• videocam On-Demand Webinar
  • signal_cellular_alt Intermediate
  • card_travel Corporate Law
  • schedule 90 minutes

Shareholder Activism Update: Universal Proxy in Practice, Advance Notice Traps, Activist Tactics

About the Course

Introduction

This webinar will brief in-house and outside counsel on activist campaign design under the universal proxy, Delaware's narrowing parameters on advance notice bylaws, and the 2025 voting landscape—from retail activity to proxy-adviser recommendations. The panel will discuss what has changed, what is still effective, and where boards may get it wrong.

Description

The panel will cover post-Kellner drafting and enforcement of advance notice bylaws (facial vs. as-applied scrutiny; "cloudy day" timing; ripeness), Schedule 13D/13G intent switches (HG Vora), universal proxy mechanics and card design under Rule 14a-19, and solicitation practices.

New retail voting tools boost small-holder turnout, while proxy-advisers' stricter reviews shape institutional votes, so solicitation often hinges on retail mobilization plus adviser messaging.

Listen as our panel discusses these latest developments in shareholder activism, universal proxy, metric analysis, and practical tips for offseason preparedness.

Presented By

Stephen I. Glover
Partner
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Mr. Glover is Co-Chair of the firm's Mergers and Acquisitions Practice.  He has an extensive practice representing public and private companies in complex mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, equity and debt offerings and corporate governance matters. His clients include large public corporations, emerging growth companies and middle market companies in a wide range of industries. He also advises private equity firms, individual investors and others. He is the author or co-author of several books, including M&A Practice Guide; Business Separation Transactions: Spin-Offs, Subsidiary IPOs and Tracking Stock; and Partnerships, Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances. 

Scott Levi
Partner
White & Case LLP

Mr. Levi is a partner in the Firm's Capital Markets Group and a founding member of its Public Company Advisory Group. He counsels management and boards of U.S. publicly traded companies on a day-to-day basis, across issuers ranging widely in size (from S&P 500 companies to micro-caps), industry and home country. In this practice, Mr. Levi advises on corporate governance, compensation disclosure, periodic reporting to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including annual, quarterly and current reports), ongoing compliance with U.S. federal securities laws and the rules of major U.S. stock exchanges, registration statements on Form S-8, proxy advisor/investor policies, board and committee independence, auditor independence and auditor changes, insider trading, Rule 10b5-1 and Regulation FD questions, share repurchase programs, and shareholder activism. In addition, he leads companies through the corporate governance aspects of listing in the United States, including setting up policies and procedures for being a public company. Mr. Levi is expert in the complex beneficial ownership reporting and liability regimes under Sections 13(d) and 16 of the U.S. Exchange Act, and works with investment funds, private equity sponsors, hedge funds, state-owned entities, sovereign wealth funds, and high net-worth individuals, as well as insiders at U.S. companies, on structuring and reporting investments based on these requirements. He also has a track record for successfully assessing and winning securities regulatory rulings and no action requests with the SEC with regard to shareholder proposals under Rule 14a-8 and other regulatory matters. Trained as a general capital markets attorney, Mr. Levi additionally has experience representing issuers and banks in a range of transactions, including registered offerings and Rule 144A/Reg S offerings/liability management.

Oderah C. Nwaeze
Partner
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Mr. Nwaeze is a first-chair trial attorney who helps clients resolve complex corporate and commercial disputes. His practice includes matters involving shareholder rights; actions arising under Delaware General Corporation Law and Delaware common law; lawsuits stemming from mergers, acquisitions and other corporate transactions; and breach of contract matters. Mr. Nwaeze also represents clients in state and federal class actions involving securities laws, statutory and common law fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Credit Information
  • This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.


  • Live Online


    On Demand

Date + Time

  • event

    Thursday, December 18, 2025

  • schedule

    1:00 p.m. ET./10:00 a.m. PT

I. Introduction and background

II. Current activism landscape

III. Universal proxy three years on

IV. Advance notice bylaws after Kellner

V. Ownership disclosure and enforcement

VI. Voting dynamics and retail/adviser communications

VII. Offseason preparedness and settlements

VIII Practitioner takeaways

The panel will discuss these and other key issues:

  • Drafting advance notice bylaws post-Kellner
  • Navigating universal proxy requirements (ballot construction, max-seats disclosure, notice/solicitation thresholds)
  • Spotting 13G to 13D triggers and advising on timing/communications to avoid enforcement risk
  • Adjust solicitation strategy for retail vote and evolving proxy-adviser communications
  • Building a realistic offseason engagement and settlement playbook