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For those who use “March Madness” to describe proxy season rather than basketball, they'll immediately know that the “economic relevance” exclusion under Rule 14a-8(i)(5) is something of a lore in the SEC's shareholder...more
The SEC rescinded Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14L and issued updated guidance on the exclusion of shareholder proposals under Rule 14a-8 and certain other aspects of Rule 14a-8....more
The intense focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) following executive orders from President Donald Trump earlier this year are shifting the balance of pro- and anti-DEI proposals compared to the full 2024 proxy...more
On February 12, 2025, the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (the “Staff”) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) issued Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14M (“SLB 14M”), which rescinds in part...more
Only a short time has elapsed since President Trump named Mark T. Uyeda as Acting Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on January 21, 2025. Already, however, the regulatory climate has shifted significantly...more
As we reported in our Preparing for the 2025 Proxy Season client alert, Glass Lewis announced on February 18, 2025, that it was reviewing its diversity-related voting guidelines “in the face of the U.S. Administration’s...more
Public companies navigating the 2025 proxy season just got some breathing room—at least when it comes to excluding certain shareholder proposals. Last week, the Staff of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance—in a...more
On November 14, 2024, Glass Lewis published its 2025 U.S. Benchmark Policy Guidelines (U.S. Guidelines), and its 2025 Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Benchmark Policy Guidelines (ESG Guidelines), both effective for...more
This guide discusses important themes from the 2024 proxy season and developing trends we are monitoring for 2025. It also includes a “housekeeping checklist” designed to assist you as you prepare your proxy statement. For...more
Related to today’s webcast – “Hot Governance and Engagement Proxy Tips You Need to Know” – courtesy of Steve Pantina of Proxy Analytics, here are 2024 proxy season stats through the end of November...more
Our checklist and analysis present matters for companies to consider as they conduct their 2025 annual meetings and file reports to meet upcoming regulatory, shareholder and advisory deadlines. We outline key issues to...more
Over the last five years, stockholder activism has undergone significant transformation, shaped by changing market conditions, regulatory developments, and evolving societal expectations. Activism has continued to spread...more
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) recently reported on trends in corporate political activity disclosures and related shareholder proposals over the past decade, noting that “[o]ver the past decade, shareholder...more
Recently, Glass Lewis announced the release of its 2025 U.S. Benchmark Policy Guidelines and guidelines for Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Issues that apply across markets. Here are 8 things to know about this year’s...more
ISS and Glass Lewis generally publish changes to their proxy voting policies around this time of year. Glass Lewis recently issued its 2025 US Policy Guidelines listing changes and clarifications....more
Last Thursday, proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis released its 2025 Proxy Voting Policy Guidelines 2025 U.S. Benchmark Policy Guidelines, including guidelines for shareholder proposals and ESG-related issues. The guidelines...more
Public companies can breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now, that the Securities and Exchange Commission's 14a-8 regulatory process for excluding shareholder proposals remains intact....more
Summary of June 2024 Annual General Shareholder Meeting Season Shareholder Proposals - - While the total number of shareholder proposals is comparable to the June 2023 general meeting season, the number of companies...more
Here are a few interesting snippets regarding shareholder proposals and Item 1.05 Form 8-K from this week’s 2024 Proxy Disclosure & 21st Annual Executive Compensation Conferences from CCR Corp. On the panels, the watchword of...more
Last week, Cooley’s Reid Hooper attended the annual meeting of shareholder proposal stakeholders that Corp Fin hosts. Here are a few facts to help you glean some information about these meetings from Reid, who has been an...more
Here are 10 bullets you can tell your senior management team and board based on lessons learned about shareholder proposals from this proxy season (hat tip to Proxy Analytics’ Steve Pantina for his help with these)...more
This article from Morningstar published on the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance examines three major trends of the 2024 proxy season regarding environmental, social and governance shareholder proposals. The...more
Both investors and companies are maturing in how they view critical issues raised at the corporate ballot box. Even amid a proxy season that included “the priciest shareholder fight ever,” according to The Wall Street...more
Shareholder proposals submitted for 2024 annual meetings continued to cover a wide range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics. And companies seeking to exclude shareholder proposals they deemed inappropriate...more
The number of pro-DEI proposals submitted by shareholders decreased overall in the 2024 proxy season compared to the 2023 proxy season, according to data provided by Proxy Analytics. Average support for DEI proposals...more