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A variety of headline-grabbing incidents in the past year—from sexual harassment scandals involving corporate executives to —have made clear the importance of “tone at the top” within any business enterprise, and the critical role that corporate culture can play in reinforcing (or undermining) efforts to ensure adherence to legal and regulatory mandates. But how can […]

In case you hadn’t noticed, Congress recently enacted sweeping tax reform legislation with profound implications for most publicly traded corporations. The new tax law is complex and has significant implications for business strategy. Various provisions implicate executive compensation practices, international business structuring, transfer pricing, repatriation, debt-equity capitalization practices, and a host of other concerns. This […]

Passage of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and a series of recent high-profile data misuse scandals have thrust the data collection, data sharing, and privacy policies of companies into the spotlight. Companies are under significant pressure to prioritize data privacy, security, and compliance, and failure to do so could result in reputational harm […]

Shareholder activism is not going away – but it is evolving.  This session reviews the state of the art in aggressive shareholder activist techniques and in effective corporate response.  A large percentage of boards that learn that an activist has accumulated a toehold position negotiate to place at least one activist director on the board. […]

Spurred by the #MeToo movement, the past year has brought a flood of headline-grabbing allegations of sexual misconduct against powerful figures in Hollywood, politics, the media, and corporate America. As more companies face public sexual harassment complaints, investors are calling on boards to ensure that their companies are proactively assessing and addressing these risks, as […]

The global economy is in an extraordinary state of flux. Newly enacted tax legislation may provide fiscal stimulus while adding to the long-term national debt. The Federal Reserve appears ready to respond with a series of rate hikes. The Trump Administration threatens to raise tariffs and to upend a range of traditional trade relationships. Meanwhile, […]

Directors play a critical role in ensuring that companies are prepared to assess and respond to the threats that climate change poses to their business while also capitalizing on emerging opportunities. In recent years, shareholders have come to expect boards to understand and exercise more diligent oversight over environmental impacts of the company’s activities and […]

This ​session is designed to provide the “ordinary” board member—typically not a member of the audit committee, or possibly a newly appointed member—with ​concrete suggestions to monitor potential issues related to financial reporting. The classroom style presentation seeks to improve directors’ understanding of accounting principles in a way that cuts to the chase and de-emphasizes​ […]

The deal market is booming, activists are prowling, and legal doctrine is evolving. In this environment, a large number of publicly traded corporations need to be thinking about participating in the M&A market either as buyers or sellers. This session brings together leading experts to discuss best practices in M&A, both from the buy side […]