The 2013 Amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law
Withhold campaigns are not new. However, according to Diligent Market Intelligence, 33 distinct activist withhold campaigns took place in the 12 months ended June 30, 2025, up from 23 in the same period of 2023–24 and 24...more
In This Issue. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (together, the Agencies) issued a final rule...more
Yesterday the SEC approved new proxy rules requiring the use of universal proxy cards by management and shareholders soliciting proxy votes for their candidates in non-exempt director election contests, as well as mandating...more
As expected, the SEC has adopted final rules requiring the use of universal proxy cards in shareholder meetings involving non-exempt contested director elections held after August 31, 2022. In addition, certain amendments...more
The SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance recently provided helpful clarity regarding the exclusion of certain shareholder proposals under Rule 14a-8. The guidance, Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14K, relates to the “ordinary...more
On October 16, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) Division of Corporation Finance (“Corp Fin”) issued Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14K (“SLB 14K”) addressing shareholder proposals. This guidance follows Corp...more
On October 16, 2019, the Division of Corporation Finance (Staff) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14K (SLB 14K), providing updated guidance concerning shareholder...more
A universal proxy may benefit public companies in certain contested director elections, but the ability to use this tool may depend on a company’s bylaws. Key Points - ..In contested director elections, the binary...more
The specter of the possible imposition of mandatory universal proxy has long been with us. The SEC apparently considered requiring universal proxies back in 1992 and, in 2014, the Council of Institutional Investors filed a...more
The Peltz/P&G drama continues, with the company suggesting that Trian has lost its bid for a Board seat and the fund arguing that it disagrees with the company’s counting of the ballots....more
P&G is banking on “a variation of America’s electoral arithmetic” as its best bet for keeping Trian’s Nelson Peltz away from its board. So . . . we’ll see him on there soon [?]....more
On October 26, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed amendments to the proxy rules (the “Proposal”) that would mandate the use of universal proxy cards in non-exempt proxy solicitations for contested...more
At an open meeting held on October 26, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted two to one to propose amendments for the mandatory use of universal proxy cards and additional voting options and disclosure...more
The SEC has proposed amendments to its proxy rules that would require the use of universal proxy cards in contested director elections, and would change the rules governing disclosure of shareholder voting options and...more
On October 26, 2016, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 2-to-1 to propose amendments to the proxy rules that would require the use of universal proxy cards in contested elections. The proposed changes, if...more
The SEC today proposed amendments to the proxy rules to require parties in a contested election to use universal proxy cards that would include the names of all director nominees. The proposal gives shareholders the ability...more
On September 17, 2015, Skadden presented a webinar titled “Proxy Access: Latest Developments.” The panelists were Art Crozier, Chairman of Innisfree M&A Incorporated; Mike Garland, Assistant Comptroller for Corporate...more
Given the sanctity of the stockholder vote in Delaware law, it would be surprising if the Court of Chancery would ever reverse such a vote or the use of stockholder consents to take corporate action....more
Although the initial ruckus over how to determine the outcome of executive compensation say-on-frequency votes has subsided, I still maintain that the Securities and Exchange Commission botched the rule (§240.14a-21(b)). ...more
In This Issue: - Incorporate lessons from 2013 say-on-pay results - Prepare for new Form SD (Specialized Disclosure) filing requirements - Ensure compliance with revised listing standards related to compensation...more
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), the leading U.S. firm that distributes materials on behalf of banks and brokers and collects shareholder ballots, recently decided to stop sharing real-time polling...more