Martha Legg Miller, Vice President of Public Policy at Fidelity Investments and former Director of the SEC's Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation, discusses the role of the Advocate, key takeaways from the Office's Annual Report, recent SEC rulemaking proposals, capital needs for small businesses, the costs of going public, and the challenges and prospects of the Climate Risk Disclosure rule.
The decline in deal volume and VC exits is attributed to challenges in later stage deal-making activity and limited secondary market liquidity in the private markets, highlighting the importance of addressing these issues for the growth of the economy.
The annual report issued by the Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation offers comprehensive data and recommendations to improve the capital raising landscape, emphasizing the need for well-informed policy decisions based on sound data and understanding the language of securities law.
Deep dives
Challenges in Small Business Capital Formation
The podcast discusses the challenges in small business capital formation, highlighting the need for external funds for most businesses. It mentions the significance of capital formation for the vibrancy of markets, innovation, and job creation. The decline in deal volume and VC exits is attributed to challenges in the later stage deal-making activity and limited secondary market liquidity in the private markets. It emphasizes the importance of new companies being formed for the longevity and growth of the economy. The summary also touches on the costs of going public and compliance, highlighting the impact on smaller entities.
The Annual Report on Capital Formation
The podcast explores the annual report issued by the Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation, highlighting its purpose to improve the capital raising landscape. It mentions the comprehensive data and recommendations in the report, focusing on the challenges faced by smaller businesses in accessing capital. The summary discusses the length and visual representation of the report, as well as its value in empowering decision-making. The need for well-informed policy decisions based on sound data and the importance of understanding the language of securities law are also mentioned.
Examining Predictive Data Analytics Rule Proposal
The podcast dives into the challenges surrounding the SEC's predictive data analytics rule proposal. It highlights the conflicting factors, including concerns about conflicts of interest, the rise of meme stocks, and the heightened attention on artificial intelligence. The summary notes the expertise of the guest, Martha Legmiller, in navigating these challenges and her belief that the rule needs substantial reworking or withdrawal. It also mentions the difficulties the SEC faces in finalizing the rule due to limited support from commissioners and potential legislative windows.
The Future of Climate Risk Disclosure Rule
The podcast discusses the ongoing process and potential challenges in finalizing the climate risk disclosure rule. It highlights the complexities and negotiations encountered during the drafting of the proposal, as well as the need for support from commissioners to move forward. The summary acknowledges the potential difficulties in developing a final rule that avoids unintended consequences and accommodates concerns of different stakeholders. It mentions the need for careful considerations on issues like scope three emissions and predicts that the final rule may be released by next summer.
On this episode of the inSecurities podcast, Chris and Kurt chat with Martha Legg Miller, the Vice President of Public Policy and Regulatory Strategy at Fidelity Investments and former Director of the SEC’s Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation. Martha talks about the role of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation, highlights key takeaways from the Office’s 2023 Annual Report, and discusses recent SEC rulemaking proposals, including the Predictive Data Analytics (PDA) and Climate Risk Disclosure rules.
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