Common Equity Plan Pitfalls
Each year brings new executive compensation rules and considerations, whether based on Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules, developments under the Internal Revenue Code, litigation trends, institutional adviser...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had a busy 2022, adopting a number of new rules and proposing additional rules, many of which are likely to be finalized over the next several months. In November, Glass Lewis...more
In a prior post, we discussed the first eight of 15 recommended steps to consider when submitting an equity plan for shareholder approval. In this post, we discuss the final steps. While we know each situation is different,...more
For companies knee deep in proxy statement drafting and 2021 executive compensation decisions, we recommend a quick refresher on Glass Lewis’ December 2020 Approach to Executive Compensation in the Context of the COVID-19...more
Recently, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis released revisions to their respective proxy voting guidelines for 2020. The ISS and Glass Lewis updates applicable to U.S. companies are discussed separately...more
Last week Institutional Shareholder Services updated its proxy voting guidelines for annual shareholder meetings to be held on or after February 1, 2020. The updates take a major step forward to advocate greater gender...more
On July 1, 2015, the SEC issued proposed rules implementing Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which would obligate national securities exchanges to adopt listing standards that require listed companies to adopt and disclose...more
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has issued new FAQs addressing U.S. Executive Compensation Policies and U.S Equity Compensation Plans for the 2019 proxy season, for annual meetings held on or after February 1, 2019....more
As calendar year-end companies ramp up for year-end reporting and proxy season, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis & Co. (GL) have released updates to their proxy voting guidelines. GL’s comprehensive...more
The following are some important reminders and updates for the 2017 proxy season. Say-When-on-Pay - Required Vote in 2017 - The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires companies to conduct a...more
As 2016 drew to an end, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) kept up its pace to close out a busy year. In addition to issuing proposed rules for universal proxies, the SEC released several new Compliance &...more
As the 2017 proxy season approaches, companies may be preparing to solicit shareholder approval for a new, or an amendment to an existing, equity incentive plan. In doing so, companies should keep in mind the positions of...more
SEC/CORPORATE - President-Elect Trump Nominates Clayton as SEC Chair - On January 4, President-elect Donald Trump announced his nomination of Jay Clayton to serve as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission,...more
ISS has updated its equity compensation plan FAQs. New and materially updated questions include: - If a company grants performance-based awards, how will the shares be counted for the purposes of calculating burn...more
Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) has issued updated proxy voting guidelines, including an update to guidelines related to director compensation and the equity plan scorecard. The updated guidelines are...more
Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”) and Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC (“Glass Lewis”) recently updated the guidelines they will use to inform their voting recommendations for the 2017 proxy season. The updates address...more
ISS has issued a series of 26 FAQs on its Equity Plan Scorecard, or EPSC. The basic EPSC policy has not changed, but effective for meetings as of Feb. 1, 2016, the FAQs state the following adjustments will apply to EPSC...more
Some will want to start preliminary planning for the 2016 proxy season. It has been a bewildering year of developments, but most will be thankful that there are relatively few new rules that must be implemented at this time....more
Each January, our firm invites general counsel, CFOs, controllers, and other representatives of our public company clients, as well as other outside advisers to public companies, to a series of presentations focused on “hot...more
It's difficult to discern “trends” from reactions to date on proxy access proposals, but here are some data points: Three companies, including two on the NY Comptroller’s 75-company target list have adopted...more
Proxy advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis have both released updates to their policies that outline how they will form recommendations to shareholders on how they should vote on governance,...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
According to ISS, Emerson Electric (the Fergusson, Mo. – based electrical equipment manufacturer) was the first U.S. company to which ISS applied its new Equity Plan Scorecard policy....more
On December 22, 2014, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), a leading proxy advisory firm, released 20 FAQs on its new Equity Plan Scorecard (EPSC) and nine FAQs on its updated Independent Chair Policy, each of which will...more
In this issue: - SEC Proposes Rule Amendments to Implement JOBS Act Registration Thresholds - ISS Releases FAQs on Equity Plan Scorecard and Independent Chair Policy - FINRA Issues Annual Regulatory and...more