Tag archives: Shareholder activism

Look to the future: a tip for analyzing corporate culture in an era of evolving shareholder activism

By Troy Ungerman (Toronto) on April 24, 2018 Posted in Governance and directors' liability, M&A

2018 promises to be a year in which corporate culture will likely become an even more important focal point for investors and activists. There’s no denying that social media has drastically altered the dynamic for public companies. Today, shareholders are increasingly calling upon corporations to take public stances on various social (and sometimes political) issues, … Continue reading

Canadian Securities Administrators are seeking comments on soliciting dealer arrangements

By Trevor Zeyl (Toronto) on April 19, 2018 Posted in Antitrust, competition and regulatory, Governance and directors' liability, M&A

The Canadian Securities Administrators (the “CSA”) have issued CSA Staff Notice 61-303 and Request for Comment – Soliciting Dealer Arrangements (the “Notice”) on the use of soliciting dealer arrangements. “Soliciting dealer arrangements” generally refer to agreements entered into between issuers and investment dealers under which the issuer agrees to pay to the dealers a fee … Continue reading

Shareholder activism in M&A

By Trevor Zeyl (Toronto) on June 22, 2017 Posted in Governance and directors' liability, M&A

As noted by Kingsdale Advisors in a recently published report, corporate directors and their legal advisors continue to pay insufficient attention to shareholder activism in M&A. The authors of the 2017 special report caution that not only have shareholder activists been emboldened by post-financial crisis legislative changes that afford shareholders greater say, but that these investors … Continue reading

What can companies learn from PE sharks?

By Jacob Cawker (Toronto) on April 20, 2016 Posted in Corporate finance, Financial institutions, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences, Technology and innovation

Divestment is one strategy that a corporation can use to unlock funds for future growth and create long‑term shareholder value. According to a recent E&Y study, a successful divestment must meet three criteria: (i) it must create a positive impact on the valuation multiple of the remaining company; (ii) it must generate a sale price … Continue reading

Strong outlook for chemical M&A in 2015

By Leo Wang on May 14, 2015 Posted in Corporate finance, Infrastructure, mining and commodities

2014 was a robust year for global chemical M&A. As in many other industries, low interest rates and plentiful credit boosted global chemical M&A activity, resulting in strong performance in terms of deal flow and deal value compared to 2013. Most notably, in 2014, there were at least 13 acquisitions over US$1 billion in value, … Continue reading

What can private companies learn from shareholder activism? Our top 5 tips for companies and boards

By Andrea Brewer on January 15, 2015 Posted in Corporate finance, Governance and directors' liability

As a new year begins, it is always a good time to take stock of the successes of the past year and look forward to doing even better in 2015. Shareholder activism will continue to be a “hot topic” for publicly listed issuers in 2015, but what lessons from the activism arena translate to companies … Continue reading

Pre-emptive Defensive Tactics Against Dissidents’ Ambush

By guestauthor on March 14, 2012 Posted in Governance and directors' liability

This post was contributed by Walied Soliman, Partner, Norton Rose Canada, and Evelyn Li, Associate, Norton Rose Canada A scan of recent business headlines suggests shareholder activism continues to rise, and even the who’s who of deep-rooted Canadian businesses are not immune. While preparing for the upcoming proxy season, whether or not your company is at … Continue reading