The Deal, June 22, 2020 interview of Lawrence Hamermesh: "Activist Investing Today: Hamermesh on Icahn, Bylaws and Insider Votes" [Authoritative observations concerning dissident shareholder rights]

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Authoritative observations concerning dissident shareholder rights

The article and podcast below from The Deal, which has been a private subscription service of Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC since the beginning of 2019, is provided to Forum participants with permission of the editor.

Note: Lawrence Hamermesh, the subject of the interview below, has been an invited expert to guide consideration of policies in the Forum's public programs addressing Electronic Participation in Shareholder Meetings and Fair Investor Access.

Source: The Deal, June 22, 2020 interview

Ronald Orol, Senior Editor

Activism

Activist Investing Today: Hamermesh on Icahn, Bylaws and Insider Votes

By Ronald Orol | Published: June 22nd, 2020

Delaware law and corporate governance expert Lawrence Hamermesh offers his thoughts on activist books and record requests, company advanced-notice bylaw litigation victories and more.

There isn’t much clarity in Delaware law about whether activist hedge funds should get access to corporate books and records when seeking to bolster their dissident director election contests.

That’s the view of Widener University professor emeritus Lawrence Hamermesh, who spoke with The Deal for its Activist Investing Today podcast about what the Delaware Supreme Court might be thinking about as it considers billionaire insurgent Carl Icahn’s request for private communications at target Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY).

“I can’t remember a case that squarely raised the issue of, ‘How about being allowed to dig into a transaction where there is a legitimate difference in views as a business matter but not a claim of wrongdoing?'” Hamermesh said. “Is that fair game, to dig into [books and records] in aid of a proxy contest? It isn’t very clear.”

In addition to books and records litigation, Hamermesh explained why he thinks two recent Delaware court decisions are a big positive for corporate advanced-notice bylaws as well as why he believes sunset provisions for insider-controlled share voting structures come with their own problems.

The Deal · Activist Investing Today: Hamermesh on Icahn, Bylaws and Insider Votes

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