Choosing the type of entity to form and where to form it are two of the most common early legal decisions that founders make when they start their own businesses. Founders typically register their companies in the state where...more
The NYSE American stock exchange requires a listed company to obtain shareholder approval prior to issuing shares pursuant to (i) stock-based compensation plans, (ii) certain acquisitions and change of control transactions,...more
This case stems from the proposed reincorporations of Tripadvisor, Inc. and Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. from Delaware to Nevada, which were first presented to the corporations’ respective stockholders for approval in...more
On July 17, 2024, Delaware Gov. John Carney signed into law significant amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL), which will become effective on August 1, 2024. The amendments were articulated in Delaware...more
On January 17, 2024, the Delaware Supreme Court issued a significant decision affirming that the Delaware General Corporation Law (the DGCL) does not require companies with multiple classes of common stock to obtain separate...more
On December 26, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) approved an amended proposal submitted by the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) that narrows the scope of the NYSE’s shareholder approval requirement for a...more
The NYSE amended its shareholder approval rules to make it easier for listed companies to sell securities to passive existing shareholders without obtaining shareholder approval. The SEC approved the change on an accelerated...more
It is an old rule of English law that the only person who can sue for a wrong done to a company is the company itself. Related to that rule is the principle that an individual shareholder cannot bring a personal claim for a...more
In Stream T.V. Networks, Inc. v. SeeCubic, Inc., the Delaware Supreme Court (“Court”) held that section 271 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“D.G.C.L”), which requires stockholder approval for a Delaware corporation...more
Currently, where a matter requires shareholder approval under NYSE rules, the minimum vote required is a majority of the votes cast on the matter. But how do you count votes cast? Do you count abstentions? What about broker...more
In November of 2020, we wrote about forthcoming changes to the Ontario Business Corporations Act (OBCA) proposed by the Government of Ontario in Bill 213 Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2020. After receiving...more
In April 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission approved amendments to the New York Stock Exchange’s shareholder approval rules for related party issuances and the issuance of 20% or more of a company’s stock. The...more
In December 2020, the NYSE proposed to relax the requirements for shareholder approval of related-party equity issuances and bring them into closer alignment with the comparable Nasdaq rules by amending Sections 312.03,...more
The NYSE has amended the Listed Company Manual regarding shareholder approval requirements for the issuance of securities and certain related party matters. The SEC approved the amendments on an accelerated basis....more
The NYSE is proposing to relax the requirements for shareholder approval of related-party equity issuances and bring them closer into alignment with the comparable Nasdaq rules. The proposal, which would amend Sections...more
Glass Lewis (“GL”) recently issued its 2020 Proxy Season Review (U.S.) (the “Report”) covering the U.S. 2020 Proxy Season (i.e., January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020). GL reported on certain 2020 shareholder voting trends...more
A recent Privy Council decision examines the extent to which formal shareholder resolutions may be bypassed by relying on the Duomatic principle. The ability for shareholders to pass resolutions - or assent to a course of...more
Shares in family-owned businesses are often transferred between family members, whether through a sale or gift during a shareholder’s lifetime or through inheritance after an owner’s death. The parties to such a transfer...more