Book excerpt: In one concise volume, the new sixth edition of Securities Law and Practice Deskbook contains thorough but accessible insight into securities law and regulation, including the sweeping Dodd-Frank changes and the Commission's recent enactment of the "proxy access" rules. Featuring step-by-step checklists that spotlight what you should and should not do as an adviser in the securities arena, this practical treatise enables you to help corporate entities * Deal effectively with the Securities Act registration process -- focusing on the procedures, disclosure requirements, and documents involved, including the drafting of prospectuses, the due diligence necessary to ensure accuracy, and electronic filing * Handle registration and reporting under the Exchange Act -- both initial and mandated periodic reporting, including the revisions made under both Sarbanes-Oxley and the recent financial reform legislation * Minimize liability risks under the Exchange Act -- by understanding what triggers violations under Rule 10b-5, Section 16(b), and Section 14, and by avoiding such practices as churning and market manipulation Securities Law and Practice Deskbook covers the recent legislative, regulatory and judicial changes that * Revised the net worth standard of qualifying as an accredited investor * Increased the SEC's ability to impose penalties in cease-and-desist proceedings * Requires the creation of "claw-back" provisions in listed company compensation plans * Significantly revised "proxy access" and "proxy voting" regulations