Archive
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Esperion names general counsel
Benjamin Looker previously worked at Trillium Therapeutics Twenty new companies are being added to an index that focuses on the world’s most transparent companies, while 20 existing holdings are coming out. The Transparency Index, which aims to track the top 100 companies for openness and accountability, is updating its constituents for 2022, according to CNBC. Companies entering the index include exchange group Cboe Global Markets, education publisher Pearson and online gaming platform Roblox, the business news service reports. Nike, Zillow and Zoom Video Communications are among the issuers dropping out. The index monitors companies across factors such as internal transparency…
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NetApp general counsel takes on CLO role
Tech company splits legal and strategy positions Nasdaq-listed tech company NetApp has promoted Elizabeth O’Callahan to the position of chief legal officer and general counsel. She was previously senior vice president and general counsel, reporting to Matt Fawcett in his role as chief strategy and legal officer. NetApp says in announcing the change: ‘Given the company’s strong growth trajectory, NetApp is decoupling its strategy and legal teams, enabling Fawcett to have a dedicated focus on accelerating the next phase of NetApp’s evolution as chief strategy officer.’ O’Callahan and Fawcett now report to NetApp CEO George Kurian. O’Callahan is also NetApp’s…
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The week in GRC: Investors urge focus on global access to Covid-19 vaccine and Wells Fargo risk chief to retire
This week’s governance, compliance and risk-management stories from around the web – The Wall Street Journal reported that the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) plans to propose new rules on how companies disclose expenses. It also plans to propose important changes to its long-term agenda this year. FASB in recent months has received more than 500 letters in which companies, investors, academics and other stakeholders shared their opinions on what it should focus on. Many finance executives and investors want it to write rules on how to account for cryptocurrency assets and on financial instruments tied to ESG issues. In…
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Apple set to face proposals on apps and forced labor
Proponents refer to concerns over Chinese government actions Shareholders appear set to vote at Apple’s 2022 AGM on proposals falling under the ‘social’ element of ESG issues – including on government repression and employment transparency – after the SEC denied the company’s requests to greenlight their exclusion. Among the measures at issue, Azzad Asset Management has filed a proposal requesting that Apple’s board revise the company’s transparency reports ‘to provide clear explanations of the number and categories of app removals from the App Store, in response to or in anticipation of government requests, that may reasonably be expected to limit…
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Micron appoints next general counsel
Rob Beard has been with the company since 2014 What happens when a company’s case goes to the US Supreme Court? How does it influence stock and options prices? And do investors price their anticipation of the outcome into these markets? While cases surrounding public companies often do not make it to the Supreme Court, it is well understood that those that do must be important, such as Apple’s antitrust case (Apple vs Pepper), eBay vs MercExchange, Mobil Oil vs Federal Power Commission, Walmart vs Dukes and Microsoft vs Baker. Academics, non-academics, the popular press and citizens frequently speculate and…
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Can markets predict Supreme Court rulings for corporate cases?
Researchers examine every Supreme Court case involving at least one public company between 1946 and 2018 Micron Technology has promoted Rob Beard to become senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for the computer data storage company. In his new role Beard heads up Micron’s global legal, intellectual property and compliance and ethics functions. He succeeds Joel Poppen, who is retiring after more than 26 years with the company, during which time he has been Micron’s senior vice president of legal affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary since 2013. Poppen will stay at Micron as a special adviser until…
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The 2022 outlook: What’s on the (proxy) cards this year?
Coming year set to be marked by ESG yet again, says Okapi Partners Over the past two years, the pandemic and other large-scale events have altered the landscape in which public companies operate. These companies have been put to the test on how they are managing risks and opportunities throughout this period, especially as it relates to ESG practices. Such factors are being scrutinized by shareholders, who are using the power of their votes to push for progress in this area. Many of the largest institutional investors have taken a comprehensive view of the micro and macro-level risks that threaten…
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Disney hires new general counsel
Horacio Gutierrez to join company from Spotify The Walt Disney Company has hired Horacio Gutierrez as senior executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, effective February 1. Gutierrez will join Disney having previously worked at Spotify as head of global affairs and chief legal officer. He will succeed Alan Braverman – who is retiring after nearly two decades as general counsel – and report to CEO Bob Chapek. Gutierrez’s areas of responsibility will include litigation, compliance, transactional law, securities law, regulatory matters, privacy protection, global ethics and patent, copyright and trademark issues. At Spotify, he led a team of…
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DoorDash names general counsel
Tia Sherringham is currently vice president for legal with the food delivery company DoorDash is promoting Tia Sherringham to become general counsel, effective January 1. Sherringham is at present vice president for legal with the food delivery company. She joined DoorDash in 2017 as associate general counsel before taking up her current position in 2018. As general counsel, she will continue to oversee the company’s legal team, in addition to its security, IT and enterprise technology functions. She is currently assistant corporate secretary and will become corporate secretary in January. Before joining DoorDash, Sherringham was a founding member of Instacart’s…
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Tech talk: Perks programs seek to connect companies with retail investors
Historically, retail investors have played the poor relation to their richer institutional investor counterparts when it comes to attention from companies they invest in. But new programs providing incentives to reward retail investors are leveling the playing field The rise of retail investors has been well publicized recently but this rise has only exacerbated the reasons why most firms concentrate on institutional investors. While institutional investors are similar in nature, fewer in number and invest higher amounts, the reverse is often true for the retail investor. Communicating effectively with retail investors means communicating with a large and fragmented audience that…