Matthew Lau (Toronto)

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Shareholder activism leads to higher rate of CEO turnover – win or lose

Shareholder activism is now a global phenomenon. Activists commonly seek to shake up the board of a target company in hopes of instilling change and increasing shareholder value. The impact on target companies can be both disruptive and enduring – often resulting in turnover among top management and in particular chief executive officers (CEOs). A … Continue reading

Fasten your seatbelts: preparing for the globalization of hedge fund activists

Activist hedge funds have grown up and gone global, reinforcing the need for companies of all shapes and sizes to plan ahead for the possibility of an attack. A recent article by Martin Lipton in the Harvard Law School Forum of Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation reviews recent developments in the activist landscape and reconfirms … Continue reading

Trends and predictions in Canadian proxy contests

Kingsdale Shareholder Services (Kingsdale) recently released its annual Proxy Season Review. As in previous years, the report discusses trends observed in 2016 and offers predictions of what we might see looking forward. The report also outlines strategic recommendations for Canadian companies. Trends from 2016 Contested Activity “Back to Earth”: After a record setting year in … Continue reading
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