Corporate Governance

Corporate Governance—The New Paradigm—A Better Way Than Federalization

By Martin Lipton August 24, 2018 by renholding

While “The Accountable Capitalism Act” introduced on August 15 by Senator Elizabeth Warren contains several very worthwhile provisions, it is premised on the federalization of all public corporations with revenues in excess of $1 billion. Mandatory federal incorporation and the …

How Creditors Affect Corporate Governance

By Tomas Jandik and William R. McCumber August 13, 2018 by renholding

Though the majority of studies in corporate governance focus on the ability of shareholders to advise and monitor firms, debt financing is much more common than equity financing. According to the Thomas Reuters Loan Pricing Corporation, $2 trillion in syndicated …

Are Independent Board Members Necessarily Credible?

By Yvan Allaire August 8, 2018 by renholding

By the late 2000s, independent directors were in the majority on the boards of almost every type of U.S. organization. While this achievement may have improved corporate governance, it was not the panacea that some had anticipated, as subsequent events …

Wachtell Lipton Discusses Gender Diversity and Board Quotas

By David A. Katz and Laura A. McIntosh August 8, 2018 by renholding

California has made headlines this summer with legislative action toward instituting gender quotas for boards of directors of public companies headquartered in the state.  The legislation has passed the state senate; to be enacted, it must be passed by the …

How Corporate Governance Affects Mimicking Peers’ Financial Decisions

By Douglas J. Fairhurst and Yoonsoo Nam August 1, 2018 by renholding

Traditional explanations for why companies choose certain financial policies focus on firm-specific factors. For instance, all else being equal, firms with higher tax rates are likely to favor debt financing over equity financing, given the tax advantages of debt. However, …

Where the Fisch, Hamdani, and Davidoff Solomon Theory of Passive Investors Goes Awry

By J.B. Heaton July 25, 2018 by renholding

President Reagan once said, “I’ve heard that hard work never killed anyone, but I say why take the chance?”  In a recent paper, professors Jill Fisch, Assaf Hamdani, and Steven Davidoff Solomon (hereafter “FHDS”) argue that passive investors – …

Sullivan & Cromwell Discusses Hot Topics in Corporate Governance

By Sullivan & Cromwell July 16, 2018 by renholding

Corporate Governance, Surveys, Policies and Reports

• Lazard Report Finds Increased Shareholder Activism in Q1 2018: Lazard’s Quarterly Review of Shareholder Activism for Q1 of 2018 found increased activism by shareholders in terms of number of campaigns initiated, board seats

…

How External Whistleblower Rewards Affect Internal Reporting

By Masaki Iwasaki July 6, 2018 by renholding

Does paying employees for blowing the whistle on corporate crime to regulators discourage internal reporting and undermine corporate governance? The answer is not as simple as it might seem. My research shows that, as the amount of reward increases, the …

Wachtell Lipton Discusses Boards’ Role in Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility

By David M. Silk, David A. Katz, Sabastian V. Niles and Carmen X.W. Lu July 3, 2018 by renholding

In light of evolving—and sometimes actively debated—perspectives on the role of public companies with respect to sustainability, corporate social responsibility and other ESG matters (e.g.,  Barron’s recent report on Sustainable Investing), we are providing a high-level overview …

Wachtell Lipton Discusses Shareholder Activism, Corporate Governance, and the Hunt for Long-Term Value

By Sabastian V. Niles June 22, 2018 by renholding

As the spotlight on boards, management teams, corporate performance and governance intensifies, as articles like the Bloomberg and Fortune profiles of Elliott Management (“The World’s Most Feared Investor—Why the World’s CEOs Fear Paul Singer” and “Whatever It Takes to Win—How …

Does Firing a CEO Pay Off?

By George Alexandridis, John A. Doukas and Christos Mavis June 14, 2018 by renholding

The chief executive officer (CEO) and the top management team are typically viewed as critical to the success or failure of companies. As it is not uncommon for top executives to make value-destroying decisions, the role of internal control mechanisms, …

The Third Stage of Corporate Governance

By James P. Hawley and Jon Lukomnik May 22, 2018 by renholding

The recent announcements from major institutional investors about issues such as gender diversity and climate change seem like reactions to social ills.  But they are not unmoored from investing. They are logical expressions of a relatively newly empowered, third phase …

Corporate Governance and Human Capital: Evidence from SMBO Boards

By Ranko Jelic, Dan Zhou and Mike Wright April 13, 2018 by renholding

Consistent with predictions made in the late 1980s, the buyout market has grown tremendously and, together with the private equity (PE) model, has become a global phenomenon. One consequence of the maturity of the market is substantial secondary management buyout …

When the Corporation Investigates Itself

By Miriam H. Baer April 11, 2018 by renholding

There may have been a time – say, four or five decades ago – when the internal corporate investigation was viewed with suspicion, if not outright distaste. Today, however, the corporate internal investigation is the norm. Corporations investigate themselves for …

Columbia Law School to Hold 2018 M&A and Corporate Governance Conference in New York City

By Reynolds Holding April 9, 2018 by renholding

On April 20, 2018, Columbia Law School will hold its 2018 Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Governance Conference at Convene in midtown Manhattan. The event is co-sponsored by the law firms Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & …

Antitrust as Corporate Governance: Why a Firm’s Mission Is to Earn No Profit

By Ramsi Woodcock March 28, 2018 by renholding

BlackRock, the vast asset manager, has been feted for demanding that the boards of its portfolio firms pursue a social purpose, which likely entails spreading corporate profits beyond shareholders to include labor and victims of environmental harm.[1] But despite …

Following the Corporate Governance Canon Pays Off for Chinese Companies

By Say Hak Goo and Bryane Michael February 19, 2018 by renholding

Over the years, a consensus on the best corporate governance practices has emerged. The OECD Guidelines of Corporate Governance epitomize a canon of such practices, including things like having non-executive shareholders on boards, having an audit committee, and following special …

Perpetual Dual-Class Stock: The Case Against Corporate Royalty

By Robert J. Jackson, Jr. February 16, 2018 by renholding

My first few weeks at the Securities and Exchange Commission have been a whirlwind—and just to be clear, I am not talking about the markets.[1] In a few short weeks, I have gotten a crash course on SEC policymaking—and

…

Corporate Governance that Works for Everyone

By Barnali Choudhury and Martin Petrin February 15, 2018 by renholding

Corporate governance has traditionally been viewed as a way to reduce agency costs between shareholders and managers in the context of private ordering.  Laws and regulations pertaining to corporate governance have, therefore, typically aimed to enhance long-term wealth for shareholders.…

The Governance Implications of Business Disruption

By Michael W. Peregrine and Kenneth Kaufman January 12, 2018 by renholding

In 2018, corporate boards will increasingly be called upon to respond to how innovative competitors disrupt their companies’ business models.  These competitors use technology, scale, and sharp insights into consumers to lower prices, improve products and services, and draw customers …