The Rise of the Working-Class Shareholder


Book Description

“Riveting . . . contributes wonderfully to a new and ongoing conversation about inequality, dark money, and populism in the electorate.” —Mehrsa Baradaran, author of The Color of Money When Steven Burd, CEO of the supermarket chain Safeway, cut wages and benefits, starting a five-month strike by 59,000 unionized workers, he was confident he would win. But where traditional labor action failed, a new approach was more successful. With the aid of the California Public Employees' Retirement System, a $300 billion pension fund, workers led a shareholder revolt that unseated three of Burd’s boardroom allies. In The Rise of the Working-Class Shareholder: Labor’s Last Best Weapon, David Webber uses cases such as Safeway’s to shine a light on labor’s most potent remaining weapon: its multitrillion-dollar pension funds. Outmaneuvered at the bargaining table and under constant assault in Washington, statehouses, and the courts, worker organizations are beginning to exercise muscle through markets. Shareholder activism has been used to divest from anti-labor companies, gun makers, and tobacco; diversify corporate boards; support Occupy Wall Street; force global warming onto the corporate agenda; create jobs; and challenge outlandish CEO pay. Webber argues that workers have found in labor’s capital a potent strategy against their exploiters. He explains the tactic’s surmountable difficulties even as he cautions that corporate interests are already working to deny labor’s access to this powerful and underused tool. The Rise of the Working-Class Shareholder is a rare good-news story for American workers, an opportunity hiding in plain sight. Combining legal rigor with inspiring narratives of labor victory, Webber shows how workers can wield their own capital to reclaim their strength. “Weaves narratives of activist campaigns (pension fund administrators, union staffers, and government comptrollers are the book’s unlikely heroes) with fine-grained analysis of the relevant legal and financial concepts in accessible prose.” —Publishers Weekly




Stanford Law Review: Volume 64, Issue 6 - June 2012


Book Description

A leading law journal features a digital edition as part of its worldwide distribution, using quality ebook formatting. This June 2012 issue of the Stanford Law Review (the last for the academic year) contains studies of law, economics, and social policy by recognized scholars on diverse topics of interest to the academic and professional community. Contents for the issue include: "Beyond DOMA: Choice of State Law in Federal Statutes" William Baude "Does Shareholder Proxy Access Damage Share Value in Small Publicly Traded Companies?" Thomas Stratmann & J.W. Verret Book Review, "Infringement Conflation" Peter S. Menell Note, "Pinching the President's Prosecutorial Prerogative: Can Congress Use Its Purse Power to Block Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s Transfer to the United States?" Nicolas L. Martinez Note, "The American Jury: Can Noncitizens Still Be Excluded?" Amy R. Motomura In the ebook edition, all the footnotes, graphs, and tables of contents (including those for individual articles) are fully linked, properly scalable, and functional; the original note numbering is retained. Also, the URLs in notes are active; and the issue is properly formatted for ereaders.




Hedge Fund Activism


Book Description

Hedge Fund Activism begins with a brief outline of the research literature and describes datasets on hedge fund activism.




The Shareholder Value Myth


Book Description

An in-depth look at the trouble with shareholder value thinking and at better options for models of corporate purpose. Executives, investors, and the business press routinely chant the mantra that corporations are required to “maximize shareholder value.” In this pathbreaking book, renowned corporate expert Lynn Stout debunks the myth that corporate law mandates shareholder primacy. Stout shows how shareholder value thinking endangers not only investors but the rest of us as well, leading managers to focus myopically on short-term earnings; discouraging investment and innovation; harming employees, customers, and communities; and causing companies to indulge in reckless, sociopathic, and irresponsible behaviors. And she looks at new models of corporate purpose that better serve the needs of investors, corporations, and society. “A must-read for managers, directors, and policymakers interested in getting America back in the business of creating real value for the long term.” —Constance E. Bagley, professor, Yale School of Management; president, Academy of Legal Studies in Business; and author of Managers and the Legal Environment and Winning Legally “A compelling call for radically changing the way business is done... The Shareholder Value Myth powerfully demonstrates both the dangers of the shareholder value rule and the falseness of its alleged legal necessity.” —Joel Bakan, professor, The University of British Columbia, and author of the book and film The Corporation “Lynn Stout has a keen mind, a sharp pen, and an unbending sense of fearlessness. Her book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the root causes of the current financial calamity.” —Jack Willoughby, senior editor, Barron’s “Lynn Stout offers a new vision of good corporate governance that serves investors, firms, and the American economy.” —Judy Samuelson, executive director, Business and Society Program, The Aspen Institute







Florida Law Review


Book Description




Corporate Governance and Shareholder Empowerment


Book Description




Quality Shareholders


Book Description

Anyone can buy stock in a public company, but not all shareholders are equally committed to a company’s long-term success. In an increasingly fragmented financial world, shareholders’ attitudes toward the companies in which they invest vary widely, from time horizon to conviction. Faced with indexers, short-term traders, and activists, it is more important than ever for businesses to ensure that their shareholders are dedicated to their missions. Today’s companies need “quality shareholders,” as Warren Buffett called those who “load up and stick around,” or buy large stakes and hold for long periods. Lawrence A. Cunningham offers an expert guide to the benefits of attracting and keeping quality shareholders. He demonstrates that a high density of dedicated long-term shareholders results in numerous comparative and competitive advantages for companies and their managers, including a longer runway to execute business strategy and a loyal cohort against adversity. Cunningham explores dozens of corporate practices and policies—such as rational capital allocation, long-term performance metrics, and a shareholder orientation—that can help shape the shareholder base and bring in committed owners. Focusing on the benefits for corporations and their investors, he reveals what draws quality shareholders to certain companies and what it means to have them in an investor base. This book is vital reading for investors, executives, and directors seeking to understand and attract the kind of shareholders that their companies need.




A Practical Guide to SEC Proxy and Compensation Rules


Book Description

Written by leading authorities, the Second Edition of A Practical Guide to SEC Proxy and Compensation Rules provides expert analysis and valuable tips and pointers on everything you need to know to master the proxy process and ensure compliance with the SEC's rules. You get comprehensive guidance on such essential issues as: Preparing the executive compensation tables and compensation committee report -- plus examples and the full text reports of seven companies -- Explanations of the FASB rules on accounting for stock options -- Discussions on the requirements necessary to ensure the tax deductibility of executive compensation under IRC Section 162(m) -- Descriptions of the disclosure requirements for a company seeking shareholder approval of certain employee benefit plans -- Analysis of institutional activism under the proxy rules -- And much more. Insightful analysis throughout this guide of how companies have responded to the SEC regulations and on the positions taken by the SEC will help you prepare day-to-day disclosures as well as long-range plans. Valuable appendixes contain SEC and DOL releases, rules and regulations.