News & Analysis as of

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Shareholder Proposals Publicly-Traded Companies

Mayer Brown

Shareholder Proposals in the Wake of Staff Legal Bulletin 14M

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As we previously addressed here, on February 12, 2025, the Staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance published Staff Legal Bulletin 14M (“SLB 14M”). Among other things, SLB 14M...more

Jones Day

The Relevance of "Economic Relevance"

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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

Cohen & Gresser LLP

A New Chapter for the SEC: A Philosophical Shift on Shareholder Engagement, Shareholder Proposals, and ESG

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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

DLA Piper

Shareholder Proposals – The Great Reset Again! (Part 2)

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In our earlier blog post, we discussed Staff Legal Bulletin 14M (SLB 14M), which rescinded prior Staff Legal Bulletin 14L (SLB 14L).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

BCLP

SEC Reinstates Shareholder Proposal Guidance Rescinded Under Chairman Gensler

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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

Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL

Proxy Season Update: SEC Restores Case-by-Case Approach for Shareholder Proposal Exclusions

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

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Everything Old Is New Again for Shareholder Proposals: SEC Division of Corporation Finance Issues Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14M

On February 12, 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) Division of Corporation Finance staff (the staff) issued Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14M (SLB 14M) to provide informal guidance on shareholder...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP

Back to the Future: SEC Staff Issues Sweeping New Guidance on Shareholder Proposals Mid-Season

On February 12, 2025, the Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14M (SLB 14M), rescinding Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14L (Nov. 3, 2021)...more

A&O Shearman

Preparing for the 2025 proxy season

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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

Fenwick & West LLP

2024 Proxy Season Results in Silicon Valley and Large Companies Nationwide

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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

Perkins Coie

Glass Lewis Voting Policy Changes for 2025: 8 Things to Know

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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

Fenwick & West LLP

Fifth Circuit Rejects Challenge to SEC Rule 14a-8 No-Action Letter

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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

Vinson & Elkins LLP

[CLE Hybrid Event] Fourth Annual Navigating the Annual Meeting and Reporting Season - November 21st, Houston, TX

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In this program, we will focus on SEC developments affecting, and practical aspects of preparing for, public companies’ annual meetings and annual reports, including compensation, shareholder proposals and corporate...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Notable Trends in 2024 ESG/Sustainability Reports

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Teneo Insights recently published its fourth annual “State of U.S. Sustainability Reports,” which analyzes 250 sustainability reports from S&P 500 companies published this year through July 30, seeking to understand how...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Shareholder Proposal No-Action Requests in the 2024 Proxy Season: A Surge in Requests and Better Results for Companies

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

Fenwick & West LLP

Securities Law Update - June 2024

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Welcome to the latest edition of Fenwick’s Securities Law Update....more

Cooley LLP

Exxon court challenge to Arjuna shareholder proposal survives dismissal

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You may recall that, in January, ExxonMobil filed a lawsuit against Arjuna Capital, LLC and Follow This, the two proponents of a climate-related shareholder proposal submitted to Exxon, seeking a declaratory judgment that it...more

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Preparing for the 2024 Proxy Season

As we enter the 2024 proxy season, public companies should consider a number of key disclosure and governance matters. Below is a high-level summary of applicable rule changes, guidance, and disclosure considerations for the...more

Venable LLP

ISS and Glass Lewis Release Proxy Voting Policy Changes for 2024

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On December 19, 2023, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”) released its updates to its Proxy Voting Guidelines. Somewhat unusually, ISS made only one change to its voting recommendation policies for U.S. public...more

Vinson & Elkins LLP

[Hybrid Event] Third Annual Navigating the Annual Meeting and Reporting Season Program - November 16th, Houston, TX

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In this program, we will focus on SEC developments affecting, and practical aspects of preparing for, public companies’ annual meetings and annual reports, including compensation, shareholder proposals and corporate...more

Fenwick & West LLP

2023 Proxy Season Results in Silicon Valley and Large Companies Nationwide

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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

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Changes in the Market and the Emergence of New Players Together Are Impacting Activism

Despite a slowdown in M&A activity and macroeconomic headwinds, stockholder activism remains a potentially powerful tool for investors aiming to extract value from companies. The activism landscape continues to evolve as new...more

Mayer Brown Free Writings + Perspectives

Shareholder Proposal Rule Speech by SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda

The SEC’s shareholder proposal rule was the subject of a speech by SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda on June 21, 2023 at the national conference of the Society for Corporate Governance. The speech identifies troubling trends...more

Morgan Lewis

A Proxy Season Wrap-up: Shareholder Proposals Target ESG and Equity Audits

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In recent years, there has been a steady increase in shareholder proposals that target a public company’s ESG commitments, including diversity and inclusion data, environmental or emission programs, and community engagement....more

Morgan Lewis

Proxies, Pay, and the Brave New World of ESG

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Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters are now the subject of significantly greater regulatory scrutiny and are becoming a more prominent part of public companies’ mandatory filings, shareholder proposals, and...more

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