The 2025 proxy season saw significant developments with respect to proposals calling on companies to disclose information about their political contribution activity and lobbying activity, including an increase in support for political contribution proposals. That stronger support, particularly against the backdrop of reduced support for socially-oriented shareholder proposals, may lead
Continue Reading Is a Political Law Shareholder Proposal Under Your Tree? Strategies for Responding in the New YearCorporate Political Spending Disclosure
Corporate Political Disclosure Shareholder Proposals Draw Surprising Support
Posted in Corporate Political Spending Disclosure
Shareholder proposals on political issues—particularly lobbying spending disclosure and campaign finance issues—have been a common part of the proxy landscape for some time now. This proxy season, proposals seeking greater transparency around corporate political spending had surprising success compared to the past. This alert highlights that, especially given this development…
Continue Reading Corporate Political Disclosure Shareholder Proposals Draw Surprising SupportTips for Responding To Corporate Political Disclosure Shareholder Proposals
By Robert Kelner, Matthew Franker & Zachary G. Parks on
Posted in Corporate Political Spending Disclosure
The contentious 2020 election cycle, debate over hot-button issues, including the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and increased investor focus on ESG matters (as well as criticism of such focus) have led to an increased focus on shareholder proposals requesting disclosure of corporate…
Continue Reading Tips for Responding To Corporate Political Disclosure Shareholder ProposalsRanking of Companies on PoliticalDisclosure Now Expanded to Russell 1000
The CPA-Zicklin Index, which ranks companies’ political disclosure practices, has issued a new
report ranking companies in the Russell 1000 Index. This is a significant expansion of the Index,
which previously only covered companies from the S&P 500. The expansion will impact many
public companies that have not previously been…
House COVID 3.0 Legislation Would Ban Federal Lobbying and Impose Permanent Corporate Political Spending Disclosure Requirements for Aid Recipients
The countless lobbyists urging Congress to include relief for their clients in the third coronavirus legislative package (“COVID 3.0”) currently pending in Congress may soon be unemployed, at least if the House version becomes law.
The Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act (H.R. 6379), proposed by Democrats…
Continue Reading House COVID 3.0 Legislation Would Ban Federal Lobbying and Impose Permanent Corporate Political Spending Disclosure Requirements for Aid Recipients
Interacting with the Government During the Pandemic: Compliance Blind Spots for Corporations and Executives
The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are reverberating in every sector of the global economy, from life sciences to transportation, retail to manufacturing, financial services to sports and entertainment. As federal, state, and local governments attempt to blunt the pandemic’s public health and economic effects, many companies are frantically working…
Continue Reading Interacting with the Government During the Pandemic: Compliance Blind Spots for Corporations and Executives
New Jersey “Dark Money” Disclosure Law Permanently Enjoined
Last year, we blogged about a new and highly restrictive disclosure law in New Jersey that took aim at so-called “dark money” spending by nonprofit and political organizations. In response to a series of lawsuits, a federal court has issued an order permanently prohibiting the state from enforcing the law…
Continue Reading New Jersey “Dark Money” Disclosure Law Permanently Enjoined
New Jersey, Colorado Join Growing List of States Regulating “Dark Money”
By Andrew Garrahan on
So-called “dark money” — political contributions and spending by groups that do not have to disclose their donors — continues to draw the attention of state legislators, with Colorado and New Jersey recently adopting laws that attempt to force some donor disclosure from the groups. They join other states, including…
Continue Reading New Jersey, Colorado Join Growing List of States Regulating “Dark Money”
New Tactic Emerges in Fight to Compel Companies to Disclose So-Called “Dark Money” Contributions
By Zachary G. Parks on
Posted in Corporate Political Spending Disclosure
A new corporate political disclosure trend is coming. For years, those advocating increased corporate political disclosure have looked for ways to force companies to publicly reveal the names and amounts of corporate contributions to so-called “dark money” 501(c)(4) social welfare nonprofits and 501(c)(6) trade associations. To date, these initiatives have…
Continue Reading New Tactic Emerges in Fight to Compel Companies to Disclose So-Called “Dark Money” Contributions
Political Law Potpourri—The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018
By Susan Leahy on
While the din over a possible government shutdown dominated the headlines, political law played a supporting role in the recently enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act (Pub. L. No. 115-141). The content and omissions of the so-called “Omnibus” spending bill will be of interest to political actors in all sectors,…
Continue Reading Political Law Potpourri—The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018