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
On March 6, 2024, the SEC adopted new rules mandating climate-related disclosures in public companies’ annual reports and registration statements. As anticipated, the rules are facing multiple legal challenges, which have...more
5/20/2024
/ Board of Directors ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Directors ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
When finalizing proxy materials for annual shareholder meetings, companies should consider the following areas, which are described in more detail below:
- SEC Proxy Filing Requirements
- Proxy Statement Disclosures...more
On March 6, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3-2 to adopt new rules mandating climate-related disclosures in public companies’ annual reports and registration statements. While the final rules are...more
3/11/2024
/ Business Strategies ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Rules ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Regulation S-X ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
On August 25, 2023, the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) Division of Corporation Finance issued guidance to address certain open questions on the amendments to Rule 10b5-1 and related disclosure...more
9/5/2023
/ 10b5-1 Plans ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Insider Trading ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Required Forms ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Stock Options
On July 26, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3-2 to adopt final rules that are intended to enhance and standardize disclosures regarding cybersecurity risk management, strategy, governance and...more
7/28/2023
/ Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cyber Incident Reporting ,
Cybersecurity ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
New Rules ,
Proposed Rules ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Required Forms ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
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
On May 3, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted rule amendments requiring enhanced disclosures pertaining to issuers’ repurchases of equity securities. The new rules, prompted by a perception that some...more
SEC Proxy Filing Requirements -
File proxy card, Notice of Internet Availability and other soliciting materials with the SEC. In addition to filing the proxy statement, companies should confirm that the proxy card, the...more
3/20/2023
/ Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity ,
EDGAR ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Equity Compensation ,
Filing Requirements ,
Nasdaq ,
Pay-for-Performance ,
Proxy Season ,
Proxy Statements ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Universal Proxy Cards
On December 14, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted several amendments and new disclosure requirements intended to address what it perceives may be abusive practices relating to Rule 10b5-1 trading...more
12/23/2022
/ 10b5-1 Plans ,
Amended Rules ,
Board of Directors ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Officers ,
Directors ,
Disclosure ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Insider Trading ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
The pandemic’s impact may be subsiding, but businesses are encountering new challenges across the globe, including the potential for an economic retrenchment, rising interest rates, shifting regulatory and litigation...more
12/14/2022
/ Acquisitions ,
Anti-Corruption ,
Antitrust Division ,
Banking Sector ,
Big Tech ,
Board of Directors ,
Bonds ,
Borrowers ,
Capital Markets ,
Capital Raising ,
China ,
Climate Change ,
Convertible Notes ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Restructuring ,
Creditors ,
Cross-Border ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Due Diligence ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Executive Compensation ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Forum Selection ,
Investigations ,
IRS ,
Lenders ,
Mergers ,
Money Laundering ,
Partnerships ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Recessions ,
Repurchases ,
Russia ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Shareholders ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Taxation ,
Technology ,
UK ,
Vertical Mergers
Companies have important decisions to make as they prepare for the 2023 annual meeting and reporting season.
We have compiled this overview of key issues — including SEC disclosure requirements, recent SEC guidance,...more
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations continued to play a key role in the first six months of 2022, with geopolitical circumstances resulting in a reexamination of a number of ESG beliefs. In our 11...more
On July 13, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), by a 3-2 vote, proposed amendments to the proxy rules that would narrow certain grounds under which companies may exclude shareholder proposals from their...more
On July 13, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), by a 3-2 vote, adopted amendments to the rules governing proxy voting advice businesses (proxy advisors), rescinding two components of the proxy rules...more
On March 21, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3-1 to propose long-anticipated rules mandating climate-related disclosures in companies’ annual reports and registration statements. The proposed rules...more
3/29/2022
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Rules ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On March 9, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rules that are intended to enhance and standardize disclosures regarding cybersecurity risk management, strategy and governance, as well as cybersecurity...more
As companies finalize materials for annual shareholder meetings, we recommend consideration of the following key requirements and disclosures:
SEC proxy filing requirements; website and submission requirements; proxy...more
3/7/2022
/ Annual Meeting ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Proxy Advisors ,
Proxy Season ,
Proxy Statements ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Shareholder Meetings ,
Shareholder Proposals ,
Shareholders
Throughout 2021, the importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters proved to be even greater than many had expected, with ESG becoming a key area of focus for a range of stakeholders, particularly in the...more
Takeaways -
The SEC plans to propose an array of new disclosure requirements relating to ESG matters.
A record number of shareholder proposals involving environmental and social issues won majority support in...more
Companies have important decisions to make as they prepare for the 2022 annual meeting and reporting season.
We have compiled this overview of key issues — including SEC disclosure requirements, recent SEC guidance,...more
12/8/2021
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cybersecurity ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Executive Compensation ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Insider Trading ,
MD&A Statements ,
Proxy Advisors ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholder Proposals
On November 16, 2021, Skadden held a webinar titled “Preparing for the Shareholder Proposal Season.” The panelists were Gianna McCarthy, Director of Corporate Governance for the Office of the New York State Comptroller (New...more
12/8/2021
/ Board of Directors ,
Corporate Governance ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Proxy Season ,
Proxy Statements ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Rule 14a-8 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholder Proposals ,
Shareholders
On November 17, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to the proxy rules mandating the use of universal proxy cards in contested elections. The new rules require both companies and dissidents...more
On November 3, 2021, the Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14L (SLB 14L), which explicitly rescinds Staff Legal Bulletin Nos. 14I,...more
On August 6, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the Nasdaq Stock Market’s (Nasdaq) proposal to amend its listing standards to encourage greater board diversity and to require board diversity...more