The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has signalled a new approach to its regulation of shareholder proposals, especially as they relate to social impact issues. In Staff Bulletin No. 14M, the SEC simplified the procedure for companies to exclude
As the 2025 AGM season approaches, organizations should ensure the chair of the meeting is well-prepared on how to conduct a fair and orderly meeting.
On January 4, 2024, the Court of Chancery of Delaware struck down the largest potential compensation plan in the history of public market – Elon Musk’s $55.8 billion compensation plan from Tesla. Can Musk override the Court’s decision with a
On November 5, 2024, Donald Trump secured a decisive victory in the U.S. presidential election. In response, markets surged, while activists watched closely as companies and investors alike prepared for uncertainty and braced against the threat of “America First” tariffs,
Recently, there have been a number of high-profile proxy fights involving trusts, particularly real estate investment trusts (REITs). In contrast to corporations, a trust is predominately governed by its declaration of trust (DOT). While a shareholder of a corporation is
Canada saw 69 shareholder activist campaigns in 2023 – an unprecedented high from previous years. The 2024 proxy season saw a continued evolution of the shareholder activism landscape with a record-breaking 76 activist campaigns across 55 Canadian companies and 11
In certain cases, disputes between companies and activist shareholders may be amicably resolved by entering into a settlement agreement. These agreements may provide a means to address the concerns and objectives of both parties while potentially avoiding costly and burdensome
The 2023 proxy season was marked by a number of notable developments in the activism landscape. After a downturn in shareholder activism throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada experienced a resurgence in 2023 with a record number of activist campaigns. Activists
In Eastern Platinum Limited v. Ren, 2024 BCCA 109, the BC Court of Appeal confirmed that where one activist shareholder’s proxy fight and subsequent derivative action fails, another shareholder represented by the same legal counsel can successfully obtain leave
With the 2024 proxy season now in full swing, companies face a number of important questions. Among them is the timely question of meeting format: whether to hold the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) in person, virtually, or through some