This book provides a complete framework for contemporary shareholder activism and its implications for US corporate governance, which is based on director primacy theory. Under director primacy theory, shareholders do not wish to be involved in the management of the company; in the rare event that they wish to be involved, it is considered a transfer of power from the board of directors to shareholders, which in turn reduces the efficiency of centralised decision-making in public companies. However, this book demonstrates that shareholders do not use their power to transfer corporate control from the board to themselves, and that some form of shareholder activism is even collaborative, which is a new paradigm for US corporate governance. This book shows that while monitoring remains a key contribution of shareholders, they also bring new informational inputs to corporate decision-making that could not be obtained under the traditional board model. Accordingly, contemporary shareholder activism enhances the board’s decision-making and monitoring capacity, without undermining the economic value of the board's authority. Therefore, this book argues that the complete approach of contemporary shareholder activism should be accommodated into US corporate governance. In doing so, this book considers not only legal and regulatory developments in the wake of the 2007–2008 financial crisis, but also the governance developments through by-law amendments. Furthermore, the author makes several recommendations to soften the current director primacy model: establishing a level playing field for private ordering, adopting the proxy access default regime, the majority voting rule, the universal proxy rules, and enhancing the disclosure requirements of shareholders. The book will be of interest to academics and students of corporate governance, both in the US and internationally.

Corporate Governance examines in an extraordinarily practical and accessible way the legal concerns of today’s shareholders, stakeholders, directors, officers, and their counsel, with a special emphasis on drafting documents and developing procedures to anticipate and prevent problems. Designed for real-world application by students, practitioners, executives, investors, and activists, the text includes excerpts from only the most important judicial decisions. Extensive notes and analyses provide context from courts, commentators, institutional investors, proxy advisors, stock exchange requirements, and businesspeople. Dozens of examples “ripped from the headlines,” or taken from corporate documents, the “Great Books,” or pop culture illustrate and illuminate key principles. Appendices offer detailed information to establish, support, and advance the reader’s career in corporate governance practice. New to the Third Edition: Composite provisions, offset in text boxes, patterned on the corporate governance guidelines of major corporations, identify the issues in and approaches to drafting such documents. New appendices discussing: On Preparing and Presenting “Actionable” Advice, for both executives and their counsel (Appendix B), and Ten Tips for Transparency in Posting Core Corporate Documents Online (Appendix C); and a fully updated list of Recommended Resources for Corporate Governance Research (Appendix A). In Chapter 1, enhanced discussion and examples of themes and trends in the study, theory, and practice of corporate governance. Throughout Chapter 2, expanded treatment of the directors’ responsibility to monitor and reduce risks (including special issues of cybersecurity); and analyses of the rules of conduct for board meetings, of variable/differential voting powers of directors; and of emergency bylaws. In Chapter 3, new discussions of meetings in “executive session,” and of the viability of a policy against a company’s directors’ dating each other; and additional material on: constraints on executives’ “private” activities and statements; special responsibilities of members of the audit committee; and the composition and role of the executive committee. In Chapter 4, updated discussions of virtual meetings of shareholders, of the rules of conduct for shareholder meetings, and of forum selection provisions for intracorporate litigation; and new sections on “loyalty shares”/“tenure voting,” on fee-shifting provisions, and on mandatory arbitration provisions. In Chapter 5, new examinations of: increased efforts (and mandates) to diversify the composition of boards; the “financial literacy” requirement for (some) directors; enabling the CEO also to serve as the board chair; the role of the “executive chair”; “golden leashes” for directors; the roles and responsibilities of advisory board members, advisory directors, emeritus directors, honorary directors, and board observers; proxy access proposals; and “refreshing” the board through age and term limits for directors. In Chapter 6, expanded discussions of clawbacks, restrictions on executives’ pledging and hedging company stock, Key Employee Retention Plans (KERPs) in bankruptcy situations, “golden hellos,” and “say on pay” litigation; and an analysis of the recent requirement of “pay ratio disclosure.” In Chapter 7, updated material on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) issues, and on social enterprises such as benefit corporations and Certified B Corporations. In Chapter 8, a new discussion of the role and relationship to corporate counsel, of the chief compliance officer. Professors and students will benefit from: References to more than 200 newly added decisions. Identification of hundreds of intriguing topics for papers and/or blogs. Comparisons and contrasts of the governance practices supported by institutional investors, proxy advisors, and stock exchanges. A practice-ready, drafting-oriented approach to the systems, structures, and strategies of corporate governance.

This research handbook provides a state-of-the-art perspective on how corporate governance differs between countries around the world. It covers highly topical issues including corporate purpose, corporate social responsibility and shareholder activism.

Global in scope and written by leading scholars in the field, the Research Handbook on Mergers and Acquisitions is a modern-day survey of the state of M&A. Its chapters explore the history of mergers and acquisitions and also consider the theory behind the structure of modern transaction documentation. The book also address other key M&A issues, such as takeover defenses; judges and practitioners' perspectives on litigation; the appraisal remedy and other aspects of Federal and state law, as well as M&A considerations in the structure of start-ups. This Handbook will be an invaluable resource for scholars, practitioners, judges and legislators.

Hedge Fund Activism begins with a brief outline of the research literature and describes datasets on hedge fund activism.

Revised edition of the authors' Managing business ethics, [2014]

Many of the world's most successful businesses are family owned. With this comes the threat of family bust-ups, sibling rivalry and petty jealousies. Family Wars takes you behind the scenes on a rollercoaster ride through the ups and downs of some of the biggest family-run companies in the world, showing how family in-fighting has threatened to bring about their downfall. Whether it's the Redstone's courtroom battles or the feud over Henry Ford's reluctance to let go of the reigns, the book reveals the origins, the extent and the final resolution of some of the most famous family feuds in recent history. Names you'll recognise include: the Gallo Family; the Guinness story; the Pathak family; and the Gucci family. An astonishing exposé of the way families do business and how arguments can threaten to blow a business apart, Family Wars also offers valuable advice on how such problems can be contained and solved.