At what point has a director served too long? What about term limits? A mandatory retirement age? When do a director’s skills become stale? These issues are addressed in this issue of The Informed Board, as well as why proxy...more
11/25/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Board of Directors ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Framework ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Investment ,
Investors ,
Machine Learning ,
Mergers ,
National Security ,
Proxy Season ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Technology Sector
U.S. activism remained elevated through the third quarter of 2024, with board refreshment a consistent demand by activists year after year. Central to the activists’ demands for board refreshment is director tenure....more
11/21/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Board of Directors ,
Corporate Governance ,
Foreign Markets ,
HKEx ,
Investors ,
Mergers ,
Proxy Advisory Firms ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholders ,
UK
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
6/27/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Activist Investors ,
Capital Markets ,
Corporate Governance ,
Mergers ,
New Rules ,
Proxy Season ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholder Proposals ,
Shareholders
This edition of Skadden’s quarterly Insights looks at the latest trends in shareholder activism, the scrutiny companies are facing over their ESG disclosures and employment considerations for using AI in the workplace, among...more
6/27/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Activist Investors ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Capital Markets ,
Confidential Information ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Restructuring ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Disclosure ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Financial Institutions ,
Member State ,
Mergers ,
New Rules ,
No-Action Requests ,
Private Equity ,
Proxy Season ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Shareholders ,
Technology ,
UK
Shareholder meetings held this year are subject to new rules that require both companies and activist shareholders to use “universal” proxy cards in contested board elections. Until now, the company and the dissident...more
2/22/2023
/ Activist ,
Board of Directors ,
Bylaws ,
New Rules ,
Proxy Season ,
Proxy Voting ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholders ,
Universal Proxy ,
Universal Proxy Cards
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
2/20/2023
/ Activist Investors ,
Board of Directors ,
Corporate Culture ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Insider Trading ,
Multinationals ,
Proxy Voting ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Self-Evaluations ,
Shareholders
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) new universal proxy rules, which took effect for meetings after August 31, 2022, require the use of “universal” proxy cards in all director election contests, except for...more
1/6/2023
/ Board of Directors ,
Bylaws ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Disclosure ,
New Rules ,
Proxy Voting ,
Proxy Voting Guidelines ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholders ,
Universal Proxy Cards
This year, we expect to see new disclosure requirements; rule changes at the Securities and Exchange Commission that will affect directors; activists adopting new tactics; changes to shareholder voting processes; tax and...more
Takeaways -
ESG activist campaigners are likely to continue asserting themselves.
Companies that have merged with SPACs and whose stock prices have slumped will be at risk for activist pressure.
Watch for more activist...more
2/7/2022
/ Corporate Governance ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Glass Lewis ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Institutional Investors ,
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) ,
Popular ,
Proxy Season ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholder Proposals ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)