ESG and SEC Enforcement in 2022
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – Advisers Act regulatory agenda
Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – DOL: What’s ahead
ERISA Plan Fiduciaries’ Proxy Voting: Regulatory Updates
Nasdaq policy recommendations - On March 31, Nasdaq announced the release of a comprehensive set of policy recommendations in a paper titled, “Advancing the U.S. Public Markets: Unlocking Capital Formation for a Stronger...more
With it looking pretty likely that the federal government will shut down at midnight tomorrow, here are 10 things you should know based on the SEC’s “operations plan during a shutdown” guidance and Corp Fin’s list of 22...more
ISS issues statement regarding consideration of diversity factors in US director election assessments - Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) announced that due to the recent increased attention on diversity, equity and...more
Welcome to the latest edition of Fenwick’s Securities Law Update. This issue contains updates and important reminders on...more
Suddenly, DExit has moved from the theoretical to the real. Over the last several months, several publicly traded companies have filed proxy materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission that include proposals to...more
For the 2025 proxy and annual reporting season, there are a number of key issues to consider and keep an eye on for further developments as preparations commence. This alert provides an overview of these issues and updates in...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
Back in February, in ISS v. SEC, the D.C. Federal District Court vacated the SEC’s 2020 rule that advice from proxy advisory firms was a “solicitation” under the proxy rules. Both the SEC and National Association of...more
Broadly considered, stockholder activism has been a significant phenomenon among the largest U.S. public companies, with activists of a variety of stripes waging campaigns on a wide range of issues including in the form of...more
In late July 2023, House Republicans on the Financial Services Committee introduced four bills targeting various business and market activities that implicate environmental, social, and governance issues. In a statement...more
In this issue, we cover regulatory developments impacting the investment management sector, including updates on closed-end fund activism and various new and revised SEC rules....more
In the current environment, tax-free spinoffs may be the best option for companies focusing their business lines, we explain in this issue of The Informed Board. Spin-offs do not depend on third parties, and they preserve...more
On November 15, 2022, Skadden held a webinar titled “Preparing for the 2023 Shareholder Proposal Season.” The panelists were Gianna McCarthy, Director of Corporate Governance for the New York State Common Retirement Fund (NYS...more
On 2 November 2022, by a vote of 3-2 (with Commissioners Hester Peirce and Mark Uyeda objecting), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted, substantially as proposed in September 2021, final form and rule...more
This comprehensive report includes five-year trend data, covering the 2018-2022 proxy seasons, for annual meeting participation, director elections, say-on-pay and other proposals among the technology and life sciences...more
On 2 November 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3–2, along party lines, to adopt a final rule and form amendments (together, the Final Rule) that would require additional disclosure on Form N-PX...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently adopted, in a 3-2 vote, rule and form amendments impacting proxy disclosures reporting on Form N-PX (the “amendments”). The amendments that are applicable to mutual...more
During the third quarter of 2022, the SEC amended rules governing proxy voting advice, proposed amendments to shareholder proposal regulation, and adopted its long-awaited final pay versus performance disclosure rules (a...more
As discussed in our November 17, 2021 post, management of public companies are required to use universal proxy cards for shareholder meetings involving most election contests held after August 31, 2022. This means that both...more
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler has had a very active regulatory agenda that has invited a lot of controversy due to both its ambitious scope and the speed of implementation. While there are...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission recently revisited two proxy-related matters by (a) adopting amendments to the proxy rules governing proxy voting advice and (b) proposing amendments to the shareholder proposal rule in...more
Shareholder Proposal - Rule On July 13, 2022, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) proposed amendments to revise three of the substantive bases for exclusion of shareholder proposals under Rule 14a-8 of...more
The SEC adopted amendments on July 13, 2022 to its rules governing voting advice rendered by proxy voting advice firms. In particular, the amendments are designed to alleviate certain burdens that may impair the timeliness...more
On July 13, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), by a 3-2 vote, adopted amendments to the rules governing proxy voting advice businesses (proxy advisors), rescinding two components of the proxy rules...more
In a 3-1 vote on May 25, 2022, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved a proposed environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rulemaking for investment advisers and funds. The proposed rule and form...more