From the Archive

Last week’s National Investor Relations Institute annual conference was subtitled “Delivering Value Through IR Leadership.” But, in retrospect, it should have been called “Delivering IR Leadership Through Values.” Three years after the end of the longest bull market in history, corporate IR officers seem to have coalesced around a common realization; namely, that restoring trust […]

The following letter was sent to approximately 1,800 companies in CalPERS U.S. equity portfolio on April 15, 2003: Investment Office P.O. Box 2749 Sacramento, CA 95812-2749 Telecommunications Device for the Deaf – (916) 326-3240 (916) 326-3400; FAX (916) 326-3330 April 15, 2003 RE: CalPERS’ actions to ensure: 1) independence of the external auditor; and, 2) […]

As reported in the April 29th edition of Compliance Week, the law firm of Foley Lardner recently published a study that claimed companies can expect the cost of being public to increase by nearly 100 percent. The cause: more rigorous governance compliance, legal fees, D&O insurance, and disclosure requirements, and other costs associated with the […]

Executives at multinational companies may claim that “managing for sustainability” is a top strategic priority, but their companies are not allocating resources at a rate that reflects those values. A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers survey shows that companies expect to increase spending on corporate governance, hiring policies and ethics programs at a far greater pace than social […]

Buried deep in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ most recent Management Barometer survey on M&A activity were some interesting statistics. The survey, which claimed that large U.S. multinational companies expect to increase M&A activity over the next two years, also stated that those acquisitions are getting closer scrutiny. Among the two areas that executives expect to spend more time […]

On January 23, the SEC codified rules imposing an “up-the-ladder” reporting requirement when attorneys become aware of material violations by the officers, directors or employees of thier companies. According to the rule, an attorney must initially report such evidence to the company’s chief legal officer or to both the CLO and chief executive officer. Reporting […]

68-page document from the International Organization of Securities Commissions outlines 30 principles of securities regulation, which are based on three core objectives: the protection of investors; the reduction of systemic risk; and ensuring that markets are fair, efficient and transparent.

In the wake of more rigorous governance compliance and increased disclosure requirements, companies can expect the cost of being public to increase by nearly 100 percent, depending on their size. Estimated costs for middle-market companies, some listed at right, include increased accounting and legal fees, according to the law firm of Foley Lardner, which conducted […]

On April 24, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted to require that reports by insiders disclosing their securities holdings be filed electronically with the SEC. Filing and Posting The Commission voted to mandate the electronic filing of beneficial ownership reports filed by officers, directors and principal security holders under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange […]

Most companies with calendar year-ends are knee deep — or more — in drafting their Form 10-Ks and proxy statements. In light of the incredible level of SEC rulemaking during the past year, it is wise to double-check your set of rules and regulations to ensure they are complete and up-to-date. Romanek Among other new […]