With each passing day, the 2026 proxy season gets more interesting (and not in a positive way for proxy advisory firms). On December 8, 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order (the “Executive Order”) addressing the influence that proxy advisors “wield” to promote “radical politically-motivated agendas” (read more here). The Executive Order instructed
Proxy Advisors
Executive Order Targets Proxy Advisors and Related DEI & ESG Policies
By Gilat Abraham Zaefen & Carlos E. Juarez on
On December 11, 2025, the President signed an Executive Order titled “Protecting American Investors from Foreign-Owned and Politically-Motivated Proxy Advisors” (the “EO”). The EO focuses on the influence of proxy advisory firms, specifically Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) and Glass, Lewis & Co. (“Glass Lewis”). According to the EO, ISS and Glass Lewis control over 90%…
ISS Announces 2026 Benchmark Proxy Voting Guidelines
By Liz Walsh on
In November 2025, ISS Governance (“ISS”) announced its global Benchmark Proxy Voting Guidelines for shareholder meetings with dates on or after February 1, 2026. Consistent with prior years, the 2026 updates were derived from extensive outreach to institutional investors, companies and other affiliated organizations. According to ISS, its proxy voting guidelines “are guided by the…
Open Now: Survey on Shareholder Proposals
By Anna T. Pinedo & Carlos E. Juarez on
The John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, in coalition with several major industry organizations, seeks to gather practical insights from companies, investors, and related professionals about the scope and effectiveness of the current federal shareholder proposal rule (Rule 14a-8) through a new survey.
Recent remarks from the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission…