Shareholder proposal rule
The Massachusetts Legislature recently extended the provisions of a special act that allows Massachusetts public companies and Massachusetts non-profit corporations to hold shareholder and member meetings entirely remotely....more
Le novità e i temi rilevanti per l’imminente stagione assembleare anche alla luce dell’attività di revisione del quadro normativo europeo in materia di corporate governance e delle disposizioni tuttora vigenti per l’emergenza...more
As public companies embark on the year-end reporting process, they will need to consider, and in some cases take steps to address, a number of significant developments and issues. As in past years, Mintz has prepared a...more
Key Trends: ◾ Since August 2021, AGMs where shareholders were actively encouraged not to attend have become less common. Most companies are instead holding their meetings with physical attendance neither actively...more
The COVID-19 pandemic, volatile market conditions, and increasing stakeholder attention to a range of environmental and social topics made 2020 a remarkably difficult year for many public companies. 2021 will bring new...more
As we approach our 11th month of COVID-19 restrictions, the pandemic continues to evolve with new variants, while vaccination efforts move forward at a snail’s pace because of limited supplies in many states. Many hoped for a...more
Holding Your Annual Meeting Virtually—Lessons Learned From 2020 - In light of the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, it comes as no surprise that there was a dramatic increase in the number of virtual...more
In anticipation of the upcoming reporting season, we highlight rule changes, guidance, and trends for public companies to consider in preparing annual report and proxy statement disclosures in 2021. During 2020, the U.S....more
As COVID-19 rages on, companies are again flocking to virtual annual meetings for the 2021 proxy season, but with one important difference: the luxury of time. Many companies are already exploring retention of virtual annual...more
As companies look to plan their FY 2020 annual report and prepare for the 2021 AGM season, we have reflected on our experience in 2020. We summarise below key learnings and what we think will undoubtedly be on the agenda and...more
While balance sheet proposals saw a slight downturn, COVID-19 and FEFTA appear not to have dampened shareholders' desire to effect change via AGM proposals....more
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is pleased to present the Silicon Valley 150 Risk Factor Trends Report, which analyzes the risk factor practices of the Valley’s largest public companies. This report covers risk factor...more
On 20 March 2020, the UK Government published its Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill (the "Bill") which amends certain aspects of current insolvency and governance legislation to provide businesses with the flexibility...more
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies are holding their annual stockholder meetings through either virtual or remote channels of communication (“virtual meeting”). Of those companies holding virtual meetings, a large...more
Because of the rapid shift from in-person to virtual annual meetings mandated by COVID-19 health and safety concerns, many companies held first-time virtual-only meetings, with both management and shareholders exploring the...more
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has signed Emergency Executive Order 20-43 addressing the annual meeting requirements of Minnesota public companies as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic....more
Since our last Client Alert on Practical considerations: the impact of COVID-19 on the holding of annual general meetings, the UK Government has issued its compulsory "Stay at Home Measures" prompting ICSA to issue...more
Among the many challenges companies are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic is how to conduct their shareholder meetings. Current social distancing requirements are effectively forcing companies to choose between postponing...more
As discussed in our previous alert, Annual Meetings in a World Without Meetings: The Impact of COVID-19 on Public Companies, on March 13, 2020, the Staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the Securities and Exchange...more
In these unprecedented times of “shelter in home” orders, remote working, and other strategies Americans are taking to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19, we anticipate that many organizations will decide to...more
On April 7, 2020, the SEC updated its prior guidance for conducting shareholder meetings in light of COVID-19 concerns to address delays in printing and mailing of proxy materials and clarify that its guidance applies for...more
The staff ("Staff") of the Division of Corporation Finance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has updated its guidance on the conduct of shareholder meetings in light of COVID-19 concerns (March 13, 2020),...more
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, SEC staff provided guidance on changing the date time and place of an annual meeting, switching to a virtual shareholder meeting and certain matters related to shareholder proposals....more
With annual reports on Form 10-K publicly filed and first quarter earnings releases getting underway, proxy season – the annual practice of filing and distributing proxy statements, reserving meeting venues and courting...more
The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, is impacting every aspect of doing business, and annual meetings of shareholders are no exception. Each corporation is required by state corporation law, and usually its own bylaws, to hold...more