Changes coming at the SEC
by Cydney Posner According to the WSJ, SEC Commissioner Daniel Gallagher is resigning from his position prior to the end of his term, which would otherwise conclude in 2017. The article reports that he will continue as a Commissioner until his successor has been confirmed. As noted in this post, […]
PCAOB publishes new “Audit Committee Dialogue”
by Cydney Posner The PCAOB has announced the publication of a new paper designed to address audit committees. The paper, Audit Committee Dialogue, provides insights from inspections of public company auditors that should assist audit committee members in overseeing their auditors. Other similar papers are anticipated. This paper highlights two areas: key […]
They spurred the stock buyback phenomenon. Will hedge fund activists now eviscerate R&D?
by Cydney Posner It is widely recognized that one of the primary causes of the current stock buyback phenomenon has been pressure from hedge fund activists. But, as suggested in this NYT DealBook column, the activist playbook is certainly not limited to buybacks and dividends: “[a]s activist hedge funds take […]
With two dissents, SEC proposes pay-for-performance disclosure rules
by Cydney Posner This morning, by a three to two margin, the SEC voted to propose rules requiring companies to disclose executive pay for performance. The proposal comes five years after passage of Dodd-Frank, which imposed the obligation on the SEC. Currently, many companies voluntarily provide information that could fit […]
Amnesty International and Global Witness scold companies for poor performance in complying with conflict minerals rule
by Cydney Posner Amnesty International and Global Witness have posted a paper, “Digging for Transparency,” evaluating the performance by 100 public companies in their inaugural season of conflict minerals reporting. The overall reaction: major disappointment.
Efforts to reform executive compensation follow the law of unintended consequences
by Cydney Posner Remember how “say on pay” was supposed to put the lid on soaring executive pay? And just how has that turned out? According to a study conducted by ISS affiliates, (reported in Compliance Week ) the average compensation package for CEOs in the U.S. rose nearly 13 […]
Will Congress shorten the 10-day window applicable to filing Schedule 13D?
by Cydney Posner Several public watchdog organizations have sent a letter to the leaders of two congressional committees urging that Congress take action to shorten the 10-day filing period applicable to Schedule 13D. The long window applicable to Schedule 13D, which was originally adopted to promote transparency, is now, they […]
Third Circuit allows Wal-Mart to exclude Trinity’s proposal from its 2015 proxy statement
by Cydney Posner No sooner did I post regarding oral argument in the appeal of Trinity Wall Street v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc (see this post) than I find that the Third Circuit has just issued an Order in the case, vacating the injunction that had been issued against Wal-Mart. As a result, Wal-Mart will […]
Third Circuit hears oral argument in Trinity Wall Street v. Wal-Mart Stores
by Cydney Posner Last week, the 3rd Circuit heard oral argument in the appeal of Trinity Wall Street v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., a decision by a federal district court in Delaware that had enjoined Wal-Mart from relying on the “ordinary business operations” exclusion, Rule 14a-8(i)(7), to exclude Trinity’s shareholder proposal from […]
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