Articles | Optimizer Online

FOUR TOP ISSUES TO WATCH OUT FOR IN THE 2026 AGM SEASON

If you haven’t yet had a chance to listen to the Timely Takes Podcast from TheCorporateCousel.net, moderated by Meredith Ervine and featuring your co-editors, it is still not too late to listen, learn – and prepare. First, as noted (and see below for more details)...

MAJOR PROXY SOLICITORS WILL RECOMMEND OUR “VOTES HAVE VALUE” BOOKLET TO CLIENTS THIS SEASON

The OPTIMIZER is very pleased to announce that many of the best proxy solicitation firms will be recommending to clients that they use our educational booklet, “Shareholder Votes Have Value”© this season as part of the overall 2026 campaign - especially those with...

THE RISKS OF LAWSUITS FROM “DISSED PROPONENTS” ARE REAL ONES, ISSUERS: DON’T LET MORE SHAREHOLDER DOLLARS GO TO WASTE, WE SAY, BUT STAND FIRM IF A PROPOSAL IS WEAK

The ink was hardly dry on the SEC release on no no-action letters when three thwarted proponents went to court to seek relief, as we predicted many would do. Four NYC public pension funds sued AT&T in New York federal court over its decision to exclude a workforce...

No Quorums At Meetings Because Directors Failed To Vote: Our Tips To Fix

As noted here earlier, there was a very noticeable decline in the number of companies that had to adjourn their Shareholder Meetings in first-half 2023 for lack of a quorum on the appointed date and time. At two of the Meetings where our Inspectors of Election served,...

Commissioner To The SEC On Notice & Access – “Fix It Or Scrap It!” Shouldn’t It Be: “Beneficial Shareholder Voting – Fix It First”?

2009, 2009 Supplement, Compliance & Ethics, Issues, Proxy

By T.L. Montrone, Chairman, President and CEO of Registrar and Transfer Company The SEC solicited comments on ways to improve Notice and Access (“N&A”) through a proposed rule-making published earlier this year. Concerned with the drastically reduced retail...

Failing Grades For The Pay Czar: “F’d” For Sure:

2009, 2009 Q3, Abandoned Property, Issues

In our last issue we opined that a Pay-Czar was “probably NOT a good thing”…and his recent actions have proven us right

Escheat Due Diligence: The Value Of Staying Connected

2009, 2009 Supplement, Abandoned Property, Best & Worst Practices, Compliance & Ethics, Issues

Recent developments have underscored the value of “staying connected” to shareholders in an attempt to prevent escheatment or preserve the immunity granted by states when a corporation or its transfer agent escheats securities to a state as unclaimed property.

Proxy Management – At Its Best

2009, 2009 Supplement, Interviews, Issues, Proxy

An Interview With Michael Mackey, Managing Partner, Alliance Advisors, LLC

Technology… Trust… And The Need To “Stay Connected” As We Look Toward 2010

2009, 2009 Supplement, Interviews, Investor Relations, Issues

Our Annual Interview With Ellen Philip, Of Ellen Philip Associates.

King Of The Community Proxy Fight

2009, 2009 Supplement, Interviews, Issues, Proxy

An Interview With Artie Regan Of Regan & Associates, Inc.

Some Special Advice For CFOs – And For Small And Mid-Cap Companies – On “Engaging” Investors, And On The Rules Of Engagement… And On The Important Dos And Don’ts When It Comes To Being Prepared For A Potentially Unfriendly Approach By One Or More Investors…

2009, 2009 Supplement, Activist Investors, Best & Worst Practices, Interviews, Investor Relations, Issues

An interview with Bruce Goldfarb, President & CEO and Patrick McHugh, Senior Managing Director of Okapi Partners

Proxy Access? A Lot Of Very Smart People Talking About A Very Stupid Issue.

2009, 2009 Supplement, Activist Investors, Interviews, Issues

An Interview With Ed Durkin, Director, Corporate Affairs Department, United Brotherhood Of Carpenters

Wells Fargo Shareowner Services

2009, 2009 Supplement, Interviews, Investor Relations, Issues, Transfer Agents

An Interview With Katie Sevcik And Deb O’Donnell

Computershare – Integrated Value

2009, 2009 Supplement, Interviews, Investor Relations, Issues

An Interview With Jay Mchale, President, US Equity Services, Computershare

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

Podcast Alert: Annual Meeting Season 2026 — Expert Advice from Carl & Peder Hagberg

Carl and Peder Hagberg of The Shareholder Service OPTIMIZER join Meredith Ervine from TheCorporateCounsel.net to discuss proxy season risks, virtual meetings, and shareholder engagement for 2026.

Listen to hear their insights on this year’s annual meeting season.