Should Your Company Take a Stand on Political and Social Issues?
Why Every Day Is Proxy Season for Public Companies
Corporate Law Report - Office Party Holiday Risks, Human Trafficking, the Fiscal Cliff, More
You may recall that, in January, ExxonMobil filed a lawsuit against Arjuna Capital, LLC and Follow This, the two proponents of a climate-related shareholder proposal submitted to Exxon, seeking a declaratory judgment that it...more
The California Nonprofit Corporation Law defines a "proxy" as a "written authorization signed by a member or the member's attorney in fact giving another person or persons power to vote on behalf of such member". Cal. Corp....more
Each year in our Annual Memo series, White & Case's Public Company Advisory Group provides practical insights on preparing Annual Reports on Form 10-Ks, Annual Meeting Proxy Statements and, for FPIs, the Annual Report on Form...more
As we enter the 2024 proxy season, public companies should consider a number of key disclosure and governance matters. Below is a high-level summary of applicable rule changes, guidance, and disclosure considerations for the...more
As we enter the 2024 proxy season, we are providing our annual memorandum to call your attention to certain matters of Maryland law, some new and some continuing, relating to proxy materials and annual meetings about which we...more
Pursuant to rules that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued in late 2022, publicly traded companies must generally provide both tabular and narrative and/or graphical disclosure of the relationship between...more
It has never been more important for public companies to engage—and engage regularly—with their shareholders. Sustained engagement helps companies communicate their strategy, understand shareholder perspectives, and even...more
In this Client Alert, we highlight key considerations public companies should keep in mind when preparing their upcoming annual reports on Form 10-K and proxy statements, including rule changes, recent guidance and reporting...more
The firm is pleased to present its 2023 Silicon Valley 150 Corporate Governance Report, which analyzes the governance of the Valley's largest public companies and reviews various matters regarding annual meetings held between...more
As 2023 comes to an end, we reflect on how active the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rulemaking agenda was throughout the year. As companies prepare for their annual reports and proxy statements, we summarize new...more
Each year in our Annual Memo, White & Case's Public Company Advisory Group provides practical insights on preparing Annual Reports on Form 10-Ks, Annual Meeting Proxy Statements and, for FPIs, the Annual Report on Form 20-F....more
In light of new disclosure rules as well as investor interest, companies may wish to modify their D&O Questionnaires for the 2024 proxy season to address certain hot topics...more
For the upcoming 2024 proxy and annual reporting season, there are a number of key issues to consider and keep an eye on for further developments as preparations commence. This alert provides an overview of these issues and...more
On November 17, 2023, the Division of Corporation Finance of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") issued new and revised proxy-related compliance and disclosure interpretations ("CDIs") that provide guidance on the...more
On November 6, 2023, Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (ISS) announced the scheduled November 20 opening of its peer group submission window for U.S. and Canadian companies with annual meetings slated to be held...more
As Maryland public companies begin preparing for their 2024 annual meetings, we recommend that each consider the voting results of its 2023 annual meeting of shareholders. Maintaining awareness of institutional investor and...more
As companies prepare for next proxy season, they should review SEC staff guidance on the pay vs. performance table. In addition to recent staff interpretations, as discussed in our October 2, 2023 post and February 22, 2023...more
In August 2023, following this year’s proxy voting season, two of the world’s largest asset managers published their voting records, which revealed that their support for environmental and social shareholder resolutions had...more
Although it may seem early, it is already time to start preparing for the 2024 proxy and annual report season. Additional time may be required this year because of the substantial scope and pace of relevant changes in law and...more
On August 29, 2023, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) announced the launch of its Annual Benchmark Policy Survey. The survey results will inform ISS’s policy development for 2024 and beyond....more
With the 2023 proxy season now over for most companies, we took a fresh look at recent bylaw and charter amendments at the Silicon Valley 150 (the SV150) to better understand how companies are addressing i) new Rule 14a-19,...more
“ESG month” may not be exactly what you think. It’s the moniker, according to Politico, ascribed to the plan of the House Financial Services Committee, reflected in this interim report from its ESG Working Group, “to spend...more
In recent years, there has been a steady increase in shareholder proposals that target a public company’s ESG commitments, including diversity and inclusion data, environmental or emission programs, and community engagement....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
The staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) Division of Corporate Finance recently issued guidance to address open questions related to the final pay-versus-performance (PVP) disclosure rules adopted in...more