, such as StartEngine and FundAmerica, who have waited patiently for Regulation A+ and Title III equity crowdfunding to emerge from the labyrinth of SEC rulemaking.  But to be sure, the companies that initially comprise “FIN” are both innovators and engines of U.S. job creation:  Google, Amazon, Apple, Intuit and PayPal.

So What’s the Point? – The Most Efficient Route from Point A to Point B in Washington Requires Strong Collective Action.

We are truly at the dawn of a new era.  With initial JOBS Act rulemaking in the books, I expect there is nearly universal agreement that the cup of innovation and job creation – whether half full or half empty, is a long ways from running over – and run over it must. The question du jour is how to best achieve this goal?

Since I became actively involved in advancing JOBS Act priorities I ultimately learned that a single voice can make a difference. But a collective voice – the power of a noisy crowd – is essential to sustained progress.

Since I started my sometimes lonely journey of advocating for post-JOBS Act reform back in 2013, and now more than 50 articles, dozens of public speeches, and numerous meetings with federal legislators and regulators later, is the need for, and power of, collective action.

My contributions to date have been important, but certainly not sufficient:

HR 3784 – SEC Small Business AdvocateThis bill was quietly introduced into the House Financial Services Committee on October 21, 2015. My involvement in this endeavor stemmed from a realization that more powerful voices than myself were required in Washington. It started with an article on Crowdfund Insider in February 2014 (believed to be the first public outcry for this new office), continued with a meeting in June 2014 with former SEC Commissioner Daniel M. Gallagher, and making it into prime time in a public address by Commissioner Gallagher in September 2014, appropriately titled “What Ever Happened to Small Business Capital Formation.” This started a chain of events which ultimately led to an introduced bill, HR 3784, backed by major industry trade associations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Venture Capital Association, Small Business Investor Alliance, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBEC), and the “mighty” Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA).

What started out as nothing more than a good idea has, through collective action, finally made it to the federal legislative playing field. 

Final Title III Rules – Simplified Disclosure for Equity Crowdfunders – On October 30, 2015, when the SEC Commissioners adopted final Title III crowdfunding rules, my ears perked up when Chair White, in her opening remarks, cited one of two noteworthy improvements to the two year old proposed rules: the availability of a simplified, optional Question and Answer format for a crowdfunding company’s mandatory non-financial disclosure.  This is likely the closest I will ever get to a public shout out from SEC Chair Mary Jo White.

You see, of the hundreds of Title III rulemaking comment letters, only two commentators suggested the need for an alternative, simplified disclosure format for crowdfunding companies, to help soften the edge of a complex maze of regulations without the need for high priced securities lawyers: the SBA Office of Small Business Advocacy and – yours truly. And it was no coincidence that the SBA Office of Advocacy weighed in at all on this issue – done so at the urging of a single small business owner – yours truly. Not insignificantly, the SBA Office of Advocacy had my back, and with it the statutory power of the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, requiring the SEC to either accede to its comments – or explain why not. And respond it did.

What started out as nothing more than a good idea has, through collective action, finally made it into the Federal Register.

Proposed Expanded SEC Rule 147 – The Foundation of Intrastate Crowdfunding – A growing majority of states have either adopted, or are in the process of adopting, intrastate crowdfunding legislation that would allow companies to engage in equity crowdfunding within state borders.  The SEC in April 2014 put a damper on intrastate crowdfunding when the Staff issued an informal pronouncement to the effect that for technical reasons these intrastate crowdfunders could not utilize the Internet to openly engage in intrastate crowdfunding.  Well, crowdfunding without broad Internet solicitation was to me a pointless exercise and, in my opinion, in direct conflict with a series of prior SEC rulings as well as the opinion of a noted academic scholar. I was the first to publicly call attention to this issue and advocate for a change in this SEC policy, in May 2014, and then again in July 2014.  My musings were punctuated by meetings with an SEC Commissioner and the relevant SEC division chiefs – without any apparent success – at least until October 30, 2015, when this issue quietly rose to the top of the SEC’s rulemaking list.

What started out as nothing more than a good idea by a single voice has, through collective action, finally made it into the Federal Register as a proposed rule. But, in my opinion, it will take collective action to get this proposed rule adopted, with greater precision, as a final rule.

This Industry Needs an Elephant in the Room – With a Loud and Strong Voice

Miracles are possible, but we cannot afford to depend upon or wait for miracles when it comes to opening up new and necessary paths for capital formation to fuel entrepreneurial endeavors. This new and developing post-JOBS Act economy requires collective action by strong industry voices.

So back in April 2015, when three brave and lonely souls, Brian Korn, Scott McIntyre and Thell Woods, the then sole directors of the Crowdfunding Professional Association, reached out to me and nine others to join a newly expanded CfPA Board of Directors, and me having little of substance to show at that time from my lone(ly) efforts at SME advocacy, the answer was an emphatic Yes. And when the new Board reached out to me to be their Chair and President, I again said Yes, this time with a bit of reluctance – knowing that I did not have the necessary time. Yet I knew that we all had to find a way to make the time if we were to move the needle in this post-JOBS Act world.  And as I then surveyed the landscape I could not identify a U.S. organization which had as its primary focus post-JOBS act advocacy and outreach – and that could also truly call itself a broad based JOBS Act industry trade association – speaking for all of the key stakeholders.

The CfPA is fortunate to have some of the best, brightest and energetic industry leaders at the helm of the CfPA, including such notables as Richard Swart, Joe Bartlett, Anthony Zeoli and Alon Hillel-Tuch (RocketHub ). And with initial JOBS Act rulemaking in the books in 2015, there is now both a nascent industry to nurture and much work ahead, in terms of advocacy, outreach, establishing best practices, and calling out less than best practices. It is both my  hope and my mission to see the CfPA fill a vacuum in this post-JOBS Act world, much as Apple, Google, Amazon and others last week saw their own vacuum and the need to fill it: with ideas, action, outreach and ultimately further legislation and rulemaking.  But we need more leaders, and more entrepreneurs and industry participants if CfPA is to succeed in its longer term mission.  We need more “dots” to connect.

The CfPA, this “little engine that could,” is in my opinion, in the right place and at the right time – to organize, energize and channel the forces that are necessary to move the post-JOBS Act forward. And most importantly, the CfPA’s most important asset, its Board leadership, is poised to take this industry to the next level. Fortunately, others besides myself are beginning to share my vision – and roll up their sleeves to support it. With a short number of weeks to go until the CfPA’s Annual Summit in Washington, D.C. on December 2, we have gathered more than 40 speakers – representing a broad spectrum of industry leaders, thought leaders, federal and state regulators – to share their time and their minds – and lend their voice to this newly burgeoning industry.  Leading the pack is Keynote Speaker Congressman Patrick McHenry, among other things the father of Title III as passed by the House of Representatives – before it went into the Senate sausage grinder. The CfPA is also fortunate to have as its premier 2016 Sponsor, as well as Summit Sponsor, a new industry entrant, NextGen Crowdfunding, founded by accomplished veteran entrepreneur Aubrey Chernick, who shares the CfPA vision of energizing the startup and entrepreneurial community – and democratizing U.S. investment – through innovation and outreach.

There Will Be Strength in Numbers as We Approach 2016

As even industry giants such as Google, Amazon and Apple recognize, strength in numbers  is essential when it comes to breaking new ground – as new technology collides with an outmoded legislative and regulatory financial structure.  Our economy and our entrepreneurial spirit are on the line. Though CfPA is barely in the shadows of these giants, and their new organization, Financial Innovation Now,  with a somewhat different focus and priorities than the crowdfunding industry, we are all rowing with the same oar and in the same direction.  Unlike these behemoths, however, both the JOBS Act industry and the CfPA need and openly welcome the active engagement of a broad and vocal crowd.

So consider joining the crowd known as the CfPA on December 2 in D.C. – and beyond. We need lots of “dots” – and an effective vehicle to connect them – as we head into 2016. The opportunities are limitless – and the need is endless.

Posted in Capital Raising, Crowdfunding, General, Regulation A+ Resource Center | Comments Off on JOBS ACT CROWDFUNDING IN 2016 – IT’S TIME TO CONNECT THE DOTS IN THIS NEW ERA

Final Title III SEC Crowdfunding Rules – Done (almost)!!! Next Act: The Missing Title VIII (a/k/a H.R. 3784)

[As published on October 28, 2015 in Crowdfund Insider]

Advocate for Small Business Bill

I will not be discouraged by failure; I will not be elated by success.”
Joseph B. Lightfoot

The bigger than life headline yesterday? The long-awaited news that the SEC’s five Commissioners would be convening this coming Friday to vote on, and presumably approve final Title III rules. Yet as we wait with great anticipation to see what the final rules will actually say, I wanted to throw out some thoughts to the crowd – thoughts which I and a growing number of others believe are important.

Gallery of SEC CommissionersFirst, a heartfelt thanks, along with my sympathies, to the Staff at the SEC who despite the media headlines to the contrary have worked tirelessly on the Title III rules to get to this day. Not an easy task to build out an entirely new capital formation ecosystem which brings together the riskiest of companies and the most financially vulnerable investors.  And to make the task that much more difficult, Congress left much, if not most, of the important details to the SEC. And if that were not enough, the Staff at the SEC was saddled with a statutory structure which was not a product of rational legislative deliberation, but instead the final work product of some very ugly and partisan sausage making on the Senate side of Capitol Hill before Congressman Patrick McHenry’s original House bill would make it to the legislative finish line in April 2012

Sebastian GomezAnd I would be remiss in not giving a special thanks to Sebastian Gomez Abero, Chief of the SEC Office of Small Business Policy, who had the herculean task of wrestling with all of the fine details, and assimilating the many views of those inside the walls of the SEC, not to mention the hundreds of persons who took the time to provide the SEC with their brain share in the form of written comments on the proposed rules and meeting personally with the Staff.

But alas, let us not lose perspective – Friday will come and go, like any other day. And regardless of what the final rules say, there will be much important work left to be done.  So the question du jour is how will this work will get done? And how quickly?

Jobs Act 2012 statement redTo answer this question properly, one needs, as their starting point, not the 270-day deadline for Title III rules, set by Congress back in April 2012. Actually, I go back a lot further – 1980 to be exact – to remind everyone that long before the bipartisan JOBS Act of 2012 became part of the legislative landscape, Democrats and Republicans alike came together back in 1980 to forge important legislation with a singular purpose – to strengthen the interests of small and emerging businesses in the legislative and regulatory process.  These were to be important reforms for SME’s, some of which included:

  • Protection of the interests of small business from unduly burdensome requirements in the federal regulatory process (the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980)
  • Creation of an annual SEC Government Small Business Forum, to provide a sharper focus on issues directly impacting small business at the SEC and to facilitate communication and cooperation between the SEC, state regulatory agencies, and the other stakeholders in the SME ecosystem.

Though these were important steps, the promise of these measures and measures of similar ilk over the past few decades have not really moved the needle very much – given the amount of time elapsed. In fact, I believe it is fair to say that since 1980 it has pretty much-been business as usual for small business interests in Washington – still lacking strong, effective advocates, both at the SEC and in the halls of Congress.

That is not my opinion alone. Indeed, it would be challenging to find well-grounded opinions to the contrary.

So What is Needed? The Missing Title VIII of the JOBS Act: Creation of a Strong Independent Voice at the SEC – Small Business Advocate.

Well, when it comes to my views on how to ease legislative and regulatory burdens on small business, I first spoke to this issue back in February 2014, in an article first published in Crowdfund Insider: an independent office at the SEC – one whose sole mission was to advocate for the interests of small business capital formation – and with the gravitas to actually have a chance to make a difference. Something more was needed than simply an office in the SEC, dedicated to small business, which has a line of authority on the SEC organizational chart which ends with the Director of the Division of Corporation Finance. What was needed was a strong and independent voice, one that reported directly to not only the full Commission but also to Congress.

Daniel Gallagher Title IVTo me, the need for this new office at the SEC was obvious. Yet I could find nothing in the public literature discussing this idea before I first advocated for it in February 2014. So in the absence of any prior authority on the subject I questioned: was this was really a good idea; would it really make a difference for small business? Or would such a new office perhaps do more harm than good, as some might postulate.  Who would know better the answer to this question than now former SEC Commissioner Daniel M. Gallagher, I thought.  After all, he was not only a sitting SEC Commissioner who was a staunch supporter of small business but one who had headed up the SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets, amongst other SEC Staff positions, in a former life.

Well, I heard Commissioner Gallagher’s answer to my questions in a private meeting with him back in June of 2014. And the public heard his answer in the affirmative in a major address he delivered at The Heritage Foundation in September 2014, aptly titled “What Ever Happened to Promoting Small Business Capital Formation, complete with a shout out to me in a footnote.” You see, from the perspective of Commissioner Gallagher, one of the line items in his personal “to do list” of necessary reforms to enhance the ability of small business to raise capital and to otherwise comply with SEC rules, was to create an entirely new office at the SEC, an Office of Small Business Advocate.

Congressmen Quigley Crenshaw Duffy CarneyHis words proved to be an inspiration for many, including those within the Beltway who are better positioned than most to make things happen. It started with an organization known as the Small Business Investor Alliance.  A stone’s throw from the Hill they took the initiative to garner enough support to have legislation introduced into Congress on October 21, 2015.  They started out by finding a friend in the offices of Representative John Carney (D-Del) and Representative Sean Duffy (R– Wisc). Also lending support as co-sponsors of the bill – Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), and Mike Quigley (D-IL).

What started with what seemed like one lone voice with what seemed like a good idea soon became a bill, introduced into the House of Representatives on October 21, 2015, with bi-partisan backing of four members of the House of Representatives, and  introduced with a letter of support signed onto by major national trade associations:

  • Small Business Investor Alliance
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  • Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
  • Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBEC)
  • Association for Corporate Growth National Small Business Association
  • Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA)
  • National Venture Capital Association, and
  • National Development Council

The bill, now officially designated as H.R. 3784, entitled “The SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2015,” is chocked with details. But suffice it to say that this legislation, which empowers a single individual, the SEC Small Business Advocate, and an office dedicated to the single mission of advocating for promoting capital formation for small business, while also protecting the interests of small business investors, contains the key ingredients. This bill envisions, by legislative fiat, the insertion at the SEC of an individual and an office with a singular focus on small business advocacy, and with the organizational gravitas to get the job done – reporting to the full SEC Commission and to both houses of Congress.

And for those who may think that this legislation is not necessary, all one needs to do is to look at the relatively short shrift that small business has received over the past decades, not to mention the (very) long waits to accomplish tangible reform for small business capital formation.  Indeed, the long wait for final Title III rules – long not by my watch, but by Congress’s watch – a 270 day rulemaking deadline mandated by the 2012 JOBS Act itself, pales in comparison when one looks at the small business regulatory landscape going back to the then highly touted small business reforms instituted back in 1980.

So yes, when the jubilation of the crowd in many corners of the U.S. over the long-awaited final Title III crowdfunding rules subsides, let’s pause and take a brief moment to look back a few decades – to learn from history – and then, look not down, but forward.  There is much work left to be done to facilitate smarter, right sized regulation of small business capital formation – consistent with necessary investor protections. But we need to work at a more efficient pace then we have over at least the past 35 years.

So after the elation from having final Title III rules subsides, please read this new legislative bill – think about how things might be much different – and better – for small business capital formation if this bill were to become law. Perhaps, the final Title III rules might have been even better than the best efforts of the Staff and the Commission could make them, given that they were already hamstrung by defective legislation passed without the involvement of the   Commission. And, perhaps they might have arrived just a tad sooner.

I rest my case.

For a link to the text of H.R. 3784 and the Letter of Support accompanying the bills introduction, it is available for viewing and download here:  bit.ly/1P4Jj00 ]

 

Posted in Business Formation, Capital Raising, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, Crowdfunding, General, Regulation A+ Resource Center | 2 Comments

Exit: SEC’s Dan Gallagher – Enter: The Crowdfunders!

SEC Reveals Retail Crowdfunding Soon

Are Final JOBS Act Crowdfunding Rules Truly Upon Us?

Extra Extra Title IIIIt’s been too long since I graced the pages of Crowdfund Insider with one of my many missives – or as some at the SEC might say: missiles.  Well, since Regulation A+went live in June 2015, courtesy of the JOBS Act of 2012 and the SEC, I’ve had my head down – overwhelmed with the business at hand.  But there are moments in life when time stands still and the press of business fades away.  The birth of a child, the death of a loved one, or a catastrophic event which rocks our world – forcing one to stop and re-examine one’s priorities and purpose in life.  October 2nd was one of those days.

BirthdayIn all candor, October 2nd was my birthday.  And also the birth of Mahatma Ghandi, thefirst public figure to utter the words “be the change you wish to see in the world.”  But all of this was simply a coincidence.

You see, October 2 was SEC Commissioner Daniel M. Gallagher’s last day as one of five SEC Commissioners, voluntary vacating this position after four years of dedicated public service – and that is without counting the years he spent doing the heavy lifting as a member of the SEC Staff.

Daniel M. GallagherBut it is no coincidence that on the weekend following his departure, in the wee hours of the morning, there was a sighting of a delivery at the back door of the SEC’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. – an 18 wheeler making a delivery of liquefied oxygen – captured on camera by a passerby.

Many have speculated that the oxygen was deemed essential to spur on the legions of SEC Staffers putting the finishing touches on the hundreds of pages of long awaited (and long delayed) final JOBS Act Title III rules (more on that speculation below).  But others saw a different picture: after four years as an SEC Commissioner Dan Gallagher had sucked all of the oxygen out of the SEC’s headquarters. It was time for him to move on – and necessary to replenish the air supply.

Oxygen TruckThough the void created by the departure of Commissioner Gallagher will be a difficult one to fill, if the truth be known, what Commissioner Gallagher left behind at the SEC was a rich legacy – one that left its mark along the path pursued by Americans in search of the American dream – a path sorely in need of widening.  This is the path traveled by entrepreneurs inspired by a vision, and in need of capital to make that vision a reality.

Though he spent four arduous years battling the headwinds created by the likes of Barney Frank, and the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, he never lost focus or energy in pursuit of new and better avenues for the most underserved population in our Nation’s Capital – small business and small business job creators.  He has left his mark on a revitalized – and workable – Regulation A+.  He has helped push Title III of the JOBS Act to the goal line – and undoubtedly in much better form than the belatedly proposed rules.  And he has left a vision, and a foundation, for carrying forward a whole host of measures which will likely take years to come to fruition.  But perhaps most importantly, his words and his deeds have undoubtedly inspired an army of emissaries to carry on the battle.

What will become of Commissioner Gallagher in civilian life? I leave that in his most capable hands. Undoubtedly, free of the shackles of public office he will continue to blaze a path uniquely his own.

Say What? Title III Final Crowdfunding Rules at the Goal Line!

That’s right.  The three great forces of nature – greed, fear and survival – have moved the Commission to finish the remaining chapter of the JOBS Act – the implementation of unaccredited investor crowdfunding.

Obama Signs the JOBS Act with Steve CaseFor those of you who read to the end of my article in CrowdfundInsider Insider in June 2015,you learned of the scathing rebuke of the Commission by the House Appropriations Committee. In denying the SEC’s nearly one quarter of a billion dollar budget increase the Committee pointed to the “inoperable” proposed Title III rules, ensconced in nearly 600 pages of minutia, echoing the sentiment of an early and ardent JOBS Act supporter, Dara Albright, who proclaimed: “Why bother!”  Though my critique of the SEC’s proposed rules back in January 2014 was even more pointed, characterizing the proposed rules as “The Six Deadly Sins,” my humble utterances were not backed by the power of the Congressional purse.  But the message of Congress was loud and clear – leaving no doubt in my mind that final rules were to be in place by this year’s end – before Chair White would make her next annual journey to the Hill to sing for the Commission’s supper.

So lo and behold in recent days there has been an increase in media chatter, warning of the imminence of final crowdfunding rules this month. Even Chair White has recently hinted in public remarks that final crowdfunding rules will soon be upon us.

So What Will the Final Rules Look Like?

Jobs Act 2013Well, no one outside the walls of the SEC knows for sure.  But mark my words. They will look a lot better than the October 2013 version.  Hopefully gone will be the requirement of audited financial statements for bite sized companies – not merely once – but in perpetuity.  Hopefully gone will be the Commission’s gratuitous (and in my opinion – wrongful) reading of the JOBS Act imposing nearly strict liability on the crowdfunding portals for the errors and omissions of the companies they list.  These two missteps alone were enough, in my opinion, to kill the crowdfunding ecosystem.

Washington DC Capitol BuildingThe Commission and the Staff did a yeoman’s job in responding to the many public comments on the proposed Regulation A+ rules – no doubt in large measure due to the tenaciousness of Commissioner Gallagher.  I expect they will come close as well in the final crowdfunding rules (also in large measure due to the efforts of Commissioner Gallagher), their resolve and backbone bolstered somewhat by the success of unaccredited investor crowdfunding in the UK.

Any unfinished business (yes, there will be unfinished business) will undoubtedly be a focus of the House and the Senate in 2016.  And the second time will be the charm.


Sam Guzik National Press Club BSamuel S. Guzik, a Senior Contributor to Crowdfund Insider,  is a corporate and securities attorney and business advisor with the law firm of Guzik & Associates, with more than 30 years of experience in private practice.  Guzik is also the President and Board Chair of the Crowdfunding Professional Association (CFPA). A nationally recognized authority on the JOBS Act, including Regulation D private placements, investment crowdfunding and Regulation A+, he is and an advisor to legislators, researchers and private businesses, including crowdfunding issuers, service providers and platforms, on matters relating to the JOBS Act. As an advocate for small and medium sized business he has engaged with major stakeholders in the ongoing post-JOBS Act reform, including legislators, industry advocates and federal and state securities regulators. In 2014, some of his speaking engagements have included leading a Crowdfunding Roundtable in Washington, DC sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, a panelist at the MIT Sloan School of Business 2014 Crowdfunding Roundtable, and a panelist at a national bar association event which included private practitioners, investor advocates and officials of NASAA. His articles on JOBS Act issues, including two published in the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, have also served as a basis for post-JOBS Act proposed legislation.

[This article was originally published in Crowdfund Insider on October 5, 2015.]

Posted in Capital Raising, Corporate Law, Crowdfunding, General, Regulation A+ Resource Center | Comments Off on Exit: SEC’s Dan Gallagher – Enter: The Crowdfunders!

SEC Staff Provides Early Guidance on Use of Regulation A+

SEC Regulation A+

 

[As published on June 24, 2015 on CrowdfundInsider.com]

On June 23, 2015, the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission provided some public guidance on certain issues arising under the new Regulation A+ Final Rules. In a new section of the SEC’s Compliance and Disclosure and Interpretations (C&DI’s),  a Q and A on frequently asked questions or questions of general importance, the Staff answered 11 questions relating to Regulation A+ (Section 182. Rules 251 to 263).

Some takeaways from the questions posed, and answered.

Confidential Filings  

JOBS Act Title IV Regulation A+Regulation A+ allows an issuer to initially file its Offering Statement confidentially, with the contents of the filing not surfacing until the issuer elects to do so, at least 21 days prior to the day the SEC “qualifies” (approves) the offering.  Two questions address this subject. Judging by the small number of filings showing up publicly on the SEC’s website since the rule went into effect on June 19, this interest in confidential filings is not surprising.

I expect that most issuers will want to make their initial filings on a confidential basis for a variety of reasons, such as: avoiding the public embarrassment associated with a withdrawn offering; avoiding disclosing your business plan to competitors publicly before you know that you will be able to successfully raise funds; and avoiding thorny legal issues resulting from material changes in the Preliminary Offering Circular, which under the best circumstances will change over time, both in response to SEC comments and changes in a company’s business.

Startups are Circling

Judging by both industry buzz and a question regarding whether a company can provide a balance sheet as of its date of inception, it is clear that there is a great interest by newly formed companies seeking to utilize Regulation A+.  Some will have nothing more than high hopes – and plans to build a business if they are successful in raising a boatload of money from the crowd. Others will be starting new ventures, but building upon a substantial track record and resources from earlier ventures.

Testing the Waters in a Tweet 

Sunset in MuskokaThis testing the waters feature allows companies considering a Regulation A+ offering to solicit non-binding investor interest from the public before it prepares and files offering materials. One important requirement  of testing the waters is that certain legends be provided with the solicitation. One C&DI answers the dilemma many will face – how to cram these legends into a character constrained Tweet?

For those looking for more detail, here is a link to the new C&DI’s.  And kudos to the SEC Staff for getting this information out to the public so quickly. Look for more of these to come from the Staff in the near future, as there will undoubtedly be many more questions of general interest regarding Regulation A+.

Posted in Capital Raising, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, Crowdfunding, General, Regulation A+ Resource Center, SEC Developments | 7 Comments

Regulation A+ Packs a “Punch” – So too Congress and Title III Crowdfunding

Regulation A+ Day 1: A Look Past the Mainstream Media Headlines

Extra Extra Title III

And Regulation A+’s Forgotten Crowdfunding Cousin Quietly Comes to Life in Congress!

[Reprinted with permission from CrowdfundInsider, June 22, 2015]

Some History Lessons

SEC Commissioners in 1934 including Joseph P KennedyThough some may quibble over the details, June 19, 2015, was an historic day in U.S. regulatory history, at least as far as raising capital for small businesses is concerned – the first day that Regulation A+ became operable.

Ever since 1933, the only lawful way a company could sell a piece of the action to a would be shareholder has been to either register the offering with the SEC, or find a suitable exemption. For smaller companies this has proven to be a challenging task, especially if companies wanted to bring within its fold prospective investors who were not financially blessed to be considered “accredited investors”: those making at least $200k/yr, or millionaires.

Purple 100 Dollar MoneyUntil recently the cost of a full blown IPO was simply out of reach for most smaller companies – with costs often running into the millions of dollars.  Though there were some early attempts by the SEC to address this dilemma, until the passage of the JOBS Act of 2012 there were simply no good options. The SEC had the best of intentions when, back in 1936, it passed its very first regulation – appropriately tagged with the moniker “Regulation A”.  Technically, an exemption from registration of an offering, it allowed small companies to sell their shares to the general public through an abbreviated SEC registration and review process which even dispensed with the need for audited financial statements and with no ongoing reporting obligations.  Sounds good –right? Well, not so fast.

You see, the 50 states retained their ability to require these same companies to file their offering materials in their states – becoming subject to a multiple layers of regulatory review.  And unlike an SEC review, which focuses only on assuring full disclosure to investors, the states retained the unfettered discretion to bar the offering in their respective states if it deemed the offering unsuitable for its residents or otherwise too risky.

Massachusetts Does Not Like Crowdfunding EitherIn 1980 the Apple Computer IPO became the poster child for what was wrong with allowing an additional layer of so called state “Blue Sky” review. Massachusetts and more than a dozen other states barred non-institutional investors from participating in this IPO, viewing it as another “hot” IPO – too hot for the ordinary investor.  State regulators are still blushing about this offering – seems that the only investors that got burned were the ones whodidn’t participate, losing out on astronomical returns.  Though Congress partially addressed this problem in 1996, by removing from the grasp of state regulators IPO’s listing directly to a national exchange, such as Nasdaq or the NYSE, no such luck for companies too small to meet national exchange standards – relegated to the over the counter market.

A +The picture for small investors and small companies changed dramatically in 2012, when Congress enacted Title IV of the JOBS Act, quickly nicknamed “Regulation A+, removing from state review small IPO’s, up to $50 million, so long as all of the investors were “qualified investors” – a determination Congress left to the SEC. To the shock and dismay of Massachusetts and many other state regulators, the SEC’s final implementing rules declared all investors to be “qualified”:  for non-accredited investors this meant that their investment in a Regulation A+ IPO would be limited to the greater of 10% of their annual income, or their net worth, excluding their principal residence. While many small business and investor advocates cheered, others cried foul – most notably Massachusetts, who through its chief securities administrator, promptly filed a lawsuit to permanently block the implementation of Regulation A+.

Los Angeles Grabs the Regulation A+ Opening Day Headlines

Ron Miller NoirThough, predictably, the national media covered the Regulation A+ opening day with the usual array of stories, perhaps the industry participant grabbing the most headlines was a Santa Monica based JOBS Act intermediary –StartEngine, led by seasoned entrepreneur Ron Miller, boasting 4 companies “testing the waters” on the first day Regulation A+ went into effect, to gauge investor interest in their proposed upcoming Regulation A+ offerings. Included in the mix was a private company, Elio Motors. Elio says it’s hoping to manufacture and sell a new line of ultra high mileage vehicles.

Seems that if Elio is successful in achieving its goals, it will be the poster child for what Congress envisioned when it passed the JOBS Act.  Its proposed Regulation A+ offering follows on the heels of an earlier private placement, utilizing another JOBS Act provision, allowing companies to publicly offer their securities without SEC registration – but only if all investors were rich enough to be considered “accredited investors.”

According to Elio’s June 19 Press Release:

“Elio Motors will manufacture the vehicle in Shreveport, Louisiana, at a former General Motors facility that made vehicles such as the Hummer H3 and Chevy Colorado.  When the Elio goes to market, it intends to create 1,500 jobs at the facility. In addition, the Elio is targeted to use 90 percent North American content, which could create another 1,500 jobs at its supplier partner companies. These manufacturing jobs will in turn create approximately 18,000 indirect jobs across the country.”

Imagine – jobs – U.S. jobs!

But the Biggest JOBS Act “Headlines” Were Made Before Reg A+ Opening Day

Ironically, what could have been the biggest JOBS Act headlines seemingly went entirely unnoticed by the mainstream press.

You see, one of the big benefits of Regulation A+ is that it allows a company to “test the waters” by publicly soliciting potential investor interest – before it hires a team of expensive lawyers, accountants and other professionals to prepare its Offering Circular filed with the SEC.  There are only two simple rules to follow:

(1) be sure to include the required SEC legend on these materials, indicating that these indications of interest are non-binding – and

(2) file these testing the waters materials with the SEC if and when a company files a full blown offering statement with the SEC.

TVSeems that the first company to use the Regulation A+ testing the waters provisions may have been another LA area company – based in Compton, a city made legendary since the 1980’s in hip hop and rapper music, and home to some of Los Angeles’ most infamous gangs. According to a press release issued by Compton based Punch TV Studios:

“The revolutionary multimedia conglomerate Punch TV Studios and URBT (OTC: URBT), today announced it will raise $50 Million dollars in the first round of seed funding.  By utilizing President Barack Obama’s JOBS Act; Regulation A+, Punch TV Studios is poised to be one of the first companies to begin raising money with this funding mechanism. The company plans to offer 25 million shares of stock at $2.00 per share directly to the public.”

“By allowing the public to invest directly into Punch TV Studios, it is now possible for the little guy investor to become stockholders and active participants in our success.  It is of the utmost importance, that we are able to empower the members of the urban community, who before the JOBS Act would not have had this opportunity,’ says CEO Joseph Collins.”

The Press Release was conveniently linked to Punch TV’s home page, where investors could indicate the amount of their interest in the proposed offering, with a minimum investment of $500.

“Potential investors may register at now Click Here To Register ), to be among the first to purchase Punch TV Studios stock, as the company begins to test the waters in states that are applicable.”

SEC Headquarters in DCWhat caught my eye on the Punch TV Press Release was something that I thought could only happen in a Hollywood script:  The Press Release was issued on June 11, eight days before Regulation A+ took effect! Seems that this company never got the memo advising that Regulation A+, including its testing the waters provisions for this proposed $50 Million offering, did not go into effect until June 19.  I also couldn’t locate the new SEC testing the waters legends –advising the public about the non-binding nature of the solicitation. So I did some more digging to see if perhaps I should be one of the first to get in early to support a Los Angeles area business.

The first challenge I faced was to figure out exactly which company I would be investing in for the Reg A+ offering – was it Punch TV, presented on its website as a “startup,” orURBT – or were they one and the same? (the June 11 Press Release referred to “revolutionary multimedia conglomerate Punch TV Studios and URBT (OTC: URBT) will raise $50 Million Dollars”).  So I wasn’t sure who would be issuing this Regulation A+ stock or how URBT fits into this “revolutionary multimedia conglomerate” or the Reg A+ raise. So I surfed over to the SEC website to see what I could find out about “URBT”.

Well it seems that URBT (shown on the SEC website as Urban Television Network Corp.) hasn’t filed anything with the SEC since December 2014. In fact, it stopped filing its quarterly and annual SEC reports altogether way back in 2007, though the SEC site reflects that URBT remains subject to SEC reporting obligations. My curiosity further piqued by this dearth of information, I then surfed over to the Nevada Secretary State to see what they had to say about URBT.  Seems that according to the State of Nevada records, URBT doesn’t even legally exist anymore – the official records reflecting that its corporate charter had been revoked. Not quite what I expected to see, as a November 2014 SEC filing seemed to indicate that URBT was alive and well as a Nevada corporation.

A Big Mac from McDonaldsSurprisingly, none of this seemed to dampen the enthusiasm for URBT stock the day the Press Release was issued, rising 250% on the day of the news, with volume of more than 24 million shares, closing out the trading day at $0.0027 (yes, for the cost of a Big Mac you could buy around 1,000 URBT shares).  Punch TV Studios was so thrilled, it posted this on its website to mark the occasion:

“In June Punch TV URBT Stock Rose 250%”

“We are so excited that the invest community has taken a major interest in our company stock symbol “URBT” . After making the announcement that Punch TV Studios plans to raise $50 million in the third quarter of this year, the market got excited and traded more than 27 million shares of stock.  In one call to our CEO Joseph Collins, from a long term URBT stockholder he was elated to see his invest account jump by more than $3,000.00.”

“The thing that surprised me the most,” says Mr. Collins, ” is that the average investment by the new investors was only around $50.00, this is so good to know because this is the type of in investors that we want.”

SEC EnforcemntThankfully, Congress provided that before any company can legallytake your hard earned money into its coffers in a Regulation A+ offering, it will need to make a detailed informational filing with the SEC, replete with audited financial statements and descriptions of related party transactions, and then have it cleared by the SEC Staff and provide it to all prospective investors.

And thankfully, the SEC has the authority, if not the responsibility, to shut down SEC registered companies that do not meet their reporting obligations for extended periods of time.  Seems by all appearances that URBT slipped through the cracks on that score.

And for the Biggest Missed Headline – Title III Investment Crowdfunding Shows Signs of Life In D.C.!

SEC Task List Title IIIThough I am not planning to weigh in on the strength or merits of any Reg A+ security, I certainly want to weigh in on what should have been one of the biggest JOBS Act headlines last week!

For those of you who follow my articles, and may sometimes conclude that I am being too harsh on the SEC – well, there are some folks in Washington, D.C. who can be even harsher.  Pulling no punches, the House Appropriations Committee, the most powerful Committee in the House of Representatives, last week weighed in on what the SEC ought to be doing with those long overdue investment crowdfunding rules mandated by the JOBS Act – the rules that would make it possible for startups to raise up to $1 million from unaccredited investors without any SEC or state review whatsoever.

In what can fairly be described as one of the more powerful smack downs of the SEC since the JOBS Act was passed, last week the House Appropriations Committee voted out of Committee its 2016 federal budget appropriations bill – with a stern message to the SEC. Contained in the 168 page Report were 198 words – which undoubtedly will be music to the ears of investment crowdfunding supporters – chastising the SEC for not getting the JOBS Act Title III proposed crowdfunding rules right – declaring the proposed rules “inoperable.”   Those of you who have been following SEC crowdfunding rulemaking closely will notice that the Appropriations Committee criticism bears a striking resemblance to points I made in an article which first appeared in CrowdfundInsider on January 9, 2014, entitled SEC’s Proposed Crowdfunding Regulations: Six Deadly Sins,” an article cited with approval by SEC Commissioner Daniel Gallagher in a public address delivered on March 27, 2015.

And to show that the Appropriations Committee meant business, these official words of concern were prefaced by a denial of the more than $200 million budget increase requested by the SEC for fiscal 2016 – leaving the proposed SEC budget allocation unchanged from the prior year.

Following is the pertinent excerpt from the Appropriations Committee Report, voted out of Committee last week by a vote of 20-10 – now on its way to a vote on the House floor.

Mary Jo White at House Appropriations Committee“Crowdfunding.—The Committee is concerned that the SEC’s proposed crowdfunding rule by the SEC will be inoperable. The Committee believes that the Commission has an obligation to consider the effects of the proposed rule upon the efficiency, transparency, and affordability for small companies and investors seeking crowdfunding offerings. Impairing or restricting the use of crowdfunding offerings could potentially result in limiting small businesses from securing much needed, early-stage capital formation and liquidity. The Committee believes that before the final crowdfunding rule is promulgated, the Commission should ensure that the regulations neither disproportionately stifle small company growth, nor create barriers to entry for investors, thereby hindering diversified investment options. Specifically, the final rules should carefully consider how the proposed changes would affect the following:

(1) the burden and costs associated with providing audited or reviewed financial statements;

(2) the harm caused by increasing liability for the platforms, portals, and intermediaries’ and thereby their ability to curate and effectuate crowdfunding offerings;

(3) restricting the economic interests of the intermediaries from revenue derived from crowdfunding offerings;

(4) burdensome disclosure report requirements; and (5) the investors and companies’ capacity to aggregate and diversify through investment vehicles to heighten investor and issuer protections.”

My takeaway on this: I would be most surprised if we do not see final, (more) user friendly Title III investment crowdfunding rules by year end.


 

Sam Guzik National Press Club BSamuel S. Guzik, a Senior Contributor to Crowdfund Insider,  is a corporate and securities attorney and business advisor with the law firm of Guzik & Associates, with more than 30 years of experience in private practice.  Guzik is also the President and Board Chairof the Crowdfunding Professional Association. A nationally recognized authority on the JOBS Act, including Regulation D private placements, investment crowdfunding and Regulation A+, he is and an advisor to legislators, researchers and private businesses, including crowdfunding issuers, service providers and platforms, on matters relating to the JOBS Act. As an advocate for small and medium sized business he has engaged with major stakeholders in the ongoing post-JOBS Act reform, including legislators, industry advocates and federal and state securities regulators. In 2014, some of his speaking engagements have included leading a Crowdfunding Roundtable in Washington, DC sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, a panelist at the MIT Sloan School of Business 2014 Crowdfunding Roundtable, and a panelist at a national bar association event which included private practitioners, investor advocates and officials of NASAA. His articles on JOBS Act issues, including two published in the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, have also served as a basis for post-JOBS Act proposed legislation.  Recently he was cited by SEC Commissioner Daniel M. Gallagher in a public address for his advocacy on SEC regulatory reform for small business.   He is admitted to practice before the SEC and in New York and California. Guzik has represented a number of public and privately held businesses, from startup to exit, concentrating in financing startups and emerging growth companies.  He also frequent blogger on securities and corporate law issues at The Corporate Securities Lawyer Blog.

Posted in Capital Raising, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, Crowdfunding, General, Regulation A+ Resource Center, SEC Developments | Comments Off on Regulation A+ Packs a “Punch” – So too Congress and Title III Crowdfunding

Regulation A+ CBS Podcast with Jay Abraham and Sam Guzik

Friday, June 19, 2015, is an historic day for both small business and federal securities regulation.  For the first time in over a century private early stage and more mature companies alike will be able to offer their securities to the general public without having to endure the oversize costs and burdens of a traditional IPO – which can run into millions of dollars.  With bi-partisan backing from Congress under Title IV of the JOBS Act of 2012 and detailed SEC rules, a private company can now go public through SEC Regulation A+, allowing a company to raise up to $50 million in a Mini IPO and operate as a public company with reduced ongoing SEC disclosure.  Many companies are expected to take advantage of this new avenue of capital formation.

And for those companies who are uncertain as to whether there will be sufficient investor interest to justify the time and expense of filing a Regulation A+ offering with the SEC, companies will now be able to “test the waters,” publicly solicit non-binding indications of interest, before making any filings with the SEC.

For those companies that are considering testing the waters, or are ready to commence the new Regulation A+ qualification process, please feel free to contact me for more information at sguzik at guziklaw.com

It is a great honor and privilege to sit down in an interview with renowned business mentor Jay Abraham on June 19 to discuss some of the practical implications for companies and investors alike.  For those of you who are interested, following is a Press Release announcing the Podcast, with details on how to access this free event:

*               *               *               *              *               *               *               *              *               *

The Ultimate Entrepreneur with Jay Abraham Commemorates SEC’s new

“Regulation A Mini-IPOs,” Available on the Play.it Podcast Network

June 19, 2015 Could Be One Of The Most Historic Days In The History Of Entrepreneurship.

That’s When “Regulation A Mini-IPOs” Go Into Effect.

Learn Why This Could Help The American Dream Come True

For Small Businesses And Investors Alike.

New York City, June 17, 2015

On June 19th, “The Ultimate Entrepreneur with Jay Abraham” podcast, available on Play.it®, will launch a special edition of “The Ultimate Entrepreneur with Jay Abraham” commemorating the Securites and Exchange Commission’s new “Regulation A Mini-Initial Public Offerings” going into effect.

Many believe this new securities law (commonly referred to by industry insiders as “Reg A+”) permitting small businesses to raise up to $50 million a year from the general public will help make the American Dream come true for entrepreneurs and small investors alike.

The special program (“Crowd-Powered Mini-IPOs”) features legendary entrepreneurial mentor, business growth expert and best-selling author, Jay Abraham. His special guest co-host is Peter M. Einstein, Co-founder / Chief Visionary Officer of The CrowdFunding Network, which has created a special “Crowd-Powered Mini-IPO” Resource Page with articles, webinars, and other materials at www.LaunchIPO.com

for anyone interested in learning more about this new game-changing legislation.

” I think this could, arguably, be one of the most significantly impactful, positive  developments for entrepreneurs seeking funding and exit strategies ever mounted.

– Jay Abraham

As Einstein points out on the resource page: “The modern entrepreneurial version of the American Dream is starting your own business and then ‘going public’ through an IPO. Or, from the small investor’s perspective, it’s buying shares in The Next Big Thing at the Initial Public Offering price and watching their value grow exponentially. Thanks to the SEC’s recent ruling on Regulation A, both those versions of the American Dream are now becoming a reality.”

This special program will also feature leading Reg A+ expert and advocate Samuel Guzik (noted securities attorney & Chairman of The Crowdfunding Professional Association). It will address a myriad of details entrepreneurs and investors need to know before taking advantage of this newly-enacted law. Although a highly regulated form of capital formation and investing, Reg A+ mini-IPOs are considered a form of crowdfunding, since the offerings can be actively promoted via many of the same methods as popular  Kickstarter campaigns such as videos, social media, blogs, advertising, etc. (unlike traditional IPOs which are far more restricted in their ability to communicate with potential investors).

The “Crowd-Powered Mini-IPOs” podcast will be available for downloads on June 19 at

http://www1.play.it/audio/the-ultimate-entrepreneur-with-jay-abraham/

Posted in Capital Raising, Corporate Law, Crowdfunding, General, Regulation A+ Resource Center, SEC Developments, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The State of Massachusetts vs. Regulation A+ — State Regulators Take the SEC to Court

 As you undoubtedly have heard, or will hear, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts via via its Secretary of State, William Galvin, filed a lawsuit against the SEC on Friday to block the implementation of SEC Final Rules implementing Regulation A+.  .

Though this was neither unforeseen nor unforeseeable, it strikes a major blow to the heart of small business capital formation.

The ensuing battle will be fought on many fronts – with much more powerful forces allied against small business than for.  Even in Congress the consumer’s consumer advocate, Senator Elizabeth Warren, reported to be the sub rosa ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, hails from the Great Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  So there will be no prisoners taken in this battle.

I say it is time to take the “ass”(es) out of Massachusetts – and take the fight to Washington, D.C.

It took Congress 16 years to pass legislation (NSMIA) to block a repeat of one of the more visible faux pas of Massachusetts’ all knowing Chief Securities Administrator, barring ordinary retail investors from purchasing the stock of Apple Computer in its initial IPO in 1980. Our small businesses and job creators can ill afford to wait any longer for the promises of the JOBS Act of 2012 to be realized, most notably Title III (crowdfunding) and Title IV (Regulation A+).

For more on this development, see my article today in CrowdfundInsider.

Update: It is now publicly reported that the State of Montana has joined in the lawsuit instituted by Massachusetts. http://www.thinkadvisor.com/2015/05/26/massachusetts-montana-sue-sec-over-jobs-act

Posted in Business Formation, Capital Raising, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, Crowdfunding, General, Regulation A+ Resource Center, SEC Developments | 2 Comments

Mark Your Calendars – Regulation A+ Goes Live on June 19, 2015

For those of you who have been following JOBS Act final rulemaking, Regulation A+, allowing companies to conduct an IPO up to $50 million at reduced initial and ongoing expense compared to a traditional IPO, today was another important milestone.

As has been widely publicized, the SEC approved Final Rules on March 25, 2015. However, the Final Rules do not become effective until 60 days following their publication in the Federal Register.  Today the Final Regulation A+ rules were published in the Federal Register, so they will become effective on June 19, 2015.

With Title II of the JOBS Act in full swing, allowing general solicitation for “private placements” to accredited investors, small and emerging businesses now have a broader path to achieve their capital funding needs.  Though Title II, embodied in Rule 506(c), can be an extremely attractive option, with no mandatory disclosure or SEC registration, and no dollar limits on the amount raised, many companies will find Regulation A+ to be a useful step as they grow and expand their operations.

Though Regulation A+ involves an SEC registration process, investors in a  Regulation A+ offering will receive freely tradable securities.  From a company’s perspective, this factor alone can make it easier to attract investors who are otherwise unwilling to be locked up indefinitely, and in most cases issuers can expect to receive a higher valuation for liquid, vs. illiquid securities acquired in a private placement.  Regulation A+ also allows companies to include unaccredited investors in the offering.

And the cost of a Regulation A+ IPO will normally be significantly less than a traditional IPO. Unlike a traditional IPO, issuers may rely on auditors who are not registered with the federal PCAOB, a factor which can bring down accounting costs significantly.  And listing fees on the OTC Market are a fraction of those on a national exchange, such as Nasdaq or NYSE.

Legal fees can also be expected to be substantially below those incurred in a traditional IPO. The SEC estimates that legal fees incurred by an issuer can be expected to average 40% below those incurred in a traditional IPO.  And firms such as mine, which concentrate on representing  SME’s, including smaller public companies, are able to provide quality representation in the registration process for less than $50,000.

With the JOBS Act now providing even more opportunities than ever for SME’s to raise capital, the starting point for any company or advisor considering financing options should be an experienced corporate/securities attorney who is not only up to date on the law, but also knowledgeable on the practical aspects of raising capital in the post-JOBS Act world.  For those of you who would like additional information I encourage you to contact me at sguzik@guziklaw.com.

Posted in Business Formation, Capital Raising, Corporate Governance, Crowdfunding, General, Regulation A+ Resource Center, SEC Developments | Comments Off on Mark Your Calendars – Regulation A+ Goes Live on June 19, 2015

Regulation A+ IPO – Where Can My Company’s Securities Trade?

Image result for picture of stock market chart

For those of you still trying to get  your arms around the SEC’s recently released Final Rules implementing Title IV of the JOBS Act, commonly known as Regulation A+, one of the most important areas for a company to consider in evaluating whether an IPO utilizing Regulation A+ is right for it is where will these securities trade?

The primary benefit of an IPO, from the company perspective, is to achieve liquidity for its securities. Not only does this provide an “exit” for investors, but liquidity will normally result in an increased valuation for the securities being sold. This means less dilution to the issuing company and its shareholders.  So a fundamental question is where can an issuer’s securities trade?

Though some companies may choose to list directly on a national exchange, such as Nasdaq or NYSE, the large majority of issuers with an initial IPO will not meet the heightened listing standards of a national exchange. Other companies who may meet these requirements will initially choose not to list on a national exchange, as their listing requirements dictate that issuers be a fully reporting company under SEC rules.  One of the principal advantages of being a Regulation A+ issuer is to have the option of having lighter ongoing public reporting than a fully reporting company.  National exchanges also have certain qualitative listing standards addressing corporate governance requirements. Meeting these requirements typically results in additional ongoing expense.

As I mentioned in an earlier article, the OTC Markets Group currently operates a three tier exchange.  Each of these tiers has their own distinct requirements.  Additional information regarding OTC Markets and the requirements for listing on each of the three tiers is available on their website.

But the question many issuers will also ask is this: Is there life after OTC Markets? To this question I offer two thoughts. There are many high quality companies which are listed on OTC Markets and choose to remain there even though they are eligible for listing on Nasdaq or NYSE. Others do eventually graduate, or “uplist”, to a national exchange.

To put this in context I thought I would share with my readers information provided by OTC Markets on the number of companies that have uplisted from OTC Markets to Nasdaq or the NYSE in the past.  These numbers can be expected to grow as new Regulation A+ issues come on line in the coming months and years.

For additional information about whether a Regulation A+ offering is right for your company, feel free to contact me at sguzik@guziklaw.com.

Following is information provided by OTC Markets Group.

OTC Markets Group News MARCH 2015
Exchange Graduation, “Venture Exchanges” and Optimizing Public Markets for Small Companies A Message from OTC Markets Group CEO Cromwell Coulson Last year was a record ‘Exchange Graduation’ year with 83 companies up-listing from our OTCQX, OTCQB and OTC Pink marketplaces to a NYSE, NASDAQ or NYSE MKT listing. In the past five years, more than 400 companies have graduated from our marketplaces to an exchange listing.

Market 2014 Graduates to Main Boards
OTCQX, OTCQB and OTC Pink – US 83
TSX Venture – Canada 22
LSE AIM Market – UK 5

Companies are not just graduating, but using our premium marketplaces to improve trading, transparency and trust for investors. In 2014, we experienced a 92% increase in the number of U.S. companies that qualified for our OTCQX marketplace, which included 34 community banks. There are over 660 small companies now verified for trading on our OTCQB Venture Marketplace, which is bringing visibility to smaller and development stage companies and has become America’s Venture Market. We highlight these impressive numbers because “venture exchanges” are a current topic of discussion in Washington. Politicians, regulators, and market practitioners are discussing how to help small companies raise capital, go public and create more liquid trading markets. Optimizing public markets for growing small companies is a good idea and one we have pioneered here at OTC Markets Group. With a growing community of U.S. companies helping us build better markets, we look forward to continuing to play a key role in the trading of established and venture stage companies. The voices of our companies and broker-dealers need to be heard in Washington. Click here to read more about what we are proposing.

Posted in Capital Raising, Corporate Law, Crowdfunding, General, Regulation A+ Resource Center, SEC Developments, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Regulation A+ IPO – Where Can My Company’s Securities Trade?