We are pleased to provide you with Gibson Dunn’s ESG Risk, Litigation, and Reporting update covering the following key developments during July 2026. Please click on the links below for further details.
This update provides an overview of shareholder proposals submitted to public companies during the 2026 proxy season, including statistics and notable developments from the staff (the Staff) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on noaction requests and exclusion notices submitted under Rule 14a-8(j) (together, exclusion requests).
Companies continue to be required under Rule 14a-8(j) to notify the SEC when they intend to exclude Rule 14a-8 shareholder proposals from their proxy materials.
Companies evaluating the alternatives would need to consider a number of factors addressed in this update, including investor expectations and any reporting obligations under debt agreements.
In June 2025, The Vanguard Group, Inc. (“VGI”) announced plans to establish two wholly owned U.S. investment advisors, Vanguard Capital Management (“VCM”) and Vanguard Portfolio Management (“VPM”), each of which consists of distinct investment management teams and investment stewardship teams to manage various funds. In early January, Vanguard announced that it had completed this internal…