Shareholder proposal rule
Class Action Trends – Interview with Stephen Gulotta, Managing Member, Mintz Levin's New York Office
The proxy statement has become an integral component of a public company’s preparation for its annual meeting of shareholders. The rules and regulations under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act),...more
Item 402(x) of Regulation S-K, introduced by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Dec. 14, 2022, and effective for 2024 proxy statements, requires that public companies disclose detailed information about...more
On February 12, 2025, the Division of Corporation Finance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14M (SLB 14M) setting forth staff guidance on shareholder proposals submitted...more
In our earlier blog post, we discussed Staff Legal Bulletin 14M (SLB 14M), which rescinded prior Staff Legal Bulletin 14L (SLB 14L). The staff of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) indicated that SLB 14M is...more
As most public companies know, shareholder outreach is often an important part of the playbook when a company is seeking approval of compensation-related proposals at an annual meeting. A company may engage with shareholders...more
On February 12, 2025, the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance (the “Staff”) issued new guidance that should provide additional leeway for public companies to exclude...more
In one of its first actions under the new Administration, the SEC staff issued new guidance that largely reinstated older guidance that had supported the ability of public companies to exclude shareholder proposals from their...more
Our Securities Group examines the Securities and Exchange Commission’s new guidance on the “economic relevance” and “ordinary business” exclusions for shareholder proposals....more
On February 12, 2025, the Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14M (SLB 14M) concerning shareholder proposals for public company proxy...more
Sure, it’s important to know that Corp Fin recently issued three new CDIs and updated two existing CDIs regarding Notices of Exempt Solicitations (also known as “PX14A6G” filings)....more
In anticipation of the upcoming reporting season, this Update highlights some of the most significant rule changes, guidance, institutional investor areas of focus, and trends for public companies to consider while preparing...more
Join Bass, Berry & Sims and leading environmental, social, and governance (ESG) along with corporate and securities thought leaders for the next installment of our ESG Impact Webinar series. As public companies prepare for...more
Last week, the SEC announced settled charges against James R. Craigie, a former CEO, Chair and board member of Church & Dwight Co. Inc., an NYSE-listed “manufacturer of consumer-packaged goods,” for “violating proxy...more
The Delaware Court of Chancery has denied a preliminary, mandatory injunction motion to compel Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. ("Ocean Power") to permit one of its stockholders' nominees to stand for election at the next...more
On November 21, 2023, the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) Division of Corporation Finance issued eight new Compliance & Disclosure Interpretations (C&DIs), and revised two previously issued C&DIs,...more
A potentially overlooked but important issue that public companies should have in mind when granting option or option-like awards is avoiding the unintentional appearance of “spring-loading” and “bullet-dodging,” both of...more
Part I of our two-part Annual Memo series identified important considerations when preparing Annual Reports on Form 10-K in 2023. Part II of this memo below, describes our key considerations for 2023 Annual Meeting Proxy...more
The 2023 proxy season is just around the corner. This quick reference guide, which is intended to supplement Shearman & Sterling’s 20th Annual Corporate Governance & Executive Compensation Survey, summarizes themes from the...more
On December 7, 2022, the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission issued three Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations that address the universal proxy rules. These are included in the Staff’s Proxy Rules and...more
Given the significant decline in the stock prices of many companies over the past several months of 2022, a number of companies are reassessing their equity programs and considering repricing outstanding employee stock...more
Given the recent volatility in the national markets, the stock prices of many publicly-traded companies have declined significantly, resulting in an increasing number of service providers holding underwater stock...more
With the calendar just turning to autumn, the proxy and annual reporting season may seem a long way off. However, in light of the amount of work and planning that goes into the proxy statement, annual report, and annual...more
On August 25, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted a pay versus performance rule in accordance with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The rule requires a registrant to disclose, in...more
On August 25, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") adopted new rules implementing the pay versus performance disclosure mandated by Congress in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act...more
On August 25, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved final rules on the correlation between executive pay and company performance (pay-for-performance). As discussed in our previous client alert,...more