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  • John C. Coffee, Jr. – Boeing and the Future of Deferred Prosecution Agreements By John C. Coffee, Jr.
  • Leveraging Information Forcing in Good Faith By Hillary Sale
  • The Dark Side of Safe Harbors Comment bubble 2 By Susan C. Morse
  • John C. Coffee, Jr. – Mass Torts and Corporate Strategies: What Will the Courts Allow? By John C. Coffee, Jr.
  • Compliance’s Next Challenge: Polarization By Miriam H. Baer
  • Will the Common Good Guys Come to the Shootout in SEC v. Jarkesy? And Why It Matters By Eric W. Orts
  • Climate Disclosure Line-Drawing and Securities Regulation By Virginia Harper Ho
  • Board Committee Charters and ESG Accountability By Lisa M. Fairfax
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Columbia Law School's Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets

Editorial Board John C. Coffee, Jr. Edward F. Greene Kathryn Judge

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Michael R. Levin

Should Investors Care What Executives Think of Boards of Directors?

By Michael R. Levin July 16, 2025 by Michael R. Levin

Each year numerous surveys, reports, and analyses assess boards of directors, or BoDs. One from PwC landed about the same time as another from SquareWell Partners in the past couple of months, inviting a comparison.

PwC has surveyed CEOs and …

It’s Not That Investors Oppose Anti-ESG Proposals…

By Michael R. Levin July 3, 2025 by Michael R. Levin

The “anti-ESG” proposal arose somewhat recently, becoming more common within the past five or so years. Similar in spirit to ESG proposals, but their opposite. Like their conventional counterpart, they request a company consider or study or write a report

…

The Activist Investor Discusses “Voting No” on Directors

By Michael R. Levin February 13, 2025 by Michael R. Levin

Let’s say upfront: voting “no” or withholding votes on directors is a relatively weak way to influence a portfolio company. We’re stubborn, so we prefer electing directors or amending bylaws. Binding acts work much better than non-binding, like opposing exec …

Everything Is Rational Apathy

By Michael R. Levin December 19, 2024 by Michael R. Levin

Rational apathy stands at the center of current and long-time developments and debates in corporate governance and activism. Dominance of index funds in share ownership, prevalence of proxy advisers, pass-through voting programs, trading proxy votes on an exchange, and the …

How Tesla Pumped the Vote

By Michael R. Levin July 1, 2024 by Michael R. Levin

Tesla confronted an enormous challenge in winning support for the two controversial proposals at the 2024 Tesla annual meeting: to ratify CEO Elon Musk’s 2018 pay plan and to redomicile from Delaware to Texas. We thought it would take an …

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Who Re-Classifies a Board of Directors?

By Michael R. Levin June 5, 2024 by Michael R. Levin

Classified boards of directors (BoD) remain one of the sorest of sore spots about portfolio companies. Investors complain about them endlessly. Proxy advisors loathe them. Shareholder proposals to de-classify tend to succeed.

Sure, many new IPOs and de-SPAC companies start …

How to Buy Shareholder Votes

By Michael R. Levin April 23, 2024 by Michael R. Levin

Scholars who study activism have researched the value of a shareholder vote for decades. A very small number of activists have attempted to apply that research to actual proxy contests and other AGM matters. The subject was confined to academics …

Shareholders (and ISS) Won Big With Universal Proxy Card in 2023

By Michael R. Levin August 23, 2023 by Michael R. Levin

Now that proxy season has wrapped up, we thought we’d look back at the experience with universal proxy card (UPC). Overall, shareholders expressed their preferences in BoD elections with precision. Proxy advisors, in particular ISS, saw their recommendations win in

…

Does SEC Commissioner Want to Kill Shareholder Proposals?

By Michael R. Levin July 12, 2023 by Michael R. Levin

Based on his recent speech to the Society for Corporate Governance, it certainly seems as if SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda would welcome an end to shareholder proposals. He proposes ideas that would empower companies to limit severely how shareholders could …

The Second Universal Proxy Card Hits EDGAR

By Michael R. Levin October 26, 2022 by Michael R. Levin

Last month, the first universal proxy card (UPC) hit EDGAR under the new SEC rule. We now have another example, with some interesting tidbits for aficionados and proxy junkies, and also for anyone who seeks an edge in proxy contest …

Universal Proxy Cards and the 67 Percent Solution

By Michael R. Levin June 7, 2022 by Michael R. Levin

The upcoming Universal Proxy Card (UPC) presents activist investors with only one potentially significant new burden: solicit two-thirds of the shares in a proxy contest at a portfolio company. Everything else in the new rule, including the new proxy card …

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Each business day, our team sifts through blog posts, news stories, and other sources to keep up-to-date on relevant recent developments. The following links will take you to our recommended selections. To see the sources we follow click Filter Sources.

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Bloomberg
Trump to Boost South Korea Tariffs
January 26, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Senate Chair Eyes Netflix-Warner Deal
January 26, 2026
New York Times
X Faces EU Probe of AI Sex Images
January 26, 2026
Deal Lawyers.com
SEC Issues Slew of New Interpretations
January 26, 2026
Corporate & Securities Law Blog
U.S. House Passes the INVEST Act
January 26, 2026
Dealbook
Interest in Law School Surging
January 25, 2026
Securities and Exchange Commission
Statement on PCAOB 2026 Budget
January 25, 2026
Bloomberg
SEC Drops Winklevoss Crypto Suit
January 25, 2026
Deal Lawyers.com
U.S. District Court in New York Rejects Disclosure Claims in Take Private Deal
January 25, 2026
Business Law Prof Blog
Nevada Commission Meets to Study Adjudication of Business Law Cases
January 25, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Trump Calls Off Tariffs on Europe
January 21, 2026
Bloomberg
EU Freezes U.S. Trade Deal Approval
January 21, 2026
The Governance Beat
Vanguard Updates Voting Policies
January 21, 2026
D&O Diary
Would Disclosure Deter AI-Washing?
January 21, 2026
Business Law Prof Blog
Delaware Supreme Court Sides With Moelis on Stockholder Agreement
January 21, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Bessent Turns Up Heat on Fed Chair
January 20, 2026
Bloomberg
Netflix Makes Warner Offer All Cash
January 20, 2026
New York Times
Prediction Markets on the Rise
January 20, 2026
D&O Diary
Chancery Says Board Failed to Respond to Sexual Misconduct “Red Flags”
January 20, 2026
Sidley Enhanced Scrutiny
Delaware Chancery Reminds Directors Not to Play Dirty
January 20, 2026
Reuters
NYSE-Parent Develops Platform for 24/7 Tokenized Securities Trades
January 19, 2026
Securities and Exchange Commission
McGranahan Named General Counsel
January 19, 2026
Bloomberg
Fraudster Should Win at Top Court
January 19, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Enforcers Turn Insider Trading on Head
January 19, 2026
Delaware Corporate & Commercial Litigation Blog
Key 2025 Delaware Corporate Rulings
January 19, 2026
Corporate & Securities Law Blog
NYSE Offers Listing Rules Changes
January 19, 2026
Federal Trade Commission
Hart-Scott-Rodino Thresholds Rise
January 15, 2026
Delaware Business Litigation Report
Chancery OKs Board-Breach Suit Over Whistleblower Claim Silence
January 15, 2026
Dealbook
A Crypto Revolt Against a Crypto Bill
January 15, 2026
Freshfields' A Fresh Take
Scotus Mulls Company Liability for Aiding Human Rights Violations
January 15, 2026
The Governance Beat
Can Institutional Investors Have a Fiduciary Duty Not to Vote Proxies?
January 15, 2026
New York Times
This May Be Year of the Mega IPO
January 14, 2026
D&O Diary
AI Infrastructure Company Hit with AI-Related Securities Suit
January 14, 2026
National Law Journal
Whistleblower Recovery, but No Award
January 14, 2026
Investment News
Court Nixes Challenge to Industry Ban
January 14, 2026
Deal Lawyers.com
Delaware Supreme Court Reverses Implied Covenant Application
January 14, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Netflix to Make Bid for Warner All Cash
January 13, 2026
Reuters
WeatherTech Founder Tapped for FTC
January 13, 2026
New York Times
Global Central Bankers Back Fed Chair
January 13, 2026
Bloomberg
U.S. Says Ex-Lazard Banker’s Insider Tips Reaped $41 Million
January 13, 2026
Bloomberg
Citi to Cut 1,000 Jobs This Week
January 12, 2026
Wall Street Journal
OpenAI Sets Another Super Bowl Ad
January 12, 2026
Dealbook
Fallout From Legal Attack on Powell
January 12, 2026
Securities and Exchange Commission
Deputy Enforcement Heads Named
January 12, 2026
Corporate & Securities Law Blog
Section 16(a) Reporting Applies to Foreign Officers, Directors March 18
January 12, 2026
LinkedIn
SEC Enforcement Strategy: Don’t Enforce
January 11, 2026
Reuters
SEC Nixes Suit Against Rio Tinto Ex-CFO
January 11, 2026
Yahoo Finance
U.S. Supreme Court to Review SEC’s Power to Recoup Illegal Gains
January 11, 2026
Deal Lawyers.com
U.S. Court OKs Advance Notice Bylaw
January 11, 2026
Business Law Prof Blog
The Latest on Forum Selection Bylaws
January 11, 2026
Delaware Business Litigation Report
Chancery Partially Grants Motion to Dismiss Direct Caremark Claims
January 8, 2026
New York Times
Funding May Value Anthropic $350 Bln
January 8, 2026
The Governance Beat
The Most Common AI Risk Factors
January 8, 2026
Bloomberg
War on Iffy Lawsuits Upends SEC’s Role
January 8, 2026
FTI Consulting
PE Holding Periods May Get Longer
January 8, 2026
New York Times
Elon Musk’s xAI Raises $20 Billion
January 7, 2026
D&O Diary
Suit May Preview AI-Bubble Litigation
January 7, 2026
FINRA
SEC Ends Biased Research Settlement
January 7, 2026
Bloomberg
SEC Sees AI-Related Disclosures Soar
January 7, 2026
PwC Blog
PE Investing in Mid-Market Firms Sags
January 7, 2026
Bloomberg
Nvidia CEO “Fine” With Billionaire Tax
January 6, 2026
New York Times
Who Needs More Venezuelan Oil?
January 6, 2026
Freshfields' A Fresh Take
Arizona Supreme Court Rejects “Closely Related Party” Doctrine
January 6, 2026
CoinDesk
Crypto’s Fate in GOP Watchdogs’ Hands
January 6, 2026
ABA Business Law Today
ABA Issues M&A Deal-Points Study
January 6, 2026
Delaware Business Litigation Report
Chancery Keeps Reasonableness Standard in Restrictive Covenant Dispute
January 5, 2026
New York Times
Big Tech Gets What Wants from Trump
January 5, 2026
Freshfields' A Fresh Take
M&A Predictions, Guidance for 2026
January 5, 2026
D&O Diary
The Top 10 D&O Stories of 2025
January 5, 2026
Deal Lawyers.com
Extended Producer Responsibility Laws Raise New Issues for Buyers
January 5, 2026
Bloomberg
GOP-Only Watchdogs Police Wall Street
January 4, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Trump Upends White-Collar Prosecutions
January 4, 2026
Securities and Exchange Commission
Farewell Commissioner Crenshaw
January 4, 2026
Corporate & Securities Law Blog
SEC Proposal Would Give NASDAQ More Discretion to Deny Listings
January 4, 2026
Business Law Prof Blog
Is Walmart Selling Itself as a Tech Firm?
January 4, 2026
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