The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed amendments to Rule 14a-8 that revise three of the thirteen existing bases for the exclusion of shareholder proposals from a publicly traded company’s proxy statement...more
On November 3, 2021, the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (the Staff) of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) issued Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14L (CF) (SLB 14L) relating to shareholder proposals...more
On November 3 the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance issued Staff Legal Bulletin 14L (SLB 14L) to provide new guidance on the application of the “ordinary business” and “economic relevance” exceptions to a public company’s...more
The SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance recently published Legal Bulletin 14L (CF) (the “Bulletin”) providing updated guidance on excluding shareholder proposals under Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act. Specifically, the...more
The SEC Division of Corporation Finance announced it has rescinded Staff Legal Bulletin (“SLBs”) Nos. 14I, 14J and 14K after a review of staff experience applying the guidance in them. Public companies relied on the guidance...more
Climate-related issues have taken on an enhanced level of concern at the federal government level since the Biden administration rejoined the Paris Agreement in an effort to stem climate change impacts, and the administration...more
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 of the Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission) issued Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14L (SLB 14L), providing information regarding the...more
On November 3, 2021, the Division of Corporation Finance (“Corp Fin”) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”) released Shareholder Proposals: Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14L(CF) (the “SLB”) to provide information for...more
On November 3, 2021, the Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14L (SLB 14L), which explicitly rescinds Staff Legal Bulletin Nos. 14I,...more
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented economic disruptions worldwide. Businesses that were previously flourishing are now seeing rapid declines in demand and revenue, disruptions in their supply chains, and other...more
The Background: SEC Staff Legal Bulletin 14K offers new guidance for companies seeking to exclude Rule 14a-8 shareholder proposals relating to a company's "ordinary business" operations. The Issue: The SEC's previously...more
The SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance recently provided helpful clarity regarding the exclusion of certain shareholder proposals under Rule 14a-8. The guidance, Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14K, relates to the “ordinary...more
On October 16 the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance issued Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14K (CF) (SLB 14K) to provide updated guidance on the application of the "ordinary business" exception to a company's obligation under...more
On October 16, 2019, the Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14K (SLB 14K), providing updated guidance concerning shareholder...more
In November 2017, the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued guidance concerning companies’ ability to exclude shareholder proposals from their proxy...more
On October 23, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance issued Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14J (CF) (SLB 14J) to provide new guidance on the application of the “ordinary business” and “economic relevance” exceptions to a public...more
The Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued new guidance on the ability of companies to exclude shareholder proposals from their proxy statements under the “ordinary...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released its Shareholder Proposals: Staff Legal Bulletin 14J on Rule 14a-8 earlier this week, following its November 2017 Staff Legal Bulletin 14I. This most recent Staff...more
On October 23, 2018, the Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14J (SLB 14J), which provides important guidance concerning shareholder...more
Recent, seemingly disparate action by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with respect to two shareholder proposals may leave companies and shareholders confused as to whether companies may exclude shareholder...more
On November 1, 2017, the SEC Division of Corporation Finance issued a Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14I (“SLB 14I”), which includes guidance on the scope and application of the “ordinary business” basis for excluding shareholder...more
Apple sought to exclude a shareholder proposal regarding the establishment of a Human Rights Committee on the basis that it involved the company’s ordinary business operations under Rule 14a-8(i)(7)....more
The staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on November 1, 2017, issued a new Staff Legal Bulletin regarding shareholder proposals under Rule 14a-8. Staff Legal Bulletin 14I...more
In the closely watch area of shareholder proposals, Apple is seeking to exclude a shareholder proposal regarding the establishment of a Human Rights Committee because it involves the company’s ordinary business operations...more