Proxy Season 2024: Trends to Watch

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,...

read more
Proxy Season 2023: Compensation Trends to Watch

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....

read more
Proxy Season 2023: Trends to Watch

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...

read more
New Pay Versus Performance Disclosures Rules

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...

read more
The 2022 Proxy Season: Forces Collide

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....

read more
2021 Offseason Engagement: What’s Changed, and What to Do Next

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.

read more
Key Themes from 2021 Proxy Season: The Zeitgeist Shifts

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...

read more
The rAge of ESG

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,...

read more
Climate Expectations 2020: The Bar Keeps Rising

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...

read more
2020 Proxy Season: A Look Back, and a Look Forward

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...

read more
The ESG Long View; Vol. 2: The Playbook on Purpose

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...

read more
Proxy Season 2020: Intermission Report

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...

read more
Human Capital, Front and Center

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...

read more
The ESG Long View; Vol. 2: The Playbook on Purpose

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...

read more
Does ESG Matter Amidst a Global Crisis?

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...

read more
The Age of ESG

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...

read more