SEC to Study Quarterly Reporting & Earnings Guidance and their Contribution to Short-Termism In a potentially significant step for public companies and the U.S. economy, the SEC today launched a formal comment process aimed at optimizing the periodic reporting system for U.S. companies. The SEC’s review is wide-ranging, reaching whether reforms could and should be … Continued
Some Thoughts for Boards of Directors in 2019 By Martin Lipton, Steven A. Rosenblum, Karessa L. Cain, Amanda S. Blackett and Kathleen C. Iannone December 14, 2018 In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that the activism-driven corporate world is relatively fragile and is proving to be unsustainable, particularly when viewed in the broader … Continued
Spotlight on Boards The ever-evolving challenges facing corporate boards prompt an updated snapshot of what is expected from the board of directors of a major public company—not just the legal rules, but also the aspirational “best practices” that have come to have equivalent influence on board and company behavior. Today, boards are expected to: Oversee … Continued
Executive Summary/Highlights: Global M&A in 2018 is at record levels, and at the current pace could approach 2007’s all-time high of almost US$5 trillion. Cross-border dealmaking has surged, with the volume of cross-border M&A over the first three quarters of 2018 already far surpassing that of all of 2017. Likewise, the market for mega-deals remains … Continued
Executive Summary/Highlights: The global M&A environment continued to show historic strength in 2018, as global deal volume reached nearly US$1.3 trillion for the second quarter and US$2.5 trillion for the first half of the year. Global M&A activity has enjoyed a steady climb over the last several quarters and has increased sharply since Q3 2017, … Continued
Spotlight on Boards The ever-evolving challenges facing corporate boards prompt an updated snapshot of what is expected from the board of directors of a major public company—not just the legal rules, but also the aspirational “best practices” that have come to have equivalent influence on board and company behavior. Today, boards are expected to: Oversee … Continued
Global M&A accelerated in the fourth quarter of 2017, driven in part by tech expansion and strong economies in several key markets, and there are many signals pointing to a continued strong pace of transactions, including in the U.S. Overall M&A volume in 2017 continued to be robust, reaching $3.6 trillion, approximately 35% of which … Continued
Main Article: This week witnessed two very significant developments in the new paradigm for corporate governance, one in the U.S. and one in the U.K. Both will have cross-border impact. Both have the purpose of promoting investment to achieve sustainable long-term investment and growth. In the U.K., government proposals for corporate governance reform center on … Continued
Executive Summary/Highlights: A long-running, two-year effort by the senior corporate governance heads of major U.S. investors to develop the first stewardship code for the U.S. market culminated today in the launch of the Investor Stewardship Group (ISG) and ISG’s associated Framework for U.S. Stewardship and Governance. Investor co-founders and signatories include U.S. Asset Managers (BlackRock; … Continued
Highlights: Global M&A volume in 2016 continued to be robust, reaching $3.7 trillion, approximately 40% of which involved cross-border deals, as compared to one-third in 2015. Five out of the ten largest deals of the year were cross-border transactions. The pace of deals grew during the second half of the year, especially in the U.S., … Continued
