Hi In “a tale of wins and losses on both sides,” the Delaware Court of Chancery reiterated that advance notice bylaws adopted amid an approaching proxy contest are reviewed through the lens of enhanced judicial scrutiny to...more
In 1941, two of the three shareholders of Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, Inc. entered into an agreement stating that they would vote their combined 630 of the outstanding 1000 shares of Ringling Bros. stock...more
Shareholder engagement is an imperative for every public company. And with the recent adoption of universal proxy cards, 2023 promises to inject fresh uncertainty into how companies think about and approach that engagement....more
The Singapore Parliament recently passed the Corporate Registers (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, which seeks to amend the Companies Act 1967 and the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005 to strengthen Singapore’s corporate...more
In Rosenbaum v. CytoDyn Inc., C.A. No. 2021-0728-JRS (Del. Ch. Oct. 13, 2021), the Delaware Court of Chancery declined to apply the Blasius enhanced scrutiny standard to an incumbent board’s rejection of shareholders’...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved mandatory “universal proxy” on November 17, 2021. The final rules will apply to contested director elections at shareholder meetings held after August 31, 2022. The...more
The right of shareholders to elect a corporation’s directors is one of the most valuable rights attendant to share ownership. Election of directors is where shareholders can directly exert their influence on the corporation,...more
On February 3, 2020, the President Trump announced his intent to nominate Craig Edward Leen, the current OFCCP Director, to serve as the Inspector General at the Office of Personnel Management. The Office of the Inspector...more
On January 13, 2020, in an opinion authored by Justice Karen L. Valihura, the Supreme Court of Delaware held that defendants—two investment trusts—were permitted to disqualify the board nominees of a plaintiff shareholder for...more
Another record breaking year for shareholder proposals, including significant support for activists' and other dissident proposals - The number of shareholder proposals made by activist shareholders, votes against...more
The Background: An insurgent won control of the board of directors of EQT Corporation in a proxy contest using a so-called "universal proxy card." The Issue: While the merits of universal ballots remain subject to debate,...more
The staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently issued new Compliance & Disclosure Interpretations (116.11 & 133.13) encouraging public companies to provide details on how they consider diversity when making...more
On February 6, 2019, the Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the Securities and Exchange Commission published new interpretive guidance regarding board diversity disclosures, which should be considered when preparing...more
On February 6, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission released two Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations (CDIs) discussing disclosure requirements in instances where a director or board nominee self-identifies...more
Last week, the Staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (the SEC Staff) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released new compliance and disclosure interpretations (116.11 and 133.13) (the New C&DIs), which...more
Have we seen the last of Mick Mulvaney as acting head of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB or Bureau)? It looks as though the Senate will finally vote on Kathy Kraninger’s nomination as director. Other new...more
A universal proxy may benefit public companies in certain contested director elections, but the ability to use this tool may depend on a company’s bylaws. Key Points - ..In contested director elections, the binary...more
In another move reflecting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) shifting focus on student lending, the CFPB’s Student Loan Ombudsman announced his resignation on August 27, 2018. In his resignation letter, Seth...more
A new 2018 version of The UK Corporate Governance Code has been published by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) following a period of consultation. The new Code is broadly similar to the current 2016 Code, but is in a...more
Mick Mulvaney’s tenure as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB” or “the Bureau”), a position he has held since November of 2017, is coming to an end. It is anticipated that President Trump’s...more
ANTICORRUPTION DEVELOPMENTS - SEC Proposes Amendments to Whistleblower Award Program - On June 28, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed amendments to its whistleblower award process for the first...more