Sky Blog
With new leadership under the Trump administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) is charting a course that promises significant changes in the regulation of securities disclosures and capital markets. In this alert, we discuss several important trends and developments …
On December 11, President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Protecting American Investors from Foreign‑Owned and Politically‑Motivated Proxy Advisors” (the “Order”). The Order focuses on the “enormous influence” of proxy advisory firms, particularly Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (“ISS”) …
Insiders such as executives, directors, and large shareholders often use company stock as collateral for personal loans. This practice is widespread but lightly regulated, and to many it has long seemed a harmless perk of wealth and a private decision …
A corporate governance revolution is underway. The conventional depiction of the U.S. capital markets has focused on the presence of large institutional shareholders and their substantial influence over the economy. But in the past two years, in response to political …
Proxy advisers play a pivotal role in corporate governance by providing institutional investors with recommendations on how to vote at shareholder meetings. These firms influence key corporate decisions, including the election of directors, executive compensation, and governance policies, thereby exerting …
Proxy advisers exercise immense influence through their voting recommendations to shareholders. Corporations, aware of the importance of those recommendations, expend valuable resources to ensure that the recommendations align with management’s preferences by hiring governance consultants to influence outcomes. These consultants …
Whose interests do public pension funds serve? On the one hand, they have a fiduciary duty to maximize value for the pension fund participants whose retirement savings they invest. On the other, they can use their considerable ownership stakes to …
Investors rely on proxy adviser recommendations to fulfill their fiduciary duty when voting in corporate elections. However, the proxy advisory industry is highly concentrated, with ISS and Glass Lewis controlling over 90 percent of the market,1 and the advice …
Year after year, the world’s activist-investor community meets at the Active-Passive Investor Summit, the premier shareholder activist conference in New York City, organized by research and advisory service 13D Monitor. Yet at this year’s gathering, on October 22, the mood …
In contrast to the volatility that vexed the economy in 2022, markets rose in 2023 as inflation fell and the labor market remained strong. Entering 2024, ongoing international instability, rapidly changing technology and the United States presidential campaign are certain …
Robo-voting occurs when an investment fund mechanically follows the voting recommendations of its proxy adviser in corporate elections. The practice has become easier for funds with the development of online voting platforms that a proxy adviser can complete in advance …
There have been 12 proxy contests that have gone to a vote under the SEC’s universal proxy rules, which became effective on September 1, 2022. A review of these contests reveals several themes.
Overall Results: Activists obtained a board seat …
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) new universal proxy rules, which took effect for meetings after August 31, 2022, require the use of “universal” proxy cards in all director election contests, except for elections held by registered investment companies and …
On September 28, in an action by the National Association of Manufacturers against the SEC and Chair Gary Gensler, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas held that the SEC violated the Administrative Procedure Act when, in …
When the SEC adopted the rules governing proxy advisory firms two years ago, then-Chair Clayton emphasized that the rules were “the fruits of a rigorous and well-functioning rulemaking process where final rules reflect and benefit from the input of a …
Engaged shareholder voting is often perceived as the linchpin of sound corporate governance. That reputation is well deserved: Even as corporate governance has broadened its sights of late to accommodate a wider set of stakeholders, the pivotal role of shareholders …
Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) and Glass, Lewis & Co. (Glass Lewis) have each issued their respective proxy voting guidelines for 2022, which include a number of noteworthy revisions, summarized below. The ISS updates are available here and will apply …
U.S. companies continue to demonstrate resilience following another year in which the pandemic imposed itself on world events. Although 2021 did not deliver a full reopening, corporate activity thrived in spite of ongoing uncertainty around “return to work,” building on …
As the momentum of shareholder engagement on climate-related matters continues to grow across the globe, including in Canada, these issues remain a key focus area for public companies. One of the tools that has gained prominence is the so-called “Say …
Proxy advisory firms have emerged as major players in corporate governance by helping to address the public goods aspects of information production in corporate governance. These firms provide both a) recommendations on how to cast proxy votes and b) research …