How the SEC Is Making it Harder To Exclude Shareholder Proposals and What This Means for ESG This Proxy Season
Ahead of the 2022 proxy season, the SEC shifted its approach to shareholder proposals and permitted companies to exclude far fewer shareholder proposals from annual meeting agendas. Skadden M&A partner Ann Beth Stebbins leads a discussion about the impact the SEC shift had last year, particularly with respect to ESG proposals, and what we can expect this year. She is joined by Dalia Blass, BlackRock’s head of external affairs, Gabrielle Wolf, a director at shareholder advisory firm Innisfree M&A, and Skadden partner Marc Gerber.
Pass-Through Voting: Empowering Shareholders or Increasing the Influence of Proxy Advisors?
Will the “pass-through” voting recently implemented at some index funds promote shareholder democracy? Skadden partner Ann Beth Stebbins leads a discussion with Dalia Blass of BlackRock, Gabrielle Wolf of Innisfree M&A and Skadden partner Marc Gerber. They explain how the process works and describe voting trends among retail and institutional investors. They also discuss the possibility the process could have the unintended consequence of increasing the influence of proxy advisory firms and activists.
Should Your Company Take a Stand on Political and Social Issues?
In the latest installment of The Informed Board podcast, Skadden partner Ann Beth Stebbins leads a discussion about political and social issues in the workplace, responding to evolving employee expectations and the increased scrutiny of corporate political contributions. The panel also discusses how political and social issues may affect director elections this proxy season.
How Antitrust Regulators and the SEC Are Advancing the Wider Biden Agenda
In this inaugural episode of The Informed Board podcast, Skadden partners Maria Raptis and Raquel Fox join our host Ann Beth Stebbins to discuss changing approaches to antitrust and securities regulation in Washington. They talk about new priorities in antitrust enforcement, new disclosure initiatives by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the obstacles that could hinder regulatory rulemaking.