The oversight obligations of boards continue to expand. Recent enforcement actions and new laws in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and supply chains create new challenges for boards, as we explain in this...more
2/19/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Activist ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Board of Directors ,
Canada ,
China ,
Competition ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cyber Incident Reporting ,
Cybersecurity ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
EU ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Forced Labor ,
Germany ,
International Labor Laws ,
Life Sciences ,
Machine Learning ,
Manufacturers ,
Mergers ,
NGOs ,
Political Campaigns ,
Political Contributions ,
Political Conventions ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholders ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)
Key Points -
- The number of activist campaigns launched against European companies rose again in 2023, with a new focus on German targets.
- Many activists surveyed believe that France offers them good opportunities.
-...more
2/15/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Board of Directors ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
EU ,
Foreign Corporations ,
France ,
Germany ,
Mergers ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholders
For the third year, Skadden’s European M&A practice has worked with Activistmonitor to survey executives from leading European companies and activist investors to assess their expectations for shareholder activism in Europe...more
In the current environment, tax-free spinoffs may be the best option for companies focusing their business lines, we explain in this issue of The Informed Board. Spin-offs do not depend on third parties, and they preserve...more
2/20/2023
/ Activist Investors ,
Board of Directors ,
Corporate Culture ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Insider Trading ,
Multinationals ,
Proxy Voting ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Self-Evaluations ,
Shareholders
Le 25 novembre 2020, la Cour de cassation a opéré un revirement de jurisprudence important pour la pratique des affaires, en décidant que la responsabilité pénale d’une société absorbée, de nature à donner lieu à une peine...more
To mitigate the risks faced by French financial markets during this unprecedented period of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) announced on April 15, 2020, that it will...more
French companies’ annual general shareholders’ meetings season usually begins in mid-March and ends in June. The agendas typically include approving the annual financial statements and deciding on the distribution of...more
4/9/2020
/ Board of Directors ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Distribution Rules ,
Dividends ,
EIOPA ,
European Central Bank ,
Federal Aid ,
France ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Shareholder Meetings ,
Time Extensions
The COVID-19 pandemic, which coincides with the annual shareholders’ meetings season, raises significant concerns regarding the ability of companies, in particular listed companies, to convene their board of directors’ and...more
On March 18, 2020, the French government published a legislative package of emergency measures aimed at tackling the COVID-19 crisis. It includes an Amending Finance Act for 2020 (which includes a state guarantee of up to...more
As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout France, the government has adopted lockdown measures limiting the movement of individuals throughout the country, as well as ordering the temporary closure of certain businesses. The...more
A new French law titled “Transparency, the Fight Against Corruption and Modernization of the Economy,” which was published in the French Official Journal on December 10, 2016 (known as Sapin II, as it was named after the...more
12/21/2016
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Bribery ,
Code of Conduct ,
Compliance ,
Data Protection Authority ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
France ,
Remediation ,
Risk Assessment ,
Sanctions ,
Sapin II ,
Transparency ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies
This report offers an overview of the state of activism in Europe, as well as country-specific profiles for the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, including information and commentary on noteworthy...more
10/19/2016
/ Acquisitions ,
Activist Investors ,
Board of Directors ,
Controlling Stockholders ,
EU ,
France ,
Germany ,
Italy ,
Mergers ,
Popular ,
Proxy Contests ,
Say-on-Pay ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholder Rights ,
Switzerland ,
UK ,
Unions ,
Voting Rights
In 2014, Europe registered its highest levels of M&A deal activity since the financial crisis. Compared to 2013, overall European M&A activity climbed 40.5 percent to $901.4 billion (the highest value since 2008). Inbound...more
On May 15, 2014, the French government published a decree extending its veto rights over foreign investments in French strategic sectors (the New Decree). The New Decree has been dubbed the “Alstom Decree” by the media, as it...more
Shareholder activism has risen significantly since the start of the financial crisis, with global shareholder campaigns increasing by 62 percent since 2010. This growth is partially driven by activist hedge funds, reaping...more