What are ISS and Glass Lewis and Why Should My Bank Care?
On November 3, 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a Staff Legal Bulletin (SLB 14L) limiting the ability of public companies to exclude from proxy statements shareholder proposals that relate to...more
On November 3, 2021, the staff (“staff”) of the Division of Corporation Finance (“Division”) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) published Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14L which reverses a series of...more
The SEC’s long-awaited final rules governing voting advice provided by proxy advisory firms such as Institutional Shareholders Service (ISS) and Glass Lewis (the “final rules”) became effective on November 2, 2020. The final...more
A new SEC rule requires, to the extent material to a company’s business as a whole, expanded human capital disclosures, but its disclosure requirements are very general and give companies the ability to “tell their own story”...more
As we previously reported in prior S&W Benefits Updates (links below), the executive compensation related challenges presented to management and corporate boards from COVID-19 are significant. Among other considerations,...more
ISS recently published FAQ guidance addressing how it will approach COVID-related pay decisions under its pay-for-performance qualitative evaluation. The guidance reflects feedback from discussions with investors and its...more
As we move into the heart of proxy season, Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) have issued and updated guidance as to how they will adjust their voting policies to account for actions taken by public...more
ISS recently issued guidance on how it will apply its Benchmark and Specialty Proxy Voting during the 2020 annual meeting season in light of the COVID-19 pandemic....more
In January 2020, Institutional Shareholder Services and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission agreed to stay litigation filed by ISS in October challenging the SEC’s interpretation and guidance related to voting...more
Preparations for annual reporting on Form 10-K and the 2020 proxy season have begun in earnest for many companies. We have summarized certain governance and disclosure developments that should be considered in the course of...more
Companies preparing for their annual shareholder meetings will need to consider a variety of factors, including new guidance from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and recommendations from Glass, Lewis & Co. (Glass...more
Caremark Developments -- Do You Know What You Don’t Know? In 1996, the Delaware courts created what has become known as a Caremark claim: an allegation that directors failed to exercise oversight of the organization....more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued rule updates and guidance in 2019 that are intended to simplify certain public reporting requirements, clarify the staff’s expectations with respect to no-action relief...more
This newsletter discusses noteworthy updates, key regulatory decisions and upcoming compliance reminders. In this edition, we review: ...SEC Changes Approach to Shareholder Proposal No-Action Requests ...SEC Issues...more
On April 27, 2018, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Nasdaq, along with certain technology and biotechnology groups, released a policy paper titled “Expanding...more
Regulatory Developments - Client Alert: FINRA Releases 2016 Regulatory and Examination Priorities Letter - Goodwin Procter’s Investment Management practice has issued a client alert on FINRA’s Jan. 5 release of its...more
As part of its ongoing rollout of its 2015 policy updates, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has issued “Frequently Asked Questions” guidance with respect to both its 2015 Compensation Policies and its new equity plan...more