Christians are called to be “salt and light” in this world. This reference to a passage in the book of Matthew chapter 5 (vs. 13-16) speaks to the dual role we all can have in impacting our world for the better. To be salt is to be “in the world but not of it,” to […]
ChatGPT: Conservative Legislators Oppose Free Markets. That’s the response Sanford Lewis got this weekend from an interaction with ChatGPT that I thought worthy of sharing. ChatGPT Request Write a humorous and sarcastic discourse on the manner in which anti-ESG activism by “conservative” legislators contradicts their support for free enterprise and capitalism. (more…)
The following guest post originally appeared as a 2019 supplement to The Shareholder Service Optimizer. See Publishers Note at the bottom of this post for more details on how it was changed and how it is relevant to both issuers and employee shareholders. (more…)
Originally published as Larry Fink: Here’s Your Answer to the Despicable Letter from the GOP Attorneys General on Medium. The article is republished here with Nell Minow’s permission. James McRitchie, CorpGov.net’s publisher, added the photo above and probably made some unintentional formatting errors. (more…)
Kenneth Steiner 2022 provides an update on his accomplishments of the last two years and a list of shareholder proposals for the upcoming 2022 annual meeting season. Since I last posted on CorpGov.net two years ago there have been enormous gains in shareholder rights and positive results from companies at which I have submitted stockholder […]
Experiences at Virtual Shareholder Meetings: Guest Post Dear Investors, I have conducted a study on how virtual shareholder meetings affect communication with shareholders, How Shifting from In-Person to Virtual Shareholder Meetings Affects Shareholders’ Voice. (more…)
CEO Compensation was a Joke Before Covid-19, Now It is Just Obnoxious In an era of sacrifice, risk, and despair for many employees, one group of employees has yet again defied the norm, often with significant increases in actual compensation and wealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic and societal turmoil. Who are these […]
Bill Steiner Had Huge Impact Bill Steiner would have seen the 2020 proxy season as a busy and exciting one for individual shareholder activists. While the SEC considers changes (your comments can still have impact, even if submitted late) to reduce the influence of shareholders, so called “gadflies” continue to demonstrate leadership, effectiveness and ability […]
This is a bit daunting. I’m giving a lecture named after Adam Smith. In a college where the first Director of Studies in Economics was John Maynard Keynes. No pressure at all. Twenty-five years ago, I had an epiphany. I was, at the time, the New York City official in charge of investing the City’s […]
MALEK: Working from within, is an op-ed that appeared the Yale Daily News, on January 13, 2020. Gabriel Malek makes critically important points that need to be heard, especially by students but also by CorpGov.net readers who want to work with them. Malek’s key message: While students fight for divestment, also fight for shareholder engagement and […]
Stanford’s David F. Larcker and Brian Tayan have a new paper called Loosey-Goosey Governance: Four Misunderstood Terms in Corporate Governance in which they appear to think they’ve discovered what everyone has understood forever — that there are limits to structural solutions and that checklists of best practices are not especially helpful. We were very clear […]
The first part of an in-depth look at Virtual-Only Shareholder Meetings, a new front in corporate-investor engagement. Scenario 1: In-Person Shareholder Meeting A shareholder proposal calling for the chairman’s resignation is coming up for vote at the physical annual meeting of Acme Inc. In the packed hall, a supporter of the proposal rises to her […]
By August 31, 2018, California could become the first state in the nation with gender quotas to mandate publicly held companies that base their operations in the state to have women on their boards. The legislation—SB 826—will require public companies headquartered in California to have a minimum of one female on its board of directors […]
Shareholder Alert – PX14A6G 1 g815180px14a6g.htm Voluntary submission by John Chevedden, Redondo Beach, CA. NetApp, Inc. shareholder since 2011 Vote Against Proposal 6 Proposal 6 asks shareholder to give management a pat on the back because management adopted a watered down version of a 2018 shareholder proposal on the right of 10% of shareholders to […]
Field Assistance Bulletin 2018-01 Field Assistance Bulletin 2018-01 issued by Trump administration. Recently, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) within the Department of Labor (DoL) released Field Assistance Bulletin 2018-01 (link) relating to ESG (environment, social and governance) and shareholder rights for ERISA governed benefit plans. I set out some brief high-level analysis on the guidance below. (more…)
Benefit corporation governance provides increased accountability. Most of our financial capital is allocated and stewarded through a system that has a primary goal of creating financial return. This goal directs the real economy, where shareholders treat corporations as accountable for financial results, but not for their economic, social or environmental impact. (more…)
Real Impact Tracker Involves Everyday Investors in Creating Better Corporate Governance Everyday investors need to play a greater role in corporate governance. It’s dominated by institutions, where the least common denominator is profits Everyday investors should hold companies and funds accountable to their values Everyday investors can play a greater role in corporate governance The Real Impact […]
How Shared Ownership Reforms Can Address Popular Anger about an Unequal Economy In May 2017, U.S. Senators Sanders, Leahy, Gillibrand, and Hassan introduced legislation intended to help workers become owners. Their bill calls for a national employee ownership bank and helps states develop employee ownership centers. This comes after a dozen major cities and nearly […]
With activist investor Nelson Peltz of Trian Partners making an intense and expensive play for a seat on the board of troubled Proctor & Gamble, the past six months have witnessed the largest proxy battle, and perhaps the oddest one, in U.S. history. In October, it appeared to be over, as the relieved P&G management […]
As millennial-aged employees now represent the majority of the U.S. workforce, it is increasingly important that corporate management finds ways to engage them in the company. Creating 401k plans which connect to their core values — like solving human, social and environmental problems through their work and investments — can be a huge advantage to the company as a […]
William Steiner recently became the most experienced shareholder activist alive to win majority votes for shareholder proposals at public companies. A few months ago, he celebrated 40 years of shareholder activism with an overwhelming victory at Haemonetics Corporation (HAE). The following is based on an interview with Mr. Steiner by his son, Kenneth Steiner, who […]
With boards of directors under a microscope in today’s world, they must show how their work contributes to the success of the companies they oversee, and build trust with shareholders. For many of these shareholders, a company’s proxy statement is their only chance to look into the key aspects of the boardroom. So the goal […]
Even in Washington, the numbers are impressive. The Council of Institutional Investors, who met in Washington DC this week, represents 23 trillion (with a t) dollars, mostly made up of retirement and other savings of working families. Compare that to the entire budget of the US government, less than two trillion a year. Like most […]
For shareholders and investors, transferring securities just got a whole lot easier with the introduction of eSignatureGuarantee.com (link). In order to transfer securities – whether it’s stock, a 401K, an estate trust, whatever it may be – the transfer agent industry requires what is called a medallion signature guarantee, which essentially proves your identity and helps protect […]
Moneyball Corporate Governance: making the best use of what limited capital is available – just like what the Oakland A’s had to do with their limited payroll. In the mid-1980s, New York Mets manager Davey Johnson was among the first in professional baseball to realize the advantage that could be gained by using computers and statistics […]
Large institutional investors, concerned about portfolio risks stemming from the effects of global warming, are calling for climate-competent boards and directors as part of their fiduciary responsibility to preserve and enhance the long-term value of their investment assets. Despite the anticipated rollback of climate related governmental policies such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power […]
After making the decision to apply the principles of SRI investing, many clients embark on the initial step of selecting a core stock fund. Traditional investors have literally hundreds of highly efficient core investment solutions. However, SRI investors aren’t so blessed—which is why I put together this core list of Best SRI Funds. Best SRI funds need […]
Be Part of the SRI Movement A lack of affordable SRI investing solutions may incentivize some savvy investors to do their own research and purchase their own portfolio of individual stocks, but this is almost always a mistake. There is power in the SRI Movement. If you’re joining the SRI movement, it’s likely because you have a […]
Douglas Park and Reza Dibadj have launched their boutique business and legal consultancy, Park and Dibadj (P&D)—a unique firm that addresses unmet needs in corporate strategy and governance. We bring decades of successful experience as both lawyers and strategists in extraordinarily challenging environments. We believe that a siloed approach—law on the one hand, business on […]
Governance and the Valeant Flea: The Art of Not Living Dangerously “You may well say, that’s a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion.” -William Shakespeare Valeant: Cautionary Tale There’s a good reason that no bestselling novels or blockbuster movies about corporate governance exist. It’s because doing corporate governance […]
Shareholders have been urging companies to fully disclose the lobbying they do directly and through trade associations and third parties for six years now. This year 66 investors joined in filing resolutions with 50 companies seeking expanded lobbying transparency. Twinned with calls for disclosure of political spending aimed at affecting elections, this effort has had a […]
Town Hall Shareholder Meetings It’s a presidential campaign year here in the U.S., and though the election is still over 6 months away, we’ve already been enlightened (or depressed) by a large number of candidate debates and town halls. Whatever your political views, the candidates seem able to instantly recall policy, financial or data details […]
Senators seek to rein in hedge funds through legislation by narrowing the window in which hedge funds must file 13D disclosures with the SEC once they have taken a 5% stake in a company. Right now that window is 10 days. The bill would reduce that to two days. The bill also seeks to block activist “wolf […]
In the wake of a New York Times story by Mark Oppenheimer about Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey’s relationship with former rabbi and alleged sex offender Marc Gafni, the company has come under scrutiny. (A Spiritual Leader Gains Stature, Trailed by a Troubled Past) On December 25th, The Times story reported Gafni saying of one […]
“Using the internet for shareowner proxy voting … will awaken the sleeping giant of corporate governance – individual investors.” My optimism was premature when I wrote that in 1999. But finally the giant has awakened and is starting to stir. Retail shareowners of Fission Uranium Corp (FCU) have joined forces via internet media, including their […]