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

Succeeding in the New Paradigm for Corporate Governance

Recognizing that the incentive for long-term investment is broken, leading institutional investors are developing a new paradigm for corporate governance that prioritizes sustainable value over short-termism, integrates long-term corporate strategy with substantive corporate governance and requires transparency as to director involvement. We believe that the new paradigm can reduce or even eliminate the outsourcing of […]

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The Money Problem: Rethinking Financial Regulation

In my book, The Money Problem: Rethinking Financial Regulation, recently published by the University of Chicago Press, I offer a novel take on the “shadow banking” problem—arguably the central challenge for modern financial stability policy. I contend that financial instability is, and always has been, largely a problem of monetary system design. Structural monetary reform […]

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Shareholder Activism & Engagement 2016

At the end of another record-breaking year for shareholder activism activity, it is appropriate that we ring in the publication of this, the inaugural edition of Shareholder Activism & Engagement, part of the Getting the Deal Through series. We are pleased to serve as editors of this volume because we believe that shareholder activism is […]

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Posted in Accounting & Disclosure, Comparative Corporate Governance & Regulation, Corporate Elections & Voting, International Corporate Governance & Regulation, Practitioner Publications | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Shareholder Activism & Engagement 2016

Proxy Disclosure Recommendations

In February 2016, the SEC warned that among a broad selection of companies, poorly-drafted, ambiguous and sometimes incorrect proxy disclosure for the method by which votes will be counted for director elections may necessitate new, tougher disclosure rules. [1] This post offers guidance on how to avoid the most common proxy drafting pitfalls and provides […]

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Foreign Private Issuers and NYSE Financial Reporting Requirements

On February 5, 2016, the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a proposed rule change that would require listed foreign private issuers to submit a Form 6-K to the SEC with unaudited financial information at least semi-annually. [1] On February 19, 2016, the SEC designated the proposed rule […]

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Posted in Accounting & Disclosure, International Corporate Governance & Regulation, Legislative & Regulatory Developments, Practitioner Publications, Securities Regulation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Foreign Private Issuers and NYSE Financial Reporting Requirements

Deposit Calculations on Demand

The FDIC has resolved hundreds of banks since the crisis, in nearly all cases making insured deposits available to the failed bank’s customers by the next business day. Although US depositors have come to rely on the efficiency and seamlessness of this process, the work that goes on behind the scenes to determine exactly which […]

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Antitrust Enforcement of Small Acquisitions

Last month, the Federal Trade Commission challenged a $5 million acquisition in the pharmaceutical industry. The FTC’s challenge serves as a reminder that no deal is too small to generate scrutiny from the U.S. antitrust agencies. During the Obama administration, the FTC and Department of Justice have devoted significant resources to investigating and challenging transactions […]

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Posted in Accounting & Disclosure, Legislative & Regulatory Developments, Mergers & Acquisitions, Practitioner Publications, Securities Litigation & Enforcement, Securities Regulation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Antitrust Enforcement of Small Acquisitions

Weekly Roundup: March 4-March 10

SEC Responses to Challenged Proxy Access Proposals Posted by Avrohom J. Kess & Yafit Cohn, Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP, on Friday, March 4, 2016 Tags: Boards of Directors, Charter & bylaws, Director nominations, No-action letters, Proxy access, Proxy voting, Rule 14a-8, SEC, Securities Regulation, Shareholder nominations, Shareholder proposals, Shareholder voting Remarks at ABS Vegas […]

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Facebook Settlement: Litigation Over Director Compensation

Executive compensation experts were unpleasantly surprised by the settlement in late January of Espinoza v. Zuckerberg, a case challenging the reasonableness of stock awards to Facebook’s non-employee directors. [1] The facts surrounding this settlement create concern that unless a company has a shareholder-approved plan with meaningful limits on both the cash and equity compensation that […]

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Obstructing Shareholder Coordination in Hedge Fund Activism

Many hedge funds follow a strategy of shareholder activism, acquiring a block of shares and then campaigning for changes in the target firm. Numerous studies have presented evidence that these campaigns can lead to both short- and long-run improvements in the values of target firms. In our paper, Obstructing Shareholder Coordination in Hedge Fund Activism, […]

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