Tag archives: Mary Jo White

Universal proxies: SEC proposal moving forward

By Walied Soliman, Andrea Brewer and Nader Hasan (Toronto) on November 25, 2016 Posted in Securities

In a move that may encourage shareholder activism and increase the potential for proxy contests, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has voted to propose amendments to the U.S. federal proxy rules (the Proposed Rules). As discussed in a previous post, the Proposed Rules will require parties in all “non-exempt” solicitations in a contested director … Continue reading

Non-standard accounting measures: The media, regulators, and shareholders zero in

By Linda Fuerst, Orestes Pasparakis, Walied Soliman and Heidi Reinhart on September 29, 2016 Posted in Securities

Non-standard accounting practices have been gaining in popularity among Canadian publicly traded companies. Issuers that rely solely on standard accounting metrics now make up a small minority of the companies listed in the S&P 500 and S&P/TSX 60. Many issuers believe that non-standard measures are a better reflection of performance than Generally Accepted Accounting Principles … Continue reading

Board diversity: the latest metrics and government measures

By Trevor Zeyl on August 29, 2016 Posted in Corporate Governance

The diversity of boards has become a target of greater scrutiny. This scrutiny has come not only from activist investors seeking higher returns and better governance, but from governments and various interest groups outside the corporation. It has homed in on a variety of director characteristics, including length of tenure, age, gender, and visible minority … Continue reading

SEC Chair says SEC will propose new rules on universal proxies

By Jacob Cawker (Toronto) on July 6, 2015 Posted in Securities

In a recent speech focusing on proxy-related issues, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Mary Jo White has indicated that the SEC is working to propose new rules concerning universal proxies. She also encouraged companies to adopt them even before the SEC weighs in on this area. Currently in the United States, it is generally … Continue reading