With the effective date of voluntary E-Proxy just a week old, a few companies have already filed proxy materials indicating that they will be the first to “give it a go.” In our “E-Proxy” Practice Area, we have begun a list of those companies, complete with a link to their proxy materials.

Interestingly, one company’s proxy statement even has a statement from the company’s President in the “Letter to Stockholders” touting the use of E-Proxy:

“I am also pleased that we are one of the first companies to take advantage of the new Securities and Exchange Commission rules allowing issuers to furnish proxy materials over the Internet. Please read the proxy statement for more information on this alternative, which we believe will allow us to provide our stockholders with the information they need while lowering the costs of delivery and reducing the environmental impact of our annual meeting.”

This particular company also includes a FAQ about E-Proxy on its IR web page. I would expect many companies that utilize voluntary E-Proxy to include a note on their IR web page to explain what they are doing this year – and I understand that some companies have already posted explanations (even though I haven’t seen any others; if you do, let me know). Remember that the more complete – and clearer – an explanation about what the company is doing on your website, the fewer the number of calls to your IR department…

Note that the SEC’s new rules require the Notice & Access to inform shareholders that they have an option to request a paper copy, but there is no requirement for companies to make that statement on their IR web page.

How to Implement E-Proxy: Avoiding the Surprises and Making the Calculations

We have posted the transcript from our recent two-hour webcast: “How to Implement E-Proxy: Avoiding the Surprises and Making the Calculations.” It was a great webcast and the panelists fleshed out a lot of issues that I believe many companies have not yet considered. And the course materials are superb. Hats off to our fine panelists on this one!

More on the E-Proxy California Conflict