Author Archives: Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation

Corporate Governance Survey: 2018 Proxy Season

Since 2003, Fenwick has collected a unique body of information on the corporate governance practices of publicly traded companies that is useful for Silicon Valley companies and publicly‑traded technology and life science companies across the U.S. as well as public companies and their advisors generally. Fenwick’s annual survey covers a variety of corporate governance practices […]

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Another Look at “Super Options”

On Jan. 21, 2018, Tesla granted to its co-founder and chief executive officer, Elon Musk, a performance-based stock option to acquire shares equal to 12 percent of Tesla shares outstanding at the time of grant. This option was discussed in two columns published by the author in the New York Law Journal (May 1 and […]

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Legal Personhood and Liability for Flawed Corporate Cultures

Although the phrase, “corporate culture”, has been described by commentators as “inherently slippery”, it has become part of the global regulatory zeitgeist. It is now a central feature of a range international discussions about corporate governance and risk management. Numerous international regulators, such as the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the UK Financial Reporting Council, […]

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OCIE Examination Priorities for 2019

On  December  20,  2018,  the  Office  of  Compliance  Inspections  and  Examinations  (“OCIE”)  of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) published its examination priorities for 2019 (the “2019 Priorities”). OCIE’s examination priorities are released annually and are designed to provide a preview of key areas where OCIE intends to focus its limited resources. This year’s priorities […]

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10 Tips for 10-Ks and Proxy Statement

With preparations shifting into high gear for calendar-year companies that file annual reports on Form 10-K and proxy statements with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), here are tips to consider when drafting these documents. 10-K Tips 1. Disclosure Update and Simplification. The SEC adopted “Disclosure Update and Simplification” amendments on August 17, 2018, […]

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Rule 14a-8 Shareholder Proposals and the Government Shutdown

As the 2019 proxy season approaches, to the extent the U.S. federal government shutdown continues, companies with Rule 14a-8 shareholder proposals will have some difficult decisions to make. Although a company is not required to submit a no-action letter to the SEC to exclude a Rule 14a-8 shareholder proposal (but is required to submit its […]

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Public Hedge Funds

Recent years have witnessed a slew of public listings by mega asset management firms including Amundi Group, Man Group, Och-Ziff Capital Management Group, Blackstone Group, and KKR. These publicly listed mega asset managers together managed an impressive $2.38 trillion in 2017. How does the transition to public equity markets impact investment performance? Fund management companies […]

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Incorporating Social Activism

Corporations and their executives are at the forefront of some of the most contentious and important social issues of our time. Through pronouncements, policies, boycotts, sponsorships, lobbying, and fundraising, corporations are actively engaged in issues like immigration reform, gun regulation, racial justice, gender equality, and religious freedom. This is the new reality of business and […]

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Weekly Roundup: January 11-17, 2019

Quarterly Reporting—What’s Next? Posted by Nicolas Grabar, Jeffrey D. Karpf, and David Lopez, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, on Friday, January 11, 2019 Tags: Accounting, Financial reporting, Long-Term value, SEC, SEC rulemaking, Securities regulation, Shareholder value, Short-termism Top Priorities for Boards in 2019 Posted by Steve Klemash, Rani Doyle, and Jamie C. Smith, EY Center for Board Matters, on Friday, January 11, 2019 Tags: Board communication, Board […]

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2018 Private Equity Year in Review

2018 was a banner year for private equity. As of late December, PE buyout volume had reached almost $384 billion, the highest since the PE boom before the financial crisis. The pace of activity overcame various macro challenges to PE dealmaking, including competition from strategic acquirors, high-multiple valuations and, in the fourth quarter, rising interest […]

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