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(Sources of Document Retention Requirements)

Short-Swing Profits

Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C.S. § 78p(b), limits the ability of corporate insiders and principal stockholders to profit from their access to nonpublic information about their company. Under Section 16(b), profits from two trades of a company's publicly traded securities within six months by a director, officer, or beneficial owner of more than ten percent of a security of the company are owed to and may be recovered by the company. If the company does not retrieve those profits, shareholders may file a derivative action to obtain a court order to have the profits given over to the company.

Small Business Stock Registration Forms

A company that decides to sell its shares to the public normally must file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Before the company may sell the shares, the staff of the Commission must declare the registration statement effective. The basic registration form (Form S-1) includes two parts, including part one, a prospectus or selling document, and part two, additional information required by the Commission that is publicly available but does not have to be provided to investors.

Directors' Reliance on Corporate Books and Records

When directors perform their corporate responsibilities, the duty of care requires them to exercise the care that an ordinary prudent person would exercise in the management of his or her own affairs under similar circumstances. To be able to invoke the protections of the business judgment rule, directors must make informed business decisions.

DIRECTOR'S DUTY OF LOYALTY

AN OVERVIEW