News
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Disney’s top lawyer extends contract
Horacio Gutierrez also changes title The Walt Disney Company’s top lawyer, Horacio Gutierrez, has agreed to extend his time with the company. Gutierrez has been Disney’s senior executive vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer since February 2022. According to an SEC filing made late last month, his employment agreement has been extended to December 31, 2026. The original expiration date could not be determined immediately. As part of the amended agreement, his title has been changed to senior executive vice president, chief legal and compliance officer. He will continue to report solely and directly to the company’s CEO,…
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Walmart hires former WWE general counsel
Beth Collins has also worked at Caterpillar and the DoJ Beth Collins has joined Walmart as senior vice president and chief counsel for regulatory and specialty legal. In a Walmart notice to employees, Rachel Brand, executive vice president for global governance, chief legal officer and corporate secretary, says Collins will lead members of Walmart’s legal team specializing in health and wellness, financial services, labor and employment, antitrust and regulatory specialties such as environmental health & safety, trade, food safety, product safety and alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives. According to her LinkedIn profile, Collins was previously senior vice president, general counsel…
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Just 7 percent of boards turn assessment into action, finds Nasdaq research
Finding is ‘incongruent’ with purpose of an evaluation, says expert Fewer than one in 10 (7 percent) of board evaluations result in specific action plans to address opportunities, risks and weaknesses, according to findings from the Nasdaq 2023 Global Governance Pulse report, which shares insights from a global survey of more than 730 board members, executives and governance professionals across organizations and industries globally. This is despite more than 90 percent of boards conducting some form of evaluation. ‘The finding is surprising,’ says Kaley Childs Karaffa, head of board advisory for the Americas at Nasdaq and lead author of the…
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AIG names new general counsel after succession change
Patricia Walsh had been announced as taking on the role but decided to stay at Stripe, according to AIG – Reuters (paywall) reported that activist investor Elliott Investment Management said it was ready to nominate directors at Crown Castle International and push for the removal of the company’s executives and board members. The hedge fund firm said in a letter that the company needs ‘comprehensive leadership change’ and that it was ready to appeal to other shareholders to make changes to the 12-member board. It also wants the company to review its fiber strategy, including considering a possible sale of…
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What to expect in enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act
Penalties can be severe, with senior officers and in-house lawyers likely to be targets, say Olivia Radics and Jamie Schafer Beginning January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) will require most entities formed in the US to disclose information relating to their owners, officers and control persons – known as beneficial ownership information (BOI) – to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The CTA, a sweeping law that received broad bipartisan support at its passage in 2021, aims to enhance transparency about ownership of corporate structures in the US and thereby strengthen the federal government’s efforts to combat money…
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How boards can help manage AI risks and opportunities
Rich Harper and Travis Wofford explain steps boards can take to help their company make the best of the new technology, including paying attention to D&O liability Governance professionals recently gathered at the Corporate Secretary Forum – Winter in New York, hosted by Governance Intelligence, for discussions highlighting the variety of challenges they face in the coming year and offering practical solutions. An array of experts, both on panels and in the audience, shared their insights on areas such as boards’ agendas for 2024, preparing next year’s proxy statements, risks facing companies in 2024, building a successful team of directors…
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Getting boards ready for 2024
Experts share their thoughts on a range of topics from board diversity to AI at Governance Intelligence event ‘Cautiously optimistic’ was a phrase used around the event hall at this year’s M&A Forum, co-hosted by Governance Intelligence and IR Magazine in New York. The term reflects a perspective that 2024 will see improvements in M&A activity compared with 2023 despite geopolitical and other headwinds, according to panelists at the event, held on November 7. The event brought together corporate governance, corporate development and investor relations professionals to discuss how to prepare for 2024 and what measures to take when learning…
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HPE and Blackbaud named best governance teams at Corporate Governance Awards
Winners of Governance Intelligence’s 16th annual Corporate Governance Awards announced at gala ceremony in New York Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Blackbaud last night won two of the top categories at the 16th annual Corporate Governance Awards, hosted by Governance Intelligence (formerly Corporate Secretary). HPE was named governance team of the year (large cap) and Blackbaud received the governance team of the year (small to mid-cap) title. The two companies were presented with their awards at a gala event in New York. The awards ceremony capped two days of events hosted by Governance Intelligence at Governance Live 2023 in New…
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Corporate Secretary is now Governance Intelligence
Our new name recognizes the evolution of the governance profession and our efforts to represent everything you do in everything we do Corporate Secretary welcomes you to our new name, Governance Intelligence. Corporate Secretary was founded in 2002 and today our audience includes a much broader range of professionals than those whose job title is ‘corporate secretary.’ At the same time, their work is becoming more varied, more challenging and more influential than ever before. Governance professionals are at the forefront of industry best practices, whether that’s in reporting on and supporting ESG-based initiatives, helping your board develop better ways…
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Nominees announced for Corporate Governance Awards 2023
Winners to be announced at grand event in New York on November 8 Corporate Secretary is delighted to announce the short-listed nominees for its 16th Corporate Governance Awards. The winners, selected by an independent panel of judges, will be announced at a gala ceremony in New York on Wednesday, November 8. The gala caps two days of special governance-related events hosted by Corporate Secretary: the M&A Forum on November 7 and the Corporate Secretary Forum on November 8. The awards recognize companies’ and individuals’ outstanding achievements in governance, risk and compliance. Submissions were made by and on behalf of a…