The coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on corporate governance, including annual shareholder meetings. Large numbers of companies are moving their annual meetings online this year for health and safety reasons. The question presented by the Covid-19 response is whether the surge in virtual-only meetings is a one-time emergency response or a permanent shift in shareholder engagement.
State Nuts and Bolts
Shareholder meeting requirements come from state law. The Securities and Exchange Commission does not require annual meetings, and the major exchange rules do not require any particular meeting form. Issuers must look to their particular state law provisions ...