On November 12, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) issued updates to its 2021 US benchmark proxy voting policies. ISS will apply the updated policies to shareholder meetings occurring on or after February 1, 2021.
Proxy advisory firms, such as ISS, review proposals to be voted on at public company shareholder meetings and make voting recommendations to their clients based on the firm’s voting policies and standards.
Continue Reading ISS Issues Its 2021 Proxy Season Updates
On July 22, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced the adoption of amendments (the Amendments) to the SEC’s rules governing proxy solicitations that are intended to “facilitate the ability of those who use proxy voting advice — investors and others who vote on investors’ behalf — to make informed voting decisions without imposing undue costs or delays that could adversely affect the timely provision of proxy voting advice.” The Amendments represent a modified version of the amendments the SEC originally proposed in November 2019, which were previously discussed in the November 8, 2019 edition of Corporate & Financial Weekly Digest.
Continue Reading SEC Adopts Amendments and Issues Guidance Related to Proxy Voting Advice
On November 12, the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) published its U.S. 2020 Proxy Voting Guideline Updates, which will be effective for shareholder meetings held on or after February 1, 2020. In general, the updates involve clarification of guidelines and formalization of factors to codify ISS’s existing approach on recommendations relating to specific issuers.
Continue Reading ISS Releases 2020 Proxy Voting Guideline Updates
On November 5, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted to propose amendments to the rules governing proxy solicitations to expressly apply them to proxy voting advisors. The proposed amendments would codify the SEC’s position that proxy voting advice is a “solicitation” within the meaning of the proxy rules, place certain disclosure requirements on proxy voting advice and define what would be impermissible false or misleading disclosure in the context of proxy voting advice.
Continue Reading SEC Proposes Amendments Relating to Proxy Voting Advice
On October 31, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) filed suit against the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, challenging the guidance that the SEC issued in August 2019 regarding the applicability of the federal proxy rules to proxy advisors such as ISS. The SEC’s guidance was previously discussed in the August 23, 2019 edition of Corporate & Financial Weekly Digest.
Continue Reading ISS Files Suit Against SEC for Proxy Voting Advice Guidance
Investment Advisers
On August 21, by a vote of 3 to 2, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued interpretive guidance on an investment adviser’s fiduciary duties with respect to voting of proxies for client accounts. The guidance makes clear that advisers may agree with their clients that the client, and not the adviser, will vote proxies, but such guidance is generally impractical for advisers to private funds and registered investment companies (because there is no practical way to assign voting power to the funds).
Continue Reading SEC Issues New Guidance Regarding Proxy Voting Responsibility of Investment Advisers and the Applicability of Proxy Rules to Proxy Voting Advice
Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) recently launched the ISS Help Center, its new online communications portal that will help facilitate inquiries of ISS from investors, companies (issuers) and company advisors, including law firms and proxy solicitors, as well as responses from ISS to such inquiries. The ISS Help Center will provide a framework to submit …
On March 29, proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) updated its frequently asked questions (FAQs) for US proxy voting procedures and policies (excluding compensation-related policies and procedures). The following is a brief summary of the new/updated FAQs.
Continue Reading ISS Updates Frequently Asked Questions for US Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for 2018
ISS Releases 2018 Proxy Voting Guideline Updates
On November 16, the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) published its 2017 Proxy Voting Guideline Updates, which will be effective for shareholder meetings held on or after February 1, 2018. The US 2018 updates cover numerous policies, and significant changes are summarized below.
Continue Reading ISS and Glass Lewis Release 2018 Proxy Voting Guidelines
On October 19, proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) announced the results of its Policy Application Survey (PAS). The PAS, which ran from August 3 through October 6, reflects 328 responses: 77 from institutional investors and organizations representing them, and 251 from members of the corporate community, including companies, consultants/advisors to companies, corporate directors and other trade organizations. These surveys often provide a good indication of potential changes to ISS’s voting policies. It is expected that ISS will publish its draft 2018 policy updates and open its comment period in late October, and release its final policy updates in November.
Continue Reading ISS Announces Results of Its 2017 Policy Application Survey
