Public Company Advisory and Corporate Governance

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We provide comprehensive advice to public and private companies, boards of directors, committees, and shareholders, offering guidance on the complexities of regulatory compliance, corporate governance, and securities laws.

Our team currently serves as regular outside securities and corporate governance counsel to more than 150 public companies and their boards – from newly public companies to S&P 100, FTSE 100, and other large-listed issuers around the world, across a broad range of sectors.

We advise public companies and their boards on all aspects of compliance with applicable securities laws, stock exchange listing standards, corporate law, as well as crisis situations and strategic matters. Our familiarity with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other regulators and stock exchanges around the world enables us to anticipate their requirements, helping clients navigate review processes and day-to-day compliance. In the U.S., several members from our team previously held high-level positions within the SEC.

We have extensive experience advising on all types of corporate governance matters, including board and committee structures, board and executive compensation, investor relations, shareholder engagement initiatives, shareholder activism, shareholder proposals, annual meetings, board self-assessments, and compliance with stock exchange listing standards, including director independence and shareholder approval requirements. We also have deep knowledge of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) obligations and priorities.

We can help you with day-to-day matters as well as strategic and special situations. Our team can assist you with keeping management and boards informed and prepared, making sure that risk is effectively assessed and managed. We will consistently provide workable solutions to complex business issues.

Our exceptional blend of deep legal understanding, practical judgment, and industry experience empowers clients to confidently meet their reporting, compliance, and governance objectives.

Financial Reporting

Beneficial Ownership Reporting

Proxy Solicitations, Shareholder Meetings and Shareholder Proposals

Executive Compensation Governance and Reporting

Shareholder Activism and Engagement

We have exceptional experience of advising publicly traded companies on their disclosure, reporting and compliance obligations. We represent public companies and their boards of directors on complying with federal securities laws, including SEC reporting requirements, annual meetings, and proxy-related matters, as well as insider trading and compensation disclosures. Present in all major financial centers, we advise foreign private issuers on compliance with U.S. reporting requirements and advise on disclosure, reporting and compliance requirements arising from listings around the world.

We provide pragmatic, commercially-oriented advice on changing rules and regulations, enabling clients to stay ahead of emerging disclosure trends and manage risk. Some of the most recognizable companies globally trust us with their annual, quarterly, and periodic reporting. We provide valuable assistance in ensuring compliance with complex listing requirements when executing transactions and implementing corporate strategies.

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Accounting and auditing standards are complex and continually evolving, and our securities lawyers guide companies through complex financial reporting questions, both at the initial public offering (IPO) stage and when preparing or addressing comments on periodic financial reports.

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Our U.S. securities lawyers advise companies, directors, officers, insiders, and significant shareholders on compliance with beneficial ownership reporting and compliance obligations, including under Section 16 of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We guide clients through complex and nuanced reporting requirements, as well as compliance with short-swing profit rules imposed on insider purchase and sale transactions. Our dedicated team frequently interacts with the SEC and has exceptional knowledge of evolving requirements and market practices, providing clients with clear and precise advice.

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Our multidisciplinary team of public company lawyers handles all aspects of proxy solicitations, shareholder meetings, and shareholder proposals. We advise on how to communicate, respond and handle the issues that arise ― on everything from shareholder proposals to contested elections. Our team includes former high-level SEC officials, including a former head of the Office of Mergers and Acquisitions. We guide publicly traded companies through the myriad of SEC rules and regulations, proxy advisory firm guidance, board fiduciary obligations, as well as the corporate law aspects of shareholder meetings. The breadth and depth of our client base ensures that we provide companies with insights into emerging trends and approaches of the SEC and other securities regulators.

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By balancing the complexities of market trends and governance standards, we deliver innovative solutions that achieve client goals. With a seamless approach across our practice areas, we help clients through their most sensitive and high-stakes moments, ensuring their compensation strategies drive organizational success.

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We provide strategic, considered and innovative advice to companies and boards in relation to shareholder activism and engagement with shareholders. Leveraging our multidisciplinary approach that combines expertise in M&A, capital markets, corporate governance, litigation, SEC compliance and crisis management, we deliver bespoke solutions tailored to each client’s needs. Our experienced team is familiar with activist investor strategies and has extensive experience navigating proxy contests, regulatory challenges and settlement negotiations. We proactively collaborate with financial advisors, proxy solicitors, and public relations firms to protect our clients’ corporate strategies and long-term shareholder value. Whether through careful advance planning or decisive responses to an activist situation, our globally integrated team works to ensure successful outcomes, enabling management teams and boards to remain focused on achieving business goals.

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