A recent discussion that I moderated at the Corporate Directors Forum at the University of San Diego focused on the changing regulatory landscape triggered by the financial crisis. The focus was on the changing rhetoric in the corporate governance debate, and whether the rhetoric matches the proposals being advanced – i.e., does the “talk-the-talk” fit with the “walk-the-walk”.

The presentation that framed the discussion first outlined current legislative and regulatory proposals for changes in corporate governance, including changes regarding board structure, director elections, shareholder proxy access, risk management and compensation. The current corporate governance landscape includes proposed or actual reforms to these areas from federal legislation, SEC rule-making, state corporate legislation, changes to New York Stock Exchange rules, and stockholder proposals. The presentation mentioned recent comments on the regulatory and legislative landscape, including the following:

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