Takeaways - Delaware courts have become more willing to allow stockholders to pursue claims that directors breached their duty to oversee risk management and compliance. Directors are most vulnerable to suits where they have...more
On February 10, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3-1 to approve proposed changes to public company beneficial ownership reporting requirements. The SEC has long considered such changes to the...more
On November 17, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to the proxy rules mandating the use of universal proxy cards in contested elections. The new rules require both companies and dissidents...more
On February 26, 2021, Vice Chancellor Kathaleen S. McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery permanently enjoined a stockholder rights plan — or so-called “poison pill” — with a 5% trigger that The Williams Companies, Inc....more
The evolving coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused profound worldwide human suffering, has also severely impacted global business and financial markets. Corporate boards of directors and management teams are...more
Although different in some important respects and rapidly evolving, the global pandemic shares many of the characteristics of other broadscale crisis situations that prior boards of directors have confronted and managed...more
3/24/2020
/ Board of Directors ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Governance ,
Customers ,
Cybersecurity ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Financial Distress ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Shareholders ,
Sick Employees ,
Supply Chain
Despite political and economic uncertainties, markets and deal activity were resilient in 2019, and strong fundamentals remain in place heading into 2020. Companies continue to face a challenging litigation and enforcement...more
1/30/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
Administrative Procedure Act ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Appeals ,
Arbitration Awards ,
Attorney General ,
Backstop Agreements ,
BEPS ,
BitLicense ,
Blockchain ,
Board of Directors ,
Bonds ,
Capital Markets ,
CFIUS ,
CFTC ,
Chapter 11 ,
Claim Preclusion ,
Class Action ,
Commercial Bankruptcy ,
Common Stock ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Congressional Subpoenas ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Cooperation Agreement ,
Copyright ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Restructuring ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Corporate Taxes ,
Corwin Doctrine ,
Covenant Lite Deals ,
Creditors ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
DACA ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Debt Financing ,
Debtors ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dischargeable Debts ,
Disgorgement ,
Disparate Impact ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Down Rounds ,
Drug Pricing ,
EBITDA ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement of Foreign Judgments ,
Enterprise Act 2002 ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Fair Housing Act (FHA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FinTech ,
FIRRMA ,
Foreign Acquisitions ,
Foreign Investment ,
Foreign Issuers ,
FRCP 23 ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
General Elections ,
GILTI tax ,
High-Yield Markets ,
Hong Kong ,
Hong Kong Stock Exchange ,
Individual Accountability ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intercreditor Agreements ,
International Arbitration ,
International Litigation ,
IRS ,
Issue Preclusion ,
Japan ,
Joint Venture ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Life Sciences ,
Listing Rules ,
Litigation Strategies ,
Make-Whole Premium ,
Mergers ,
MFW ,
Multinationals ,
National Security ,
PCAOB ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Political Parties ,
Preferred Shares ,
Private Offerings ,
Privately Held Corporations ,
Proxy Advisory Firms ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Refinancing ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Separation of Powers ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholder Proposals ,
Shareholders ,
Split of Authority ,
State Labor Laws ,
Stock Drop Litigation ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Litigation ,
Technology Sector ,
Third-Party Release Agrements ,
Transparency ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
Valuation ,
White Collar Crimes
Tax reform, shifting international dynamics, Trump administration goals and a potentially strong market for transactions all seem likely to impact business activity in 2018. Below are 10 areas to explore in our 10th annual...more
1/23/2018
/ #MeToo ,
Acquisitions ,
China ,
Class Action ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Cybersecurity ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Mergers ,
National Security ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities Litigation ,
Tax Reform ,
Trade Secrets ,
Trump Administration ,
UK Brexit
The corporate governance landscape has become more complicated, making it more difficult for directors to manage the often inconsistent demands of multiple constituencies while pursuing the fundamental fiduciary obligation to...more
2/3/2017
/ Acquisitions ,
Board of Directors ,
CEOs ,
Clawbacks ,
Corporate Executives ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cybersecurity ,
Executive Compensation ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Mergers ,
Proxy Access ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Tenure
Although Insights is intended to cover a wide range of issues, there are a number of topics we believe will be of particular interest to directors and senior corporate executives. Below is an introduction to these topics and...more
1/29/2015
/ Board of Directors ,
C-Suite Executives ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cybersecurity ,
Directors ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Proxy Access Rule ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Risk Management ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholders
William F. Ruprecht, et al., and Sotheby’s, which, in essence, recognized that a board of directors could adopt a shareholder rights plan as a reasonable response to a threat posed by an activist shareholder....more
This week, the Delaware Court of Chancery upheld board-adopted forum selection bylaws requiring that stockholder claims against a Delaware corporation or its directors be brought in a Delaware court. A number of Delaware...more