Crown image Columbia Law School
Home About Contact Subscribe RSS Email Twitter
Previous Next

  • John C. Coffee, Jr.: Event Contracts and Prediction Markets Comment bubble 3 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
Editor-At-Large Reynolds Holding

The CLS Blue Lion logo Sky Blog

Crown image

Columbia Law School's Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets

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

Menu

Skip to content
  • Our Contributors
  • Corporate Governance
  • Finance & Economics
  • M & A
  • Securities Regulation
  • Dodd-Frank
  • International Developments
  • Library & Archives

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 …

1 Comment  

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 …

TheFilter

Description

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.

Filter Sources
Wall Street Journal
Trump Backs Dodgy Credit Card Bill
October 11, 2026
Reuters
Nuvacore Funding Implies $2.5bn Value
October 11, 2026
The Governance Beat
SEC Guides on Firm Voting Programs
October 11, 2026
Financial Times
DOJ Probes Networks’ Trump Coverage
October 11, 2026
Sidley Enhanced Scrutiny
Delaware Chancery Rules Accountants Confined to Accounting Decisions
October 11, 2026
Freshfields' A Fresh Take
Sixth Circuit Says State Regulators Can Police Prediction Markets
October 8, 2026
The Governance Beat
ISS’ Benchmark Policy Survey Results
October 8, 2026
Financial Times
Starbucks Explored Chipotle Takeover
October 8, 2026
Deal Lawyers.com
Chancery Opines on Accounting Experts for M&A Price Adjustment
October 8, 2026
Corporate & Securities Law Blog
Third Circuit Revives Fact-Specific Materiality for Securities Fraud Claims
October 8, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Lawmakers Seek Accept-Election Vows
October 7, 2026
Bloomberg
AI Czar to Visit Silicon Valley AI Firms
October 7, 2026
Financial Times
Law Firm Kirkland & Ellis Stops Disclosing Financial Performance
October 7, 2026
D&O Diary
Datavault AI Hit with Market-Manipulation-Related Securities Suit
October 7, 2026
Deal Lawyers.com
Earnouts: Reminders of Ordinary Course Covenant Weren’t Interference
October 7, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Google, Constellation Energy Strike Sweeping Nuclear-Power Deal
October 6, 2026
Dealbook
New Anthropic Challenger Emerges
October 6, 2026
Freshfields' A Fresh Take
FTC Settles Price Discrimination Lawsuit Against Southern Glazer’s
October 6, 2026
D&O Diary
Settlement Values of M&A Suits Drop
October 6, 2026
Deal Lawyers.com
Earnout Denied, Buyer Wins Damages
October 6, 2026
Reuters
New Contracts Help Boeing Turn Page
October 5, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Firms’ AI Outlay Impossible to Budget
October 5, 2026
Bloomberg
Colleges Cut Tuition Bills by $20,000
October 5, 2026
Financial Times
Reflection AI Boosts U.S. Aim to Compete With Chinese “Open” Models
October 5, 2026
D&O Diary
Ryde Hit With New Market Manipulation-Related Securities Lawsuit
October 5, 2026
Dealbook
Investors Bet on Brain-Computer Link
October 4, 2026
Financial Times
Wall Street’s IPO Fervor Cools
October 4, 2026
Deal Lawyers.com
FTC Tweaks HSR Second-Request Rule
October 4, 2026
Corporate & Securities Law Blog
Sixth Circuit Narrows Swap Definition, Nixes Sports-Betting Law Preemption
October 4, 2026
Business Law Prof Blog
What PSLRA Safe Harbor Really Means
October 4, 2026
Bloomberg
GOP Mum on Midterm Affordability
October 1, 2026
Reuters
M&A Deal Rush Fades in 3d Quarter
October 1, 2026
The Governance Beat
Tesla, Goldman Tout Retail Shareholder Voting Instruction Plans
October 1, 2026
Financial Times
Wachtell Hires Ex-SDNY U.S. Attorney
October 1, 2026
D&O Diary
New Caremark Decision Provides Good News About Bad Faith
October 1, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Walgreens Nears Sale of Britain’s Boots
September 30, 2026
The Governance Beat
BlackRock Issues 2026 Voting Report
September 30, 2026
Sidley Enhanced Scrutiny
Court: FCA’s Qui Tam Constitutional
September 30, 2026
D&O Diary
IPOs Up, SPAC Litigation Persists
September 30, 2026
Deal Lawyers.com
Delaware Supreme Court Backs Indemnity for Post-Closing Misconduct
September 30, 2026
Bloomberg
American, Alaska Air to Share Revenue
September 29, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Trump Defends Light-Touch AI Plan
September 29, 2026
Financial Times
Starbucks Cuts Green Goals, Costs
September 29, 2026
D&O Diary
Alphabet Board Hit with Privacy-Related Follow-On Derivative Suit
September 29, 2026
Deal Lawyers.com
Chancery Interprets “Change of Control” in Purchase Agreement
September 29, 2026
Bloomberg
IRS Threatens Crackdown on Array of Wall Street Tax Dodges
September 28, 2026
Dealbook
Safety Issues Could Derail AI IPOs
September 28, 2026
Financial Times
Weil in Crisis After Lawyer Departures
September 28, 2026
D&O Diary
Proxy Season 2026 Returns to Basics
September 28, 2026
Delaware Corporate & Commercial Litigation Blog
Chancery Explains Lawyer Fee Award
September 28, 2026
Bloomberg
Trump, Anthropic CEO to Meet
September 27, 2026
Wall Street Journal
NY Sues Prediction Market Polymarket
September 27, 2026
Dealbook
Clients Eye Cut of Law Firm AI Savings
September 27, 2026
Freshfields' A Fresh Take
Bank Agencies Offer Revamped Third-Party Risk Management Guidance
September 27, 2026
Financial Times
Companies Favor Cheaper “Open” AI
September 27, 2026
Wall Street Journal
MGM Resorts Eyes Diller’s People Inc.
September 24, 2026
Dealbook
AI Safety Concerns Go Global
September 24, 2026
Financial Times
PE Investment May Alter Lawyer Pay
September 24, 2026
Sidley Enhanced Scrutiny
Delaware Chancery Expands AI Focus from Individuals to Governance
September 24, 2026
Business Law Prof Blog
What AI Tells Us About Benefit Corps.
September 24, 2026
Bloomberg
Disney+ Price Jumps 13 Percent
September 23, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Meta’s New AI Agent Is Instant Hit
September 23, 2026
Securities Litigation & Enforcement
SEC, FDA Create Info-Sharing System
September 23, 2026
Financial Times
Private Equity Ending Up in Limbo
September 23, 2026
D&O Diary
AI-Related Securities Suits Surging
September 23, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Obamacare Enrollments Cut 760,000
September 22, 2026
Financial Times
Anthropic, OpenAI Offer Cheap Models
September 22, 2026
Cleary Securities Watch
SEC End to Pay-to-Play Rule May Not Pay Off for Investment Advisers
September 22, 2026
D&O Diary
Consumer Class Actions Claim Tariffs Wrongly Passed to Customers
September 22, 2026
Deal Lawyers.com
Delaware Chancery Addresses Earnout Provision’s “Procedural Checks”
September 22, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Polymarket’s Rush Enabled Fraud
September 21, 2026
Cooley M&A
Chancery Revives Verisk Deal
September 21, 2026
Financial Times
Settlement Clears Paramount-Warner
September 21, 2026
D&O Diary
Crypto Investors Suit Skirts Dismissal
September 21, 2026
Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Monitor
SEC Plans to Nix Shareholder Proposal Rule, Change Proxy Solicitation
September 21, 2026
New York Times
Anthropic Goes Ahead With IPO Plans
September 20, 2026
Delaware Business Litigation Report
Chancery Nixes Caremark Action
September 20, 2026
Financial Times
How Big Tech Uses Guarantees to Keep AI Exposure Off Balance Sheet
September 20, 2026
Sidley Enhanced Scrutiny
When the Meeting Minutes and the AI Transcript Don’t Match
September 20, 2026
Corporate & Securities Law Blog
SEC Grants Review of Nasdaq Minimum Listed Securities Value Rule
September 20, 2026
Bloomberg
SEC to Interview Guggenheim Staff
September 17, 2026
Cleary M&A Watch
SEC Guides on Activist Fund Disclosure
September 17, 2026
Freshfields' A Fresh Take
California Enacts a Slew of AI Laws
September 17, 2026
Financial Times
Barclays Staff Slams Return-to-Work
September 17, 2026
Business Law Prof Blog
SEC 14a-8 Rescission Proposal Is Here
September 17, 2026
Cooley M&A
KKR to Pay $250mln for HSR Violation
September 16, 2026
Dealbook
Tech Hardware Is in Vogue Again
September 16, 2026
The Governance Beat
How Shareholder Proposals Fared Over Most Recent Proxy Season
September 16, 2026
Financial Times
Rifts Over Safety at Anthropic, OpenAI
September 16, 2026
Delaware Chancery Law Blog
Delaware Court Trims an Earnout Claim
September 16, 2026
Dealbook
AI Regulation Has Strange Bedfellows
September 15, 2026
D&O Diary
The CVS Case and the Emerging D&O Risks of AI-Driven Performance
September 15, 2026
Sidley Enhanced Scrutiny
Delaware Supreme Court Reverses on Justifiable Reliance in M&A Fraud Case
September 15, 2026
Delaware Business Litigation Report
Chancery Grants Spoliation Damages
September 15, 2026
The Guardian
Private Equity Facing Existential Crisis?
September 15, 2026
Wall Street Journal
Malls Are Real Estate’s Top Performer
September 14, 2026
Delaware Business Litigation Report
Chancery Rules in Mutual Deceit Case
September 14, 2026
The Governance Beat
12 Ways AI Affects Firm Disclosure
September 14, 2026
Financial Times
Warsh and Trump on Collision Course
September 14, 2026
D&O Diary
Eighth Circuit Nixes D&O Coverage of Execs’ Personal Loan Guarantees
September 14, 2026
Bloomberg
Anthropic’s AI Warning Is Too Weak
September 13, 2026
Dealbook
A Start-Up Pay Strategy Proves Costly
September 13, 2026
The Governance Beat
Glass Lewis Outlines New Framework
September 13, 2026
Financial Times
Musk, Altman Also Back AI Slowdown
September 13, 2026
D&O Diary
Turns Out FCA Qui Tam Constitutional
September 13, 2026
Blog Roll Header
  • Business Law Prof Blog
  • Corporate & Securities Law Blog
  • DealLawyers
  • Delaware Corporate and Commercial Litigation Blog
  • Gibson Dunn Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Monitor
  • Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance
  • How Appealing
  • PubCo @ Cooley
  • Securities Docket
  • Sidley Enhanced Scrutiny Blog
  • The D&O Diary
  • Truth on the Market
  • White Collar Crime Prof Blog
The Blue Sky Blog is Sponsored by Columbia Law School's Center on Corporate Governance.
Blwag 100 badge
Crown image Columbia Law School
Home About Contact Subscribe or Manage Your Subscription RSS Email Twitter
© Copyright 2026, The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.