Shareholder proposal rule
Following up on Part 1 of this blog that explains what a “preliminary proxy” is – and the first two common mistakes made with them – here are three more common mistakes (as well as a bonus note):...more
With the partial federal government shutdown likely to close the SEC for only a day or two – see this new set of Corp Fin FAQs on the impact of a shutdown, which is essentially the same as the guidance from the last shutdown;...more
On November 17, 2025, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Division of Corporation Finance announced that it will not respond to no-action requests by companies to exclude shareholder proposals for the 2026 proxy...more
On 17 November 2025, the Division of Corporation Finance (the Division) of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) issued a statement announcing that it will not respond to or express views on most no-action...more
On November 17, 2025, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance (the SEC) announced a significant change in its approach to no-action requests for public companies to exclude shareholder proposals under Exchange Act Rule...more
On November 17, 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") announced that it will no longer be responding substantively to Rule 14a-8 no-action requests, unless the request relates to whether a proposal is...more
On November 17, 2025, the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a significant procedural shift in its administration of the no-action request process for...more
On November 17, 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the SEC or “Commission”) Division of Corporation Finance (the “Staff”) issued a statement announcing that the Staff will largely suspend its practice of...more
On November 17, 2025, the Division of Corporation Finance (the “Division”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced it will not respond to, and will express no views on, requests for exclusions of...more
The Division of Corporation Finance (the “Division”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) released a statement today indicating that it will not respond to no-action requests by companies seeking to exclude...more
As a byproduct of the government shutdown, Microsoft has decided to exclude a shareholder proposal submitted by John Chevedden on the grounds that it wasn’t submitted timely – even though the company hasn’t received no-action...more
On October 9, 2025, in remarks at the University of Delaware’s Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, U.S. Securities and Exchange (SEC, or the “Commission”) Chairman Paul S. Atkins spoke of what he described as “three...more
Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 permits shareholders with relatively nominal shareholdings to submit proposals to companies for inclusion in the companies’ proxy statements. These are to be voted on by...more
During each annual proxy “season,” companies receive and respond to shareholder proposals and often attempt to exclude these proposals from their proxy statements through no-action requests submitted to the U.S. Securities...more
The 2025 proxy season marked a turning point in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) administration of shareholder proposals. Over the course of the season, the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (staff)...more
On May 19, 2025, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill No. 1057 (SB 1057) into law....more
On February 12, 2025, the Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released new guidance regarding shareholder proposals submitted pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Securities...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently proposed three amendments to Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which governs what proposals made by a public company’s shareholders must be included in...more
On June 13, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (1) adopted amendments (the “Amendments”) to the proxy rules related to proxy advisory firms and (2) released proposed rules (“Proposed Rules”) regarding the...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