Summer vacation is over and we are "back in school," which means it is time to start preparing for 2020 proxy season! In addition to determining whether you need to seek stockholder approval of additional shares for your Incentive Stock Plan and verifying whether or not you qualify as a Smaller Reporting Company, among the topics you might want to get out in front of for this season are the following:*

  • Review, revision, and reporting of hedging policies
  • Human Capital for the Compensation Committee
  • Director compensation limits
  • Possible shareholder proposals (the deadline for shareholders to submit proposals ends in December for most companies, which significantly increased in the 2019 season)
  • Issues for companies to consider in recession planning
  • Improving your ESG Scores
  • Mitigation of deductions lost to Code Section 162(m)

I will be speaking on these and other hot topics at the September 10 meeting of NASPP/Twin Cities Compensation Network, and with NASPP stalwarts Art Meyers and Takis Makridis at the Annual Conference in Houston on September 16-19, if you are interested.

Good luck!

*I have posted many blogs on these topics this year, including several over the summer when I received many "bounce-backs" from readers on vacation. You may want to review some or all of the following: Required Human Capital Disclosure – Coming Soon to a Proxy Statement Near You?; Is Anyone Changing Their Compensation Structure to Enhance Deductibility Under Sec. 162(m)?; Company Must Include in Proxy Shareholder Proposal Limiting Future Equity Grants; More on ESG Issues for Compensation Professionals; and Companies Must Review Their Anti-Hedging Policies.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.