The Investment Association has published guidelines concerning the redemption or cancellation of irredeemable preference shares. The aim of the guidelines, which are of general application to listed companies, is to promote market confidence in irredeemable preference shares as an asset class and avoid reputational risk for issuers.…

Introduction The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (“PLSA”), representing the occupational pensions industry, has published guidance on market best practice to assist its members when exercising their vote at AGMs in 2019. The revised version of its Corporate Governance Policy and Voting Guidelines (“Guidance”) reflects the introduction of the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code which applies to financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2019 (“Code”). Interestingly, the Guidance does not follow the format…

The International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), being the leading international policy forum for securities regulators which focuses on the quality of financial reports and good corporate governance, has published a report on good practices for audit committees of listed companies in supporting external audit quality. The report focuses on the importance of ensuring the quality of a company’s financial report, the independence of any external audit in achieving market confidence, transparency and effective functioning capital markets and…

The GC 100 and Investor Group have updated their directors’ remuneration reporting guidance 2018 to reflect the changes to reporting requirements (under Schedule 8 to the Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 (as amended)) introduced by the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018. The guidance seeks to facilitate the statutory disclosure regime and help companies to satisfy the prescribed reporting requirements. Before addressing the specific statutory provisions, the guidance includes a useful discussion…

The Investment Association has published a revised version of its Principles of Remuneration for the 2019 AGM season, most of the changes reflecting the new UK Corporate Governance Code. Colleagues in the Squire Patton Boggs Tax Strategy and Benefits practice group have posted this insight on their blog, Compensation And Benefits Global Insights.…

The government has published the Companies (Directors’ Report) and Limited Liability Partnerships (Energy and Carbon Report) Regulations 2018. The regulations amend the Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the Limited Liability Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2008 to require additional annual reporting on emissions, energy consumption and energy efficiency action by quoted companies, large unquoted companies and large LLPs. The introduction of a new…

The GC100, being the association of general counsel and company secretaries working in UK FTSE 100 companies, has issued guidance on the practical interpretation of section 172 of the Companies Act 2006. This section imposes a general duty on directors to act, in good faith, in a way they consider would be most likely to promote the success of their company for the benefit of its members as a whole. Factors which will affect the success of the…