On July 21, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173) (the "Act"), which is intended "to promote the financial stability of the United States by improving accountability and transparency in the financial system" and "to protect the American taxpayer by ending bailouts, to protect consumers from abusive financial services practices, and for other purposes." While the Act is directed at the financial system, it incorporates broad executive compensation provisions that apply beyond the financial services industry. Publicly-traded companies need to understand and prepare for these new requirements. Included in Subtitle E of Title IX – Accountability and Executive Compensation ("Subtitle E") – of the Act are laws generally related to executive compensation practices of publicly-traded companies and certain financial institutions. The laws enacted under Subtitle E amend the Securities Act of 1933 and Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), and also direct the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and certain other Federal Regulators to adopt rules consistent with the new law.  Continue reading about this development in Littler's ASAP:  Executive Compensation and the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act by Nick Linn, Ilyse Schuman, and Ellen Sueda. 

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