Timothy M. Doyle
Proxy Firms’ Independence Is Undermined by Their Own Shadow Reports
Proxy advisory firms have come under increasing scrutiny in recent months for the disproportionate influence they have over shareholder votes at America’s public companies....
ACCF on President Trump’s Environment Initiatives
Environmental stewardship can go hand in hand with sound, pro-growth energy policy.
President Trump Can Take Additional Steps to Maximize Natural Gas Benefits
President Trump recently signed executive orders that marked an important step forward in letting market forces transform energy production while also reducing carbon emissions. To fully succeed in this effort, the President should reject policies that are inconsistent with the goals of the executive orders.
The fate of Trump’s deregulatory agenda lies in the courts
Compared to previous administrations, Trump has put forth fewer regulations than under either former Presidents Barack Obama or George W. Bush according to a new paper published by the American Council for Capital Formation. And there are some that have suggested that it is actually fewer than any president since they started keeping track back in the 1970s.
Corporate boardrooms need policy ‘rules of the road’
ACCF and Bipartisan Policy Center: As the role of businesses in society evolves, a government rethink is critical
Activist Investing Today Podcast: Doyle Targets Proxy Advisers
The general counsel of the corporate-backed American Council for Capital Formation, spoke to the Activist Investing Today podcast about two new studies the group...
The Realities of Robo-Voting
ACCF Report Finds Numerous Asset Managers Voting in Lockstep with Proxy Advisor Recommendations
Investors: Here’s Your Chance To Influence SEC On Politicized Proxy Process
The Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) roundtable discussion in November on growing concerns around the politicization of the shareholder voting process provides a crucial...
ACCF Submits Comments to the SEC on the Proxy Process
Mr. Brent J. Fields
Secretary
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Re: File Number 4-725; SEC Staff Roundtable on the Proxy Process
Dear Mr. Fields:
The American Council for Capital...
ACCF Applauds SEC Call for Roundtable on the Proxy Process
“The SEC’s rules governing the proxy process are at the center of investor participation in the corporate governance of public companies. The decision to hold a roundtable to gather stakeholder input is an strong signal that the commission is serious about ensuring the concerns of investors are appropriately represented,” said Tim Doyle, General Counsel and Vice President of Policy at the American Council for Capital Formation.
SEC Decision Begins Process of Reforming Corporate Governance
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) should be commended for its decision last week to rescind two previously issued guidance letters that had allowed third-party firms known as “proxy advisors” to wield undue influence over the shareholder proposal process.
The Big Problem With ‘Environmental, Social And Governance’ Investment Ratings? They’re Subjective
Corporate performance on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues have become increasingly significant in how investors evaluate a company. Investors and money managers rely...
Ratings That Don’t Rate: The Subjective World of ESG Ratings Agencies
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As the trend of Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”)1 investing has risen, so too has the influence and relative importance of ESG rating...
Time to Regulate Proxy Advisory Firms
In the world of corporate governance, proxy advisory firms like ISS (Institutional Shareholder Services) and Glass Lewis have become increasingly important. Their role advising...
New Report: Proxy Advisory Firms Operate with Unchecked Power
A new ACCF report finds that proxy advisory firms are currently operating with minimal oversight, making recommendations that materially impact public companies’ proxy outcomes, operations and disclosure requirements.
DOL Guidance on ESG Investment*
While the market from ESG related information and investment strategies has grown in the last few years, investing via these factors, without a show of “substantial increase in economic value of the company,” should be a decision that investors make after careful consideration of the effect on their investment.