On March 27th, SEC commissioner Daniel M. Gallagher’s delivered the keynote address at the 26th Annual Corporate Law Institute  at Tulane University Law School.  Addressing the intersection of governance and securities disclosure, Commissioner’s Gallagher’s remarks (available here) are summarized below:

Dodd Frank increased the federalization of corporate law.

“This mandated intrusion into corporate governance will impose substantial compliance costs on companies, along with a one-size-fits-all approach that will likely result in a one-size-fits-none model instead.”

Shareholder proposals are costly, problematic and used by only a small group of shareholders with particular interests and agendas that may not be alligned with other shareholders. Citing first to the 41% increase in shareholder proposals post Dodd-Frank, and the meager 7% passage rate, Commission Gallagher outlined which shareholders use the proposal process and the punch line is that only 1% are brought by ordinary institutional investors.

  • 34% are from organized labor;
  • 25% are from social, policy or religious institutions; and
  • 24% of the proposals were brought by just two individuals whom the Commissioner described as “corporate gadflies.”

The shareholder proposal process should be reformed by narrowing the scope of those eligible to bring proposals and the subject matter of the proposals.

  • Increase holding amounts and time (specifics not provided);
  • Clarify the application guidelines for the “ordinary business operations” exclusion and the “significant policy issue” exception to the exclusion;
  • Have commissioners vote on exclusions, not leave it to the staff;
  • Create greater authority to exclude misstatements; and
  • Substantially strengthen resubmission thresholds (suggesting a three strikes you are out rule).

While not a heading of the remarks, another clear take away is the Commissioner’s stance against viewing climate change as a serious policy issue and that conflict mineral reports do not “provide investors with the information they need to make informed investment decisions.” To further this point, he discredited third parties, like the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, as having no role in shaping disclosure requirements.

You should read the full remarks, if nothing else, for this line: “Mike D. of the Beastie Boys—who, by helping to bring the proposal to a vote, at least succeeded in his fight for the right to proxy.”