DealLawyers.com Blog

July 21, 2009

Sleepers in the SEC’s Proposals?

When the SEC puts out a big proposal, there inevitably are some sleepers because that’s the way of the world. I recently received this note from a member about the SEC’s recent proxy solicitation proposals:

There are some potent changes in the proposed proxy amendments that will generally make contests easier to conduct. One amendment codifies a recent no-action letter to Carl Icahn that allows insurgents to include nominees of other insurgents on their proxy cards.

And the amendments also overrule a 2004 case (i.e. Mony Group v. Highfields Capital Management) where a court ruled that a shareholder conducting an exempt solicitation can’t send shareholders management’s proxy card and encourage them to vote as suggested by the insurgent.