Section 306(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 prohibits any director or executive officer of an issuer from, directly or indirectly, purchasing, selling or otherwise acquiring or transferring any equity security of the issuer during a pension plan blackout period that prevents plan participants and beneficiaries from engaging in transactions involving issuer equity securities held in their plan accounts. These prohibitions apply only if the securities acquired or disposed of by the director or executive officer were acquired in connection with his or her service or employment as a director or executive officer. Section 306(a) also requires an issuer to notify its directors and executive officers, as well as the Commission, of an impending blackout period on a timely basis.
