Are you in the middle of exploring a confidential listed M&A deal? If yes, SEBI may have just opened a Pandora’s box by mandating you to disclose the details of the transaction as it unfolds – effectively bidding adieu to deal certainty. In what could be termed as nothing else than an overzealous attempt to protect public shareholders, SEBI recently passed an order (In the matter of Reliance Industries Limited) stating: (a) all ongoing deal negotiations are unpublished price sensitive information (UPSI); (b) if there is a media leak about such negotiations, the listed company should proactively disclose material details of these negotiations; and (c) listed company cannot wait for finalization of deal metrics or execution of definitive documents to make disclosures to the market.