Insights
Practical perspectives on investor engagement, shareholder voting, and ESG.
March 2024
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Proxy Season 2024: Trends to Watch
Proxy Season Preview: US Investors Channel Teddy Roosevelt & More Every proxy season has its own personality, with notable twists and turns, including some that are predictable and others that are not. Following recent conversations with institutional investors,...
February 2024
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January 2024
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December 2023
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November 2023
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October 2023
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Proxy Season 2023: Compensation Trends to Watch
As the 2023 proxy season kicks into high gear, compensation practices, equity plans, and board accountability are top of mind for many investors. Here are four trends that deserve attention: Increasing Opposition to Directors Based on Executive Compensation Concerns....
Proxy Season 2023: Trends to Watch
It’s early innings for Proxy Season 2023, set against wild market volatility, heated debates over ESG, and ever-evolving investor expectations. Here’s what we’re watching: Governance and risk management in focus. Over the past year, many investors have reminded the...
Featured Quotation (Diligent): How Companies Can Address — and Mitigate — the Risks of Evolving Shareholder Activism
Our Chief Executive Officer & Managing Partner, Jessica Wirth Strine, was quoted in a Diligent article called, "How Companies Can Address — and Mitigate — the Risks of Evolving Shareholder Activism" on December 30, 2022. From Diligent: “Where ESG issues factor...
New Pay Versus Performance Disclosures Rules
On August 25, 2022, the SEC announced the long-anticipated adoption of pay versus performance (“PVP”) disclosure rules. The rules are effective for fiscal years beginning on or after December 16, 2022, which frankly feels rushed, leaving calendar year companies...
Featured Events (The Proxy Disclosure & 19th Annual Executive Compensation Conferences): Next-Gen Activism – Are You Prepared?
Our Chief Operating Officer & Managing Partner, Rob Main, will be speaking on a panel titled, "Next-Gen Activism: Are You Prepared?" on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 as a part of TheCorporateCounsel.net and CompensationStandards.com's 2022 Proxy Disclosure &...
Featured Events (Summit for Corporate Governance): ESG – Doing Good and Enhancing Corporate Performance
Our Chief Executive Officer & Managing Partner, Jessica Wirth Strine, will be speaking on a panel titled, "ESG – Doing Good and Enhancing Corporate Performance" on Friday, September 30th, 2022 as a part of Greenberg Traurig's annual Summit for Corporate Governance...
Featured Podcast (Insightia): Have we just seen a lull in ESG activism?
Our Chief Executive Officer & Managing Partner, Jessica Wirth Strine, was featured on Insightia's podcast "Have we just seen a lull in ESG activism?", hosted by Insightia's Kieran Poole, along with Lawrence Elbaum of Vinson & Elkins and Insightia's Rebecca...
The 2022 Proxy Season: Forces Collide
The 2022 proxy season was framed by the collision of two forces: momentum from the record-breaking, ESG-driven shareholder revolts during the 2021 proxy season, running up against an energy crisis, rates of inflation not seen since 1981 and a global economic slowdown....
Featured Quotation (Bloomberg Tax): ESG Consultant Shortage Looms as Corporate Reporting Race Begins
Our Chief Operating Officer & Managing Partner, Rob Main, was quoted in a Bloomberg Tax article called, "ESG Consultant Shortage Looms as Corporate Reporting Race Begins" on June 28, 2022. From Bloomberg Tax: Demand for consulting help is already strong, said Rob...
Featured Events (Freshfields): Navigating Evolving Shareholder Expectations
Our Chief Operating Officer & Managing Partner, Rob Main, will be moderating a panel along with Stephen Brown of KPMG and Elizabeth Bieber of Freshfields. The event, titled "Navigating Evolving Shareholder Expectations", will feature leaders of the institutional...
Featured Podcast (Boardroom Alpha): Why Companies Should be Focused on ESG in 2022
Our Chief Operating Officer & Managing Partner, Rob Main, was featured on the podcast "Boardroom Alpha". Listen here to listen more about why companies should be focusing on ESG in 2022. From Boardroom Alpha: The Environmental, Social, and Governance...
2021 Offseason Engagement: What’s Changed, and What to Do Next
As the great philosopher Mike Tyson once said, “everyone has a plan until they are punched in the mouth”, and the 2021 proxy season was an uppercut that caught many companies by surprise. Now that the initial shock from the proxy season has passed, it is crucial that companies reimagine how they approach “off-season” shareholder engagement under this new world order. We offer several recommendations on how to make the most of upcoming investor conversations.
Key Themes from 2021 Proxy Season: The Zeitgeist Shifts
Given the multi-year growth in investor focus on ESG — accelerated further by the confluence of a global pandemic, social unrest and political change — it is no surprise that the 2021 proxy season was unlike any other. For many companies, this year’s annual meetings...
The rAge of ESG
Much has been said and written this week about events in the energy sector, especially the unprecedented proxy fight at ExxonMobil’s annual meeting of shareholders. Some are declaring outright “war” between companies and investors who prioritize environmental, social,...
Mandatory ESG Reporting Nears…But What Should Companies Do Now?
Halfway through President Biden’s first 100 days, the administration has prioritized a mandatory, comprehensive framework for company disclosure of environmental, social, and governance matters (ESG). Companies and investors have been inundated with a wave of...
Climate Expectations 2020: The Bar Keeps Rising
Looking back on Climate Week 2020, a key theme emerged: investors and other stakeholders have coalesced around the notion that the pandemic of 2020 will have served as a ‘test-case’ for the eventual challenges of climate change. Toward this end, the current global...
2020 Proxy Season: A Look Back, and a Look Forward
For many, the 2020 proxy season required channeling of Winston Churchill for needed encouragement: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” With companies, investors, and the public focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and racial equality movement, many spring...
The ESG Long View; Vol. 2: The Playbook on Purpose
Vol. 2: The Playbook on Purpose Jessica Wirth Strine I asked my six-year old son, recently: “what will you remember, when we look back on this time?” And he responded, “I’ll call it ‘The Serious Time.’” It is a serious time indeed, and as investors and stakeholders...
Proxy Season 2020: Intermission Report
As COVID-19 shines a spotlight on how companies manage risks and opportunities in a time of crisis, the market is recognizing how ESG permeates all reaches of value creation. Leaders are increasingly aware of the long-term implications of stakeholder capitalism and...
Human Capital, Front and Center
A familiar refrain has emerged as the COVID-19 pandemic continues: companies will be judged for years based on the actions they take today. Perhaps no other issue will generate such long-lasting implications – to a company’s reputation, brand, and resiliency – as how...
The ESG Long View; Vol. 1: ESG Remains in Focus
Vol. 1: ESG Remains in Focus We are living in unprecedented times, with each day bringing new information about the Coronavirus and the outlook for our society, our public health, and the market. While people and companies are working through unanticipated and...
Does ESG Matter Amidst a Global Crisis?
As the human tragedy of the COVID-19 virus spreads and everyday life radically transforms, companies are asking whether “long-termism” and sustainability matter right now. After all, companies are considering worker layoffs, whether they can service debt payments, and...
The Age of ESG
Among the major developments in investment management over the past decade, the dawn of the Age of ESG – environmental, social, and governance factors – represents a true paradigm shift in the relationships between public companies and their investors. It is now...