Case: Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility v. Securities and Exchange Commission

1:26-cv-00957 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: March 19, 2026

Case Ongoing

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility and As You Sow filed suit against the SEC and three of its officials on March 19, 2026, challenging a new "No-Objection Policy" adopted in November 2025. The plaintiffs alleged that this policy fundamentally changed the decades-old process for reviewing shareholder proposals by allowing companies to obtain automatic "no-objection" letters from SEC staff simply by making an "unqualified representation" that they have a reasonable basis to exclude a proposal, replacing meaningful regulatory oversight with a "rubber-stamp process" and bypassing required notice-and-comment rulemaking procedures. The complaint brought three Administrative Procedure Act claims alleging the policy was contrary to law, arbitrary and capricious, and adopted without required procedures. The plaintiffs sought to have the policy declared unlawful and permanently enjoined, along with costs and attorney fees.

This case is ongoing.

Summary Authors

Claire Pollard (3/23/2026)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72514916/parties/interfaith-center-on-corporate-responsibility-v-securities-and-exchange/


Judge(s)

Nichols, Carl John (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Brewer, Simon Christopher (District of Columbia)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document
1

1:26-cv-00957

Complaint

Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility et al. v. Securities and Exchange Commission et al.

March 19, 2026

March 19, 2026

Complaint

Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72514916/interfaith-center-on-corporate-responsibility-v-securities-and-exchange/

Last updated April 20, 2026, 3:10 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT against PAUL S. ATKINS, HESTER M. PEIRCE, SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, MARK T. UYEDA ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-12308287) filed by INTERFAITH CENTER ON CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, AS YOU SOW. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons Securities and Exchange Commission, # 3 Summons Atkins, # 4 Summons Peirce, # 5 Summons Uyeda, # 6 Summons Attorney General, # 7 Summons U.S. Attorney)(Brewer, Simon) (Entered: 03/19/2026)

1 Civil Cover Sheet

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2 Summons Securities and Exchange Commission

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3 Summons Atkins

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4 Summons Peirce

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5 Summons Uyeda

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6 Summons Attorney General

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7 Summons U.S. Attorney

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March 19, 2026

March 19, 2026

Clearinghouse
2

LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by AS YOU SOW, INTERFAITH CENTER ON CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY (Brewer, Simon) (Entered: 03/19/2026)

March 19, 2026

March 19, 2026

3

SUMMONS (6) Issued Electronically as to All Defendants, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zhcn) (Entered: 03/20/2026)

March 20, 2026

March 20, 2026

Case Assigned/Reassigned

March 20, 2026

March 20, 2026

Case Assigned to Judge Carl J. Nichols. (zhcn)

March 20, 2026

March 20, 2026

Case Details

State / Territory:

District of Columbia

Case Type(s):

Public Benefits/Government Services

Special Collection(s):

Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government

Key Dates

Filing Date: March 19, 2026

Case Ongoing: Yes

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

A 55-year-old membership coalition with more than 300 institutional investor members holding or managing over $4 trillion in invested capital.

Plaintiff Type(s):

Non-profit NON-religious organization

Attorney Organizations:

Democracy Forward

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Federal

Securities and Exchange Commission

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 551 et seq.

Other Dockets:

District of District of Columbia 1:26-cv-00957

Available Documents:

Complaint (any)

Trial Court Docket

Outcome

Prevailing Party: None Yet / None

Relief Sought:

Attorneys fees

Declaratory judgment

Injunction

Relief Granted:

None yet

Source of Relief:

None yet

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