In the wake of Corp Fin’s new statement on how the Staff will handle the Rule 14a-8 process for the 2026 proxy season, we have scheduled a webcast for next Tuesday, December 2nd – “This Year’s Rule 14a-8 Process: Corp Fin Staff Explains What You Need to Know.”

In this program, you will hear directly from Staff in the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance about important takeaways from the Statement, the Staff’s procedural expectations for this year, and common questions. There are a few important things to know about this webcast that are different from our typical programming:

1. It’s free for anyone who wants to attend, even if you aren’t currently a member of this site. We want to do what we can to get the word out about the Staff’s approach so that the season is as smooth as possible for everyone (especially given the Staff’s workload after the shutdown).

2. It’s happening from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Eastern.

3. Since this is a pop-up webcast, we aren’t offering CLE credit for this one. Members of this site can get lots of live and on-demand credits through our other programs, though! As you can see on our home page, we have several good upcoming programs in December – including a program with former high-level Corp Fin Staff on December 11th, which will include practical guidance for companies to navigate this Rule 14a-8 process and other important SEC and Corp Fin initiatives.

As John noted last week – and as reflected in the memos posted in our “Shareholder Proposals” Practice Area – there are a number of open issues to consider when it comes to how this year’s shareholder proposal process will play out. For example, as mentioned in this Cooley memo, companies should remember the possibility of floor proposals. We’ll be continuing to track insights and dynamics as practices develop.

– Liz Dunshee