News
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A career of influence: Hope Mehlman’s enduring legacy in corporate governance
Chief legal and corporate affairs officer at Ally Financial awarded the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her contributions to the industry Hope Mehlman, chief legal and corporate affairs officer at Ally Financial, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award – a recognition that honors her enduring commitment to the practice and principles of corporate governance. The award reflects not only her personal accomplishments but also the collaborative nature of her journey. ‘It is deeply meaningful to me,’ says Mehlman. ‘I feel really honored and humbled to be recognized. This really is a crown jewel…
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The week in GRC: ExxonMobil gets pushback on retail investor voting plan as Trump calls for Microsoft legal chief to exit
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web – Shareholder advocacy groups As You Sow and ICCR have filed a formal letter with the SEC requesting that it rescind its no-action relief allowing ExxonMobil to implement its proposed Retail Voting Program. The scheme would allow retail shareholders to automatically vote in line with the board’s recommendations at annual meetings, aiming to counter activist shareholder campaigns. In the letter, the groups argue that the program may result in many retail votes being automatically cast in favor of management – unless shareholders actively opt out or override – effectively…
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Preparing the board for 2026: More than half of directors want a peer replaced, survey finds
The boardroom has reached a new inflection point – directors need to level up or risk being left behind. Boards must be braced for significant change and radically rethink their skills coverage, according to a recent survey that suggests that more than half – 55 percent – of directors at listed US companies believe that at least one of their peers should be replaced. The findings PwC’s 2025 annual survey of 600 public company directors, collected in its report titled Driving a culture of accountability in the boardroom, paint a clear picture: many boards are not yet positioned to meet…
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People moves: Michael Kaplan rejoins StandardAero as legal chief as Jenifer Kamocsay moves over to Carlsmed
Plus, Trane Technologies and Everest Group appoint new general counsel NYSE-listed aviation firm StandardAero has confirmed that Michael Kaplan will rejoin the company as chief legal officer, effective as of October 6. Kaplan formerly served as SVP, general counsel, chief security officer and secretary at the company and is returning to succeed Steve Sinquefield, who is retiring after holding the position for more than ten years. Before rejoining StandardAero, Kaplan served as senior counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright. He also spent more than ten years as chief legal officer at MDC Holdings and Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. ‘We are delighted…
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Where were the directors? Why investors want to know how boards act in a corporate scandal
How much blame does the board bear when corporate wrongdoing comes to light? When a corporate scandal breaks, the first question investors ask isWhere were the directors?This phrase was coined by Peter Dey in 1994 when he leda report on how to improve corporate governance practicesat Canadian listed companies. Corporate scandals have always existed and many stem from weak corporate governance, often caused by a lack of communication, insufficient internal controls or a very lax attitude towards potential problems. In 2024, the US administration criticized Boeing’s board forfailing to adequately supervise the safety procedures of its aircraft, following several accidents…
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The week in GRC: Disney shareholders demand answers over Jimmy Kimmel suspension as SEC clarifies position on quarterly reporting
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web —Disney shareholders, including groups like the American Federation of Teachers and Reporters Without Borders, have formally demanded that the entertainment giant produce internal records related to the decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s TV show. As reported by the New York Post, the groups are requesting board minutes, internal communications involving CEO Bob Iger, financial impact analyses and affiliate agreements with networks like Nexstar and Sinclair. In their letter, they argue Disney may have breached its fiduciary duty by giving in to political pressure rather than prioritizing shareholder interests, free…
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When politics enters the lab: What Trump’s Tylenol autism claim means for legal leaders in medicine
Implications for legal leaders in the industry are significant On September 22, President Donald Trump and HHS secretary Robert Kennedy Jr publicly claimed a link between prenatal use of acetaminophen (marketed as Tylenol in the US) and autism. Speaking in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Trump warned: ‘With Tylenol, don’t take it! Don’t take it’. He added that the FDA would begin notifying doctors that the use of acetaminophen ‘can be associated’ with an increased risk of autism. Secretary Kennedy described the move as ‘the first FDA-recognized treatment pathway, informing doctors and families about potential risks, and investing…
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People moves: Paramount Skydance eyes former Trump-era antitrust chief for GC role
Plus Freddie Mac, TD Bank and Power Solutions International expand their governance teams Paramount Skydance, the newly merged media company comprised of Paramount Globaland Skydance, is reportedly in ‘advanced talks’ with Makan Delrahim to join the company as its new general counsel. As reported by The New York Post, Delrahim, the former assistant attorney general for the antitrust division at the Department of Justice (DOJ), has become one of CEO David Ellison’s key advisors over the last few years. Since leaving the DOJ, Delrahim has been a partner at Latham & Watkins, where he leads the firm’s global antitrust and…
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The week in GRC: Texas attorney general Ken Paxton launches proxy advisor investigation as Exon Mobil hatches retail investor voting plan
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web –Earlier this week, Texas attorney general Ken Paxton launched an investigation into Glass Lewis and ISS ‘for potentially misleading institutional investors and public companies by issuing voting recommendations that advance radical political agendas rather than sound financial principles’. Paxton also says that the investigation will determine whether allegations that the firms violated Texas consumer-protection laws, including rules on disclosing material facts, are valid. ‘The two giants routinely issue proxy voting recommendations in conflict with the best financial interests of their fiduciaries. For example, Glass Lewis and ISS instruct their…
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SEC reverses course on mandatory arbitration in IPOs, redrawing investor protections
Major shift underway in how public companies can handle shareholder disputes Recent regulatory changes and shifting investor priorities are redefining how companies engage with shareholders – and how activists wage campaigns. The 2025 proxy season has proven to be a turning point, marked by heightened caution, evolving tactics and a dramatic retreat from previously hard-earned progress in engagement. According to Elizabeth Bieber, partner and head of shareholder engagement and activism defense at Freshfields, much of this upheaval can be traced back to the SEC’s recent guidance related to Regulation 13D-G. Though technically not a rule change, the guidance had an…