Fall is fast approaching, so most major US public companies have held their 2024 annual meetings. But, while temperatures are sure to cool in the coming months, the same can no longer be said for the shareholder activism...more
The world of corporate shareholder activism is poised for significant changes and challenges. Activist shareholders have been a driving force in shaping the corporate landscape, pushing for reforms and steering companies...more
Vinson & Elkins’ Shareholder Activism practice co-heads Lawrence Elbaum and Patrick Gadson will discuss how companies need to prepare against the year round attacks by shareholder activists. In a conversation moderated by...more
1/9/2024
/ Continuing Legal Education ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Events ,
Proxy Advisors ,
Proxy Season ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholder Proposals ,
Shareholder Votes ,
Shareholders
On October 10, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted amendments to the rules governing beneficial ownership1 reporting under Sections 13(d) and 13(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the...more
10/17/2023
/ Beneficial Owner ,
Brokers ,
Derivatives ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Investment Adviser ,
New Rules ,
Passive Investments ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Schedule 13D ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act
In this V&E+ interview, Lawrence and Patrick share their thoughts on the 2023 proxy season, peacetime preparation for activism defense, and the HBO show that no one could seem to stop talking about....more
7/14/2023
/ Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Investors ,
Proxy Season ,
Proxy Voting ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholder Proposals ,
Shareholders ,
Universal Proxy Cards
Welcome to Vinson & Elkins’ Securities and ESG Updates. Our aim is to provide insights into notable developments in securities reporting and the environmental, social and governance space over the quarter and, where...more
7/13/2023
/ C&DIs ,
Climate Change ,
COSO ,
Cybersecurity ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity ,
Divestment ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenwashing ,
Nasdaq ,
No-Action Letters ,
NYSE ,
Proxy Season ,
Repurchases ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholders ,
Universal Proxy Cards
Shareholder activism ranks among the toughest tests a company can face. Activists strike often and suddenly, with increasingly sophisticated tactics. A formidable campaign can sink a company’s share price, damage its...more
Vinson & Elkins’ Shareholder Activism practice co-heads Lawrence Elbaum and Patrick Gadson will be conducting a CLE presentation advising companies on how to prepare against the year round attacks by shareholder activists....more
Not long ago, companies could reliably project when shareholder activists would strike — and ready their defenses in advance. As sure as the seasons would turn, proposals would begin to appear around the holidays, voting...more
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
11/4/2022
/ Annual Meeting ,
Annual Reports ,
Climate Change ,
Compensation ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement ,
Ethics ,
MD&A Statements ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholder Proposals ,
Sustainability ,
Webinars
Join us to hear Vinson & Elkins attorneys in the REIT Capital Markets and Activism practices discuss recent developments in activism campaigns against REITs, how the new Universal Proxy could impact annual meetings and what...more
For activist investors pursuing environmental, social, or governance (ESG) goals, 2022 has not exactly gone according to plan. Indeed, the success of activist campaigns involving demands on environmental and social issues has...more
Post De-SPAC public companies saw an unprecedented number of shareholder activism campaigns during the 2021 and 2022 proxy seasons. The vast majority of these campaigns took the form of short attacks and proxy fights against...more
8/25/2022
/ Acquisitions ,
Board of Directors ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Hostile Offers ,
Mergers ,
Proxy Season ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholders ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Webinars
On Wednesday, November 17, 2021, the SEC adopted final rules regarding the use of universal proxy cards and proposed amendments to its rules governing proxy voting advice. These rules put an unprecedented number of public...more
The coronavirus pandemic has upended nearly every corner of the world — and shareholder activism is no exception.
As companies struggled to survive in the early weeks of the crisis, activists hit the pause button, fearful...more
On September 23, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted amendments to modernize Rule 14a-8, which governs the process for shareholder proposals to be included in a company’s proxy statement. These...more
On July 22, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted amendments to the proxy solicitation rules and issued guidance regarding the proxy voting responsibilities of investment advisers. The amendments, a...more