As regulators and investors demand greater board transparency, leadership accountability, and shareholder participation in decision-making, they are holding company leaders to increasingly rigorous standards. Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank, and other major reforms continue to amplify calls for corporate oversight and adherence to fiduciary duties.
We advise public companies on a wide range of governance issues related to policies, structure, executive compensation, and communication with stakeholders—and we defend them and their directors when litigation arises. We closely monitor proposals, legislation, and regulation under the purview of Congress and the SEC and guide company boards and committees on existing and anticipated legal and regulatory requirements.
Our Services
- Board of Director meetings, structure, and succession issues
- Corporate conduct codes and policies
- Disclosure and reporting requirements
- Dispute resolution, including defense of shareholder derivative suits
- Executive compensation and benefits
- Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank compliance
- SEC reporting and enforcement
- Shareholder proposals and proxy matters
- Stock exchange listing requirements
- Internal investigations
- Investor relations and communication
Our public clients are companies in the energy, software, hardware, electronics, biotechnology, utilities, timber and forest products, mining, retail, and restaurant industries. Regardless of the nature of their products and services, all are held to a high standard of oversight and accountability. Our corporate governance attorneys work in tandem with other specialists to ensure our advice is aligned with all of your filing and reporting activities as a public company.
In addition to providing ongoing operations and compliance counsel, we have the experience and expertise to mount a vigorous defense when the government brings an enforcement action or a shareholder files a derivative suit, work that can include internal investigations as well.
We also advise private businesses of all sizes in connection with governance issues. While not subject to many of the regulatory requirements of public companies, private companies often have unique and challenging governance issues that arise from concentrated ownership and competing interests.
