On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that will determine whether Section 47(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) creates a private right of action for shareholders of registered investment...more
In the first Trump Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated certain rules that had the effect of erecting barriers to activist investors seeking to have shareholder proposals--often involving topics...more
The SEC staff recently modified guidance indicating when “shareholder engagement” by an investor holding more than 5% of the stock of a public company constitutes “influencing control” that requires reporting on a long-form...more
ESG stands for “environmental, social, and governance.” Though often overlooked, two recent cases — Spence v. American Airlines and Exxon v. Arjuna Capital, LLC — focus on G’s place in the ESG initialism. Here, we break...more
Proskauer’s Hedge Fund Trading Guide offers a concise, easy-to-read overview of the trading issues and questions we commonly encounter when advising hedge funds and their managers. It is written not only for lawyers, but also...more
Over the past few years, activist investors have submitted a number of shareholder proposals to major fossil fuel companies concerning issues relating to climate change. Recently, two such investors submitted a proposal...more
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
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
In this issue, we cover regulatory developments impacting the investment management sector, including updates on closed-end fund activism and various new and revised SEC rules....more
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
Shareholder activism continued unabated in 2022 and we see very little to suggest that will change in 2023. Overall, the number of activist campaigns were up 36% in 2022. However, activists continue to struggle to...more
Blaming a “U.S. move to impose tariffs on French goods,” luxury brand conglomerate LMVH is pulling out of a proposed $16 billion deal to buy jeweler Tiffany & Co. Tiffany is now suing to enforce the ill-fated agreement....more
On May 27, 2020, the Staff (the Staff) of the Division of Investment Management (the Division) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) issued a Staff Statement (the Staff Statement) reversing course on a...more
Credit Suisse’s CEO Tidjane Thiam is out, to be succeeded next week by longtime company vet Thomas Gottstein. Thaim appeared to have ridden out the corporate spying scandal involving a former employee last year, and he had...more
In this issue, we summarize regulatory, litigation and industry developments from October 2019 to early January 2020 impacting the investment management sector, including SEC action on use of derivatives by registered...more
In this issue, we summarize regulatory, litigation and industry developments from May to September 2019 impacting the investment management sector, including SEC action on standards of conduct for broker-dealers and...more
Paul Singer’s Elliott Management hedge fund revealed a $3.2 billion stake in AT&T and, along with it, a healthy-skepticism of the company’s 2018 purchase of Time Warner and general calls to divest as part of a 24-page letter...more
While the topic of last week’s fourth SEC-NYU Dialogue on Securities Markets was shareholder engagement—focusing on the roles of institutional and activist investors— the real hot topic was the recent letter to CEOs from...more
Activist investor Nelson Peltz is officially taking on his biggest target yet—consumer-products giant Procter & Gamble. The announcement begins the public stage of a fight we’ve been waiting for since Peltz’s Trian Fund Mgmt...more
2016 saw many notable developments in corporate governance litigation and related regulatory developments. In this article, we discuss significant judicial and regulatory developments in the following areas: Mergers...more
Under current law and practice, a shareholder of a public company that is asked to vote in a contested election of directors where a slate of directors had been proposed by the company and an activist investor would likely...more
ValueAct Capital Mgmt, an activist investor, has taken a $1.1 billion stake in Morgan Stanley with 38 million shares that represent about 2% of shares outstanding. Unlike normal activists (at least for now), ValueAct took the...more