Nonprofit Basics: Conflict of Interest Policies and Best Practices for Approving Insider Compensation
FCPA Compliance Report-Episode 330 Robin Bew and Henry Stoever of the NACD
FCPA Compliance and Ethics Report-Episode 119-FCPA Year in Review, Part I
A number of recent SEC enforcement actions alleging failure to disclose perquisites, summarized below, highlight the importance of the questionnaires routinely used in connection with the preparation of SEC reports and proxy...more
On March 15, 2023, Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a rare post-trial decision finding a CEO personally liable for millions of dollars in damages for breaching his fiduciary...more
In a potentially precedent-setting case, 11 directors of global energy company Shell Plc (formerly Royal Dutch Shell Plc) are being sued in their personal capacity over the company’s energy transition strategy. The claim,...more
Last year, we discussed how stockholder complaints concerning environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) issues were making their way to the courtroom and, specifically, how the Delaware Court of Chancery and Supreme...more
Corporate officers owe the same fiduciary duty of oversight as directors. Just as with directors, officers fulfill their oversight duty by acting in good faith....more
In December 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) modified the rules governing preset stock trading programs for corporate insiders, known as 10b5-1 plans, which begin taking effect this year. The new rules...more
The Court of Chancery’s decision in In re Match Group, Inc. Derivative Litigation1 is the latest example of how the Delaware Supreme Court’s watershed 2014 decision in Kahn v. M & F Worldwide Corp. (MFW)2 has been applied to...more
At an Open Meeting on December 14, 2022, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to Rule 10b5-1 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act), which impose new limitations on...more
On December 13, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission unanimously adopted amendments to Rule 10b5-1, imposing new limitations on the ability of insiders to utilize so-called “10b5-1 plans.” 10b5-1 plans are plans to...more
On December 12, 2022, the Dutch Arnhem-Leeuwarden Court of Appeal (the court) confirmed that a former director of Heiploeg, a North Sea shrimp supplier, was personally liable for over €13 million in damages ($13.8 million) as...more
On December 14, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted amendments to Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) and new disclosure requirements designed to enhance investor...more
Economic downturns can put both companies and their boards to the test. An important judgment from the U.K. Supreme Court in October 2022, the Sequana case,1 clarifies the obligations of directors of a company facing the...more
Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a complaint in U.S. District Court against a company’s director, former CEO and former CFO for allegedly making false and misleading statements to the company’s...more
Key Highlights - - Centerra Judge found the breaches of fiduciary duties the most egregious he had ever seen. - Nominee director principles in Centerra are relevant to directors of corporations governed by the Canada...more
Public company boards face an ever-increasing list of topics that fall under their oversight responsibilities. As the list gets longer, so too does the breadth of skills and backgrounds that boards view as important when...more
Many companies rely on capital raises to grow their business and bring products and services to market—but there are times that economic and financial market conditions make it difficult for companies to secure needed...more
Section 310 of the California Corporations Code concerns two different types of contracts or transactions. The first concerns a contract or other transaction between the corporation and one or more of its directors, or...more
The California Corporations Code includes provisions governing a wide variety of nonprofit organizations. However, the "Big 3" categories of nonprofit corporations are the public benefit, mutual benefit and religious...more
In a ruling this week, Vice Chancellor Lori Will addressed whether one-half of an evenly divided board could gain access privileged communications between the corporation and its long-time outside counsel. In re Aerojet...more
In 2021, the Government of Canada proposed regulations that would change the director election process for certain corporations established under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA). For more information with respect...more
The California General Corporation Law includes two provisions providing relief when a director is incompetent and/or felonious. Section 302 of the Corporations Code permits the board of directors to declare vacant the...more
In a recent decision, the Delaware Supreme Court ruled that insuring against fraud does not per se violate Delaware public policy and held that the insured’s D&O policy covered claims alleging securities fraud. RSUI Indemnity...more
The 10 most common client misconceptions about the attorney-client privilege - Protecting corporate confidences has become more challenging in the COVID-19 world, as directors and executives work from home and other...more
Removal of Residency Requirements for Directors - On March 29, 2021, Alberta removed the Canadian residency requirements of directors for Alberta corporations governed by the Alberta Business Corporations Act (ABCA)....more
A recent decision by the Delaware Court of Chancery highlights risks for outside directors in using third-party email systems when communicating about confidential company matters. In that case, the court ruled that...more