Protesting Symantec's All-Virtual Meeting

Steven Towns, writing for Seeking Alpha (Questioning Symantec’s ‘Virtual’ Shareholder Meetings, 9/20/2010) joined CII, CalSTRS, CalPERS, USPX and others in objecting to an all virtual meeting held buy Symantec. This follows up on Ted Allen’s September 16, 2010 article for RiskMetrics, Investors Object to Symantec’s Virtual Annual Meeting, my post of September 7, 2010 (also on Shareowners.org) and USPX’s page of resources on the issue with copies of letters sent.

Bruce Herbert of Newground Social Investment tuned in to the meeting and apparently found it frustrating. I’ll give it a few days to see if anyone else in the press reports on the virtual-only meeting or maybe Herbert will blog about it. If not, I’ll give Symantec at least one more post. I urge all readers and all funds to write to Ms. Corcos of Symantec protesting the virtual-only meeting. Please cc USPX. See this USPX page for sample letters.

In an e-mail to me and others, Corcos indicated “Symantec received a Low Concern rating on each of the four categories that RMG evaluates:  Board Structure, Compensation, Shareholder Rights and Audit.”  Maybe RMG also needs to hear from shareowners.

Corcos goes on to say: “If stockholders preferences change, we will reconsider hybrid models for future meetings.” I take that to mean, if enough protest they will switch to a hybrid model. Shareowners should keep bombarding them with letters and e-mails until they publicly announce next year’s meeting will be a hybrid one. That will deter other companies from moving to virtual-only meetings.

Gary Lutin’s Shareholder Forum has done a great deal to date trying to come to grips with the various issues through his leadership and that of Avital Louria Hahn. I anticipate USPX, which intends to hold additional ongoing forums on the topic, will build on their work and extend it, developing a broad consensus among shareowners of best practices.