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What is the purpose of coordinated review of equity
offerings? |
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The purpose is to streamline the registration
process for issuers and to promote uniformity among the
states that participate by applying set standards to equity
offerings.
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Can any issuer offering equity securities participate
in coordinated equity review? |
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No. Coordinated equity review generally
is intended only for initial public offerings of common
stock, preferred stock, warrants, rights and units comprised
of equity securities that also are seeking registration
under Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933. Coordinated
equity review is not available for Regulation A offerings.
Blank check and blind pool offerings do not qualify for
coordinated equity review. Coordinated equity review may
not be available for an offering, even if the offering
fits within the initial screening criteria.
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How does an issuer apply for coordinated equity review? |
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An issuer must file an Application for Coordinated
State Review (CER-1) in all states in which it is seeking
to register its securities in addition to filing forms,
fees and other documents required by each state. The issuer
should file these documents contemporaneously in each
state in which it is seeking to register the securities.
The issuer also should file a CER-1, without fees, together
with a cover letter indicating its intent to seek coordinated
equity review in Pennsylvania, the Program Administrator
state. If the issuer has filed an application to register
the securities in Pennsylvania and has requested coordinated
equity review, it is not necessary to file an additional
CER-1.
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Can an issuer participate in coordinated equity review
with respect to some states but not all states in which
it is seeking registration? |
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Yes. Those states in which the issuer files
separately will apply separate state standards of review.
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Can an issuer participate in the program with respect
to disclosure review but not merit review? |
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Yes.
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Can an issuer use the coordinated review program for
offerings that already have been declared effective by the
Securities and Exchange Commission? |
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Yes.
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Can an issuer add jurisdictions to the coordinated
review of an offering after the review process has begun? |
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An issuer may add as many jurisdictions as it desires
so long as such additions occur within the initial 10-day
comment period, by amending the CER-1 and filing it with
each participating state and Pennsylvania. The comment
period will be extended an additional five (5) business
days from the date each amendment is received. If an issuer
seeks to add a jurisdiction after the initial 10-day comment
period, acceptance of that addition is discretionary.
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Who will send comments to the issuer? |
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A lead disclosure state and a lead merit
state will be selected from the states the issuer has
indicated on the CER-1 as the states in which it is requesting
coordinated review. The lead states are responsible for
sending comment letters.
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What is the purpose of having two lead states? |
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States have been separated into merit and
disclosure states. The lead disclosure state is chosen
from those states that apply a disclosure standard of
review. The lead merit state is chosen from those states
that apply a merit standard of review. The lead merit
state will have primary responsibility for negotiating
resolution to merit issues and the lead disclosure state
will have primary responsibility for negotiating resolution
to disclosure issues, although in certain cases there
will be overlap between the issues.
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Since two lead states will be selected, will the issuer
receive separate comment letters from them? |
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The lead states will work together to produce
a single comment letter that includes disclosure, merit
and state specific comments. The issuer will address the
merit and disclosure comments in a single response letter.
The issuer will provide a response to state specific comments
directly to the states making the comments.
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How will lead states be selected? |
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The lead states will be selected from those
states that have volunteered to act as a lead state. Pennsylvania
will be responsible for selecting the lead states. The
issuer does not have the option of selecting specific
lead jurisdictions. Pennsylvania will select the lead
states on the basis of a number of factors including the
states' resources and experience in reviewing coordinated
equity review applications. There may be no correlation
between the lead states and the issuer's home state.
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How soon after an application is filed will the lead
states be selected? |
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The lead states will be selected within three (3) business
days after Pennsylvania has received the application.
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What is the function of the lead states? |
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The lead states will act as a team to prepare
the initial comment letter in consultation with the other
participating jurisdictions. The lead states are responsible
for negotiating a resolution of comments with the issuer.
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If the issuer selects only one merit or one disclosure
state on the CER-1, will that state automatically be the
lead state? |
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If the issuer selects only one merit state,
that state will be the lead merit state. In this situation,
the lead merit state will make comments consistent with
the coordinated equity review standards, unless the state's
own standards are less restrictive and the state elects
to apply them. If the issuer selects only one disclosure
state, that state will be the lead disclosure state, unless
that state elects to have the lead merit state serve as
both lead merit and disclosure state and the lead merit
state accepts that responsibility.
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What is the time line for issuing the initial comment
letter? |
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The participating jurisdictions have ten
(10) business days to submit their comments to the lead
jurisdictions. Within another five (5) business days,
the lead states collect and consolidate all comments and
create a single letter to be sent to the issuer. The five
(5) business day period includes a two (2) business day
period for the participating jurisdictions to review the
comment letter for changes and corrections.
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How do the issuer and the participating states know
the identity of the lead states and when comments are due? |
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As indicated above Pennsylvania has three
days to select the lead states. The three (3) day period
will begin to run the day after Pennsylvania receives
notice on a CER-1 that the issuer is seeking to register
its securities under coordinated equity review. Pennsylvania
will notify the issuer and the participating jurisdictions
to the identity of the lead states and the following dates:
(1) date by which participating jurisdictions must submit
comments to the lead states, (2) date by which the lead
states must submit a draft letter to the commenting jurisdictions,
(3) date by which participating jurisdictions must submit
changes or corrections to the lead states, and (4) date
on which the comment letter is due to the issuer.
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What are state specific comments? |
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State specific comments are comments relating
to forms, incorrect fee calculations, broker-dealer registration
and the need for additional documents. To the extent these
comments do not conflict with the coordinated equity review
standards, they will be included in the comment letter
sent by the lead states.
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What standards of review are utilized in coordinated
equity review? |
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The NASAA statements of policy relating to offerings of
equity securities provide the substantive standards for
review of offerings where the issuer has elected to participate
in coordinated review. A particular NASAA statement of policy
may set forth limitations or thresholds that an offering
must meet or it may require that specific disclosures appear
in the prospectus. In making the decision as to whether
to utilize coordinated equity review, the issuer should
consider whether the offering complies with the NASAA statements
of policy.
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Can the coordinated review standards (i.e., NASAA statements
of policy) be waived? |
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The NASAA statements of policy can be waived only if all
(100%) of the participating merit states (and/or disclosure
states if the waiver request applies to a disclosure issue)
agree to the waiver.
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What is the issuer's recourse in the event the participating
states do not agree to a waiver of the coordinated review
standards? |
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The issuer may withdraw from the coordinated equity review
process in those states that do not agree to the waiver.
If the issuer wishes to continue the registration process
in those states, states will apply their guidelines for
non-coordinated equity review offerings.
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How will the lead states resolve outstanding comments? |
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The lead states will communicate with the issuer and the
participating jurisdictions to resolve outstanding comments.
The lead states are encouraged to consult with the state
issuing a particular comment to confirm that an issuer's
response satisfies the state's concern.
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After the initial registration application is filed,
are there any materials that the issuer is responsible for
forwarding directly to the participating jurisdictions? |
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Yes. The issuer must forward any amendments to the registration
statement, uniform forms and CER-1 directly to the participating
states. Additionally, the issuer must resolve state specific
comments directly with the state issuing the comment. Further,
the issuer must send notices relating to the status of the
offering (e.g., notice of SEC effectiveness, withdrawal
notices) directly to the participating jurisdictions. The
lead states are responsible for forwarding the issuer's
response letters to the participating jurisdictions.
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How will the participating jurisdictions know that
each lead state has cleared the application? |
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Participating jurisdictions will receive same-day notice
from each lead state when the application has been cleared
by that state.
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Can the lead disclosure state clear an application
before it is cleared by the lead merit state? |
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Yes.
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Once the lead disclosure state clears the application,
is it cleared in all participating disclosure jurisdictions? |
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Yes.
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Once the lead merit state clears the application, is
it cleared in all participating merit jurisdictions? |
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Yes.
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