TheCorporateCounsel.net

Now that we are only three months away from our 2026 Proxy Disclosure and Executive Compensation Conferences, which are taking on October 12th & 13th in Orlando, Florida and via webcast, I thought it is a great time to take a closer look at many of the important topics that we will be covering in this time of significant change.

At last week’s Society for Corporate Governance conference, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins focused in his remarks on the SEC’s consideration of Rule 14a-8, the shareholder proposal rule. At the 2026 Proxy Disclosure Conference, we have dedicated forty minutes to an in-depth discussion of the experiences with Rule 14a-8 during the unusual 2025-2026 proxy season, as well as the SEC’s efforts directed toward shareholder proposal reform. The agenda notes:

The Corp Fin Staff’s late-2025 shift in administering Rule 14a-8 was met with consternation from both investors and public companies (some justified, some not). While many companies took a cautious stance on exclusions, certain decisions triggered pushback from proponents in the form of litigation, “zero slate” contests and “vote no” campaigns.

In the meantime, Rule 14a-8 is on the SEC’s agenda for a potential overhaul. Will shareholder proposals, as we know them, survive the next few years?

This program will be moderated by Ryan Adams from Morrison Foerster and will feature the panelists Allison Handy from Ashurst Perkins Coie, Elizabeth Morgan from King & Spalding and Geoff Walter from Gibson Dunn.

This is a discussion that you definitely do not want to miss! Our agenda features two full days of fast-paced, topical panels, an all-star speaker lineup, and my interview with Corp Fin’s Deputy Director Christina Thomas. Our October Conferences will be a great opportunity to get up to speed on the SEC’s latest rulemaking initiatives, as well as other developments in executive compensation, governance, disclosure practices, activism and shareholder engagement.

You can register online at our conference page or contact us at info@CCRcorp.com or 1-800-737-1271. Do it today so you don’t miss out on our discounted “early bird” rate!

– Dave Lynn