Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%
Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.
Stop the Insanity!
A few years ago, when I served as in-house counsel to a major corporation, I asked a representative of one of our largest shareholders how much time she devoted to reviewing our proxy statement ' a document that had occupied a significant portion of my time and on which I had lavished considerable care and attention. “Oh,” she said, “your company represents one of our largest investments, so I spend about 20 minutes on it.” I was shocked, but she was not done. “Of course, when it goes to our proxy committee for a voting decision, I'd say five or 10 minutes max.” Shock turned to dismay; how could all that deathless prose be dismissed in so cavalier a manner?
I'm sure that those responsible for proxy statements at companies throughout the U.S. have had similar rude awakenings. We try to make our disclosures accurate and complete; we often go beyond minimally compliant disclosure to give our owners and the investing public a “feel” for our companies' businesses, how we operate, how our boards and their committees function, and how we compensate our management team. But the facts are that our disclosures are voluminous and getting more so every year (many companies' proxy statements are at or close to 100 pages, and some 10-Ks are in excess of 200 pages) that most investors don't have the time to read, much less digest, these documents and that those who do often find them overwhelming.
This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only
ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SINGLE SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND NEWS IN ENTERTAINMENT LAW.
- Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
- Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
- Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts
Already a have an account? Sign In Now Log In Now
For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later
The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.
Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations
This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.
How AI Has Affected PR
When we consider how the use of AI affects legal PR and communications, we have to look at it as an industrywide global phenomenon. A recent online conference provided an overview of the latest AI trends in public relations, and specifically, the impact of AI on communications. Here are some of the key points and takeaways from several of the speakers, who provided current best practices, tips, concerns and case studies.
The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs
The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.