Tag Archives: Dodd-Frank

Tone at the Top: Rebooting Democracy’s Dialogue

The TakeAway: We must hold lawmakers accountable to high standards of statecraft, just as we hold ourselves accountable when engaging on ‘hot button’ issues such as corporate accountability, sustainability, and human rights. It was a high-minded day.  Following a Native … Continue reading

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Dead Hands and Invisible Hands

The TakeAway: The 112th Congress, mindful of the values that underlie the whole Constitution, needs to face up to its responsibility to make policies that advance the common good and a sustainable future. This morning, for the first time ever … Continue reading

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Extractives: Dirty Industries, Clean Standards

The TakeAway: New SEC proposals require ethical health, safety, and human rights due diligence by companies engaged in the extractive industries. Extractive industries are by definition a dirty business, but recent legislation and regulatory moves aim to clean them up … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Political Activity, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Public Policy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Radical Transparency: The Challenge to Sustainability and Democracy

The TakeAway: Reams of information released by WikiLeaks and the Federal Reserve challenge us to rethink our duties to promote sustainable accountability and representative democracy. Debates on the recent WikiLeaks / Federal Reserve data dumps concentrate on the supply side … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability, Interactive Technology, Media & Entertainment, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The $3 Trillion Socially Responsible Investing Market

The TakeAway: Nearly one out of every eight dollars professionally managed in the US employs sustainability criteria, according to the Social Investment Forum SRI Trends Report. As the US economy slumped into the worst recession since the ‘30s over the … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Investing | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Three I’s of Sustainability Reporting’s Future

The TakeAway: The Global Reporting Initiative leads sustainability disclosure into a new era through Integration, Implementation, and Integrity. Around the world, thousands of organizations rely on the GRI Reporting Framework and its multi-stakeholder approach to sustainability reporting covering the range of … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Interactive Technology, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainability Ratings, Sustainable Investing, Web 2.0 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

People Power

The TakeAway: The outcome of Tuesday’s elections will influence public policy on sustainability and financial reform, but individuals can still make a difference. Tomorrow’s elections are expected to yield gains for the Republicans in Congress, which could affect not only … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Change, Corporate Governance, Corporate Political Activity, Corporate Sustainability, Proxy Voting, Public Policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Human Side of Sustainability

The TakeAway: Corporate sustainability thrives on authentic, ethical relationship management and communication skills, especially in digital environments. Progress happens when abstract sets of rules and laws meet real world human behavior.  Yet all too often, the former gets all the … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability, Interactive Technology, Stakeholder Engagement, Web 2.0 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Say-on-Pay: A Bird’s Eye View

The TakeAway: New SEC rules on executive compensation advisory votes take steps toward broader board-shareholder engagement. On Monday afternoon, the SEC proposed rules for Say-on-Pay (shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation) and golden parachutes (big payouts to executives dismissed after … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Investing | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Fat Cats & Pink Slips: The Link Between CEO Pay and Layoffs

The TakeAway: CEO pay rises highest at firms that lead in layoffs, says a new report – a bitter pill to swallow in hard times. During this recession, there’s nothing like excessive CEO pay to get the blood boiling – … Continue reading

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Proxy Access & Shareholder Citizenship: The Quest for Inclusion

The TakeAway: New SEC rule allows shareholders to nominate board candidates, a major victory for corporate democracy. Yesterday was historic: the SEC granted shareholders the power to nominate candidates for board director elections.  The 3-2 vote along party lines ended … Continue reading

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Rules of the Road: Fixing Corporate Governance, and What It Means To You

The past half-year or so has seen a host of corporate governance reforms in the US, which dramatically change the context of corporate power and accountability.  In December 2009, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) set the ball rolling by … Continue reading

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Good Governance: A Perfect Storm

Part Three of Three Parts President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Act into law yesterday, capping an extraordinary period of financial and governance reform, stimulated by the collapse of Lehman Brothers 22 months ago.  You could call it “the end of … Continue reading

Posted in Proxy Voting, Public Policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Voting Matters: Record-Breaking Proxy Season

Part One of Three Parts It’s been a banner year for U.S. capital market reform:  on Wednesday President Obama is expected to sign the Dodd-Frank Act, while the SEC is receiving comments on its Concept Release for improving the process … Continue reading

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Tackling “Corporate-Carditis”: SEC Proposes Quadruple Bypass Surgery on Proxy System

Part Two of a Two-Part Post Yesterday, in a rare expression of unanimity, the five SEC Commissioners all voted to approve a Concept Release that proposes sweeping revisions of the US proxy voting system.  This is akin to quadruple bypass … Continue reading

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Why Dodd-Frank Is Important–For Everyone

This week, Congress returned from  its holiday  break to confront a deep irony:  while millions are desperate for work, the place that brought down our economy is now on a roll.  On the first count, roughly 2.1 million US workers … Continue reading

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The Murninghan Post Launches!

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Murninghan Post, which we’re creating as a gathering place for information, ideas, deliberation, and strategic action on matters pertaining to the reform of our corporate structures and capital markets. The aim is bold … Continue reading

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