Discussions around board gender diversity are picking up steam in the lead up to the 2018 proxy season. Some of the leading proxy advisory firms, namely the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis & Co. LLC (
Institutional Shareholder Services
Majority voting and board diversity trends
As recently highlighted in the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, a report (the Report) by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) found that majority voting practices and annual board elections, along with increases in…
Updates to ISS proxy voting guidelines
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) is one of the leading proxy advisory firms that makes voting recommendations on public companies’ proxy resolutions. In Canada, ISS’ recommendations on transactions and governance issues can have a significant impact on many shareholders’…
ISS proposed proxy voting policy changes for 2016
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), one of the world’s most influential proxy advisory firms, recently released its draft proposed voting policies for 2016. ISS is currently requesting feedback on new or potential changes to three voting policies in Canada…
ISS Updates its Proxy Voting Guidelines for the 2015 Season
On November 6, 2014, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) released updates to its Canadian proxy voting guidelines for the 2015 proxy season. The voting guidelines are effective for meetings held on or after February 1, 2015. The following is a…
Defensive Tools in Shareholder Activism: The “Voting Pill”
In today’s Financial Post, Barbara Shecter highlighted the use of modified shareholder rights plans (colloquially known as “poison pills”) as an emerging defensive tool against opportunistic shareholder activism in Canada. Traditionally, poison pills are used by boards of target…
Trends and Predictions in Canadian Proxy Contests
Kingsdale Shareholder Services has released its 2014 Proxy Season Review. In its report, Kingsdale discusses trends observed in 2014, predictions for the future, and gives its key recommendations for companies in the Canadian marketplace. In reviewing 2014 and comparing…