It would be an understatement to characterize the presence and use of social media in our daily lives as being ubiquitous in scope and nature. The proliferation of social media venues allows us to communicate and share ideas and opinions in a manner beyond anything that we have experienced in human existence. The casual observer
Cybersecurity Risk Disclosure and Reporting Issuers
Recent computer-security breaches have brought to the forefront the need for enhanced cybersecurity and disclosures surrounding cybersecurity risks.
In response to the growing risks associated with a digitally-linked world, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) issued Staff Notice 11-332 Cybersecurity to review current issues in cybersecurity from a reporting issuer’s point of view. That Staff Notice
Canadian Securities Regulators Publish Final Proxy Voting Protocols to Improve the Proxy Voting Experience
On January 26, 2017, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) published CSA Staff Notice 54-305 Meeting Vote Reconciliation Protocols, which provides guidance for establishing accurate, reliable and accountable meeting vote reconciliation protocols (Protocols). The whole, with the goal of improving the transparency and the quality of shareholder voting and ostensibly, shareholder engagement in publicly traded companies.
The Protocols target key service providers involved in meeting vote reconciliation, namely: CDS, intermediaries (such as bank custodians and investment dealers), the primary intermediary voting agents (such as Broadridge), and transfer agents that act as meeting tabulators (key service providers). The guidance provided by the Protocols addresses the types of operational processes which should be implemented by these key service providers so that they can better work together to improve meeting vote reconciliation. Furthermore, the CSA hope that the Protocols will set the groundwork for paperless voting and information transmission as well as the development of end-to-end voting confirmation capabilities.Continue Reading Canadian Securities Regulators Publish Final Proxy Voting Protocols to Improve the Proxy Voting Experience
The AMF Decides Not to Offer Financial Compensation to Whistleblowers
On February 18, 2016, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) announced that it will not offer financial rewards to whistleblowers who report violations of the laws administered by the AMF. This decision follows careful analysis of the measures implemented by the regulatory organizations of other jurisdictions. The AMF determined that financial rewards were