Mary E. Alcock

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Following its 2019 benchmark voting policy consultation period, Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) recently released its updated voting guidelines for the 2019 proxy season.[1]

A summary of notable governance and compensation policy updates is provided below.  Most significantly, the updated guidelines suggest that ISS continues to be focused on enhancing shareholder rights through increased board responsiveness and accountability.  In general, the updated proxy voting guidelines will be in effect for annual meetings occurring on or after February 1, 2019.  In connection with their preparations for the 2019 proxy season, U.S. public companies should consider the applicability of the new guidelines in light of their individual facts and circumstances.
Continue Reading ISS Updates its 2019 Proxy Voting Guidelines

Last month, former Uber executive Eric Alexander filed a complaint (the “Complaint”) against another former Uber executive, Rachel Whetstone.  The Complaint alleges breach of a mutual non-disparagement clause in Whetstone’s separation agreement with Uber; a clause that Whetstone, during her negotiation with Uber, apparently insisted specifically name Alexander and preclude them from disparaging each other.  In the Complaint, Alexander alleges that he is a third party beneficiary of the contract and can therefore enforce the non-disparagement obligation against Whetstone.
Continue Reading Shut Up! (Someone Is Actually Suing on the Basis of a Non-Disparagement Clause)

On August 21, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued Notice 2018-68 (the “Notice”), which provides initial guidance on the application of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”).

The guidance is limited to the definition of the term “covered employees” and the application…

During the course of the last month, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) brought two enforcement actions related to inadequate disclosure of perquisites.  In early July, the SEC issued an order finding that, from 2011 through 2015, an issuer failed to follow the SEC’s perquisite disclosure standard,[1] which resulted in a failure to disclose approximately $3 million in named executive officer perquisites.[2]   In addition to the imposition of a $1.75 million civil penalty, the SEC order mandated that the issuer retain an independent consultant (at its own expense) for a period of one year to conduct a review of its policies, procedures, controls and training related to the evaluation of whether payments and expense reimbursements should be disclosed as perquisites, and to adopt and implement all recommendations made by such consultant.
Continue Reading Recent SEC Enforcement Actions on Inadequate Perquisite Disclosure

On November 1 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) released guidance (Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14I (“SLB 14I”)) clarifying the scope and application of the ordinary business and economic relevance grounds for excluding a shareholder proposal under Rule 14a-8 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) from a company’s proxy statement.[1]  On November 20, Apple Inc. became the first corporation to attempt to use this guidance in a request for no-action relief from the staff of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance (the “Staff”), in response to governance activist Jing Zhou’s proposal that Apple create a board committee focused on human rights (the “Proposal”).  On December 21, 2017, the Staff responded, denying Apple’s request to exclude the Proposal from its proxy materials.
Continue Reading Apple’s Unsuccessful Test of the SEC’s Recent Guidance on Shareholder Proposals

Just as companies are starting to gear up for the 2018 proxy season, on November 1, 2017, the staff (the “Staff”) of the Division of Corporation Finance of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) released new guidance on shareholder proposals that seems to indicate the Staff will be taking a more company-friendly approach in its…

On September 21, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued helpful guidance to assist companies in complying with the CEO/median employee pay ratio disclosure requirement (the “Rule”) under Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K. The guidance also addresses the issue of SEC…

In the wake of President Obama’s signing into law the Defend Trade Secrets Act (“DTSA”) on May 11, 2016, companies will want to revisit their practices for protecting their trade secrets, especially in the employee/HR context.  The DTSA expands the body of trade secrets law, an area that has traditionally been the subject only of state law, by creating a federal civil cause of action for trade secret misappropriation.  The Act provides for injunctive relief and compensatory damages, and, if a trade secret is “willfully and maliciously misappropriated,” exemplary damages and attorney’s fees.  The legislation enables trade secret owners to protect their innovations by seeking redress in federal court, in the same way that owners of other forms of intellectual property, including copyrights, patents, and trademarks, can seek remedies in federal court for violations of their rights.
Continue Reading Implications of the Defend Trade Secrets Act for Employers

Equity Plan Scorecard Updates

Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) implemented the Equity Plan Scorecard (“EPSC”) last year as a new means of evaluating and recommending votes in favor of or against equity plans submitted for shareholder approval.  ISS evaluates a proposed equity plan under a number of different factors and assigns a score for each component, weighting components differently in accordance with its methodology.  Plans that receive at least 53 points out of 100 possible will receive “for” recommendations.
Continue Reading ISS Gearing Up for the 2016 Proxy Season: Revisions to the Equity Plan Scorecard, Soliciting Updates to Peer Groups, and Delayed Guidance on Proxy Access

On April 29, 2015 the Securities and Exchange Commission announced the issuance of proposed rules requiring issuers to disclose information that shows the relationship between executive compensation and the financial performance of the issuer. Our memorandum summarizes the proposed rules, highlights issues and suggests sample disclosure approaches.

Please click here to read our memorandum.