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Tips for Responding To Corporate Political Disclosure Shareholder Proposals

By Robert Kelner, Matthew Franker, Zachary G. Parks & Mellissa Campbell Duru on February 16, 2023
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The contentious 2020 election cycle, debate over hot-button issues, including the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and increased investor focus on ESG matters (as well as criticism of such focus) have led to an increased focus on shareholder proposals requesting disclosure of corporate political expenditures.  This Covington Alert discusses how public companies can effectively respond to these proposals.

  • Tips for Responding To Corporate Political Disclosure Shareholder Proposals
Photo of Robert Kelner Robert Kelner

Robert Kelner is the chair of Covington’s Election and Political Law Practice Group. Mr. Kelner provides political law compliance advice to a wide range of corporate and political clients.  His compliance practice focuses on federal and state campaign finance, lobbying disclosure, pay to…

Robert Kelner is the chair of Covington’s Election and Political Law Practice Group. Mr. Kelner provides political law compliance advice to a wide range of corporate and political clients.  His compliance practice focuses on federal and state campaign finance, lobbying disclosure, pay to play, and government ethics laws, as well as legal ethics rules.  His expertise includes the Federal Election Campaign Act, Lobbying Disclosure Act, Ethics in Government Act, Foreign Agents Registration Act, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.  He is also a leading authority on the arcane rules governing political contributions by municipal securities dealers, investment advisers, hedge funds, and private equity funds.  Mr. Kelner advises Presidential political appointees on the complex process of being vetted and confirmed for such appointments.

In addition, he regularly advises corporations and corporate executives on instituting political law compliance programs.  He conducts compliance training for senior corporate executives and lobbyists.  He has extensive experience conducting corporate internal investigations concerning campaign finance and lobbying law compliance, as well as other corporate compliance matters.  Mr. Kelner regularly defends clients in investigations by the Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. House & Senate Ethics Committees, the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee, the House & Senate Judiciary Committees, the House Energy & Commerce Committee and its Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations, the Senate Finance Committee, the Senate Special Committee on Aging, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and other congressional committees.  He has prepared numerous CEOs and corporate executives for testimony before congressional investigation panels, and he regularly leads the Practicing Law Institute’s training program on congressional investigations for in-house lawyers.  He also defends clients in Lobbying Disclosure Act audits by the GAO and enforcement actions and audits by state election and lobbying enforcement agencies.

Mr. Kelner has appeared as a commentator on political law matters on The PBS News Hour, CNBC, Fox News, and NPR, and he has been quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Legal Times, Washington Times, Roll Call, The Hill, Politico, USA Today, Financial Times, and other publications.

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Photo of Matthew Franker Matthew Franker

Matt Franker has nearly twenty years of experience advising public and private companies, underwriters, and boards of directors in capital markets offerings, securities disclosure and compliance, corporate governance and ESG matters, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate issues. Matt has significant experience representing…

Matt Franker has nearly twenty years of experience advising public and private companies, underwriters, and boards of directors in capital markets offerings, securities disclosure and compliance, corporate governance and ESG matters, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate issues. Matt has significant experience representing companies from a broad range of industries, including life sciences, financial services, manufacturing, energy, consumer products, and telecommunications. Matt, a former SEC staff member, also has extensive experience advising clients on SEC rulemakings and regulatory proceedings.

Matt has been recognized in Legal 500 for his work on capital markets transactions, and his capital markets experience includes advising companies and underwriters on registered and exempt offerings of common and preferred equity securities and investment grade, high-yield and convertible debt securities, exchange offers, debt tender offers, and consent solicitations. Matt has an extensive securities advisory practice focused on assisting public companies in a wide variety of disclosure, corporate governance, and compliance matters.

Prior to joining Covington, Matt served as an attorney-adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance. While at the SEC, he worked on a wide variety of transactional and securities compliance matters, with an emphasis on the manufacturing, construction, and financial services industries. His experience at the SEC focused on IPOs, secondary offerings, mergers and acquisitions, exchange offers, going-private transactions, PIPEs and private equity financings and evaluating no-action requests to exclude shareholder proposals under Exchange Act Rule 14a-8.

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Photo of Zachary G. Parks Zachary G. Parks

Zachary Park advises a wide range of corporate and political clients on federal and state campaign finance, lobbying disclosure, pay to play, and government ethics laws. Mr. Parks regularly advises corporations and corporate executives on instituting political law compliance programs and conducts compliance…

Zachary Park advises a wide range of corporate and political clients on federal and state campaign finance, lobbying disclosure, pay to play, and government ethics laws. Mr. Parks regularly advises corporations and corporate executives on instituting political law compliance programs and conducts compliance training for senior corporate executives and lobbyists. He also has extensive experience conducting corporate internal investigations concerning campaign finance and lobbying law compliance and has defended clients in investigations by the Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee.

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Photo of Mellissa Campbell Duru Mellissa Campbell Duru

Mellissa Campbell Duru is a Special Counsel in Covington’s Washington office and is a deputy co-leader of the firm’s ESG practice. She advises clients on U.S. securities regulation, capital markets transactions, and strategic corporate governance planning. She develops advisory guidance for public companies…

Mellissa Campbell Duru is a Special Counsel in Covington’s Washington office and is a deputy co-leader of the firm’s ESG practice. She advises clients on U.S. securities regulation, capital markets transactions, and strategic corporate governance planning. She develops advisory guidance for public companies and asset managers on ESG matters and public company disclosure and reporting obligations. Mellissa joined the firm after over 15 years at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission where she served as Counsel to SEC Commissioner Kara Stein and in a range of transactional and policy advisory roles in the Division of Corporation Finance and Division of Examinations.  As Counsel to SEC Commissioner Kara Stein, Mellissa was the lead advisor on ESG U.S. and international framework developments, including sustainable finance reporting and investment matters, cybersecurity, data privacy and governance issues, initial token offerings and financial technology developments, capital formation and exempt offering rulemakings, and SEC advisory committee matters.

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  • Posted in:
    Administrative
  • Blog:
    Inside Political Law
  • Organization:
    Covington & Burling LLP
  • Article: View Original Source
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