Past Events
Tuesday, March 16, 2021, 9:45 AM to 3:00 PM @Webinar :
Co-sponsored with the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)
REGISTER HERE
SESSIONS SCHEDULE HERE
VIEW RECORDING OF THE SYMPOSIUM HERE
VIEW INDIVIDUAL PAPER PRESENTATIONS
In collaboration with the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI), the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance and the Department of Finance at the Lerner College of Business & Economics, at the University of Delaware, will host its 2021 Annual Corporate Governance Symposium. The papers included in the Symposium collectively address new developments and critical issues within the area of ESG:
Morning Session: 10 a.m. – noon (EDT)
- The ESG-Innovation Disconnect: Evidence from Green Patenting
Lauren Cohen (Harvard & NBER) (Presenter), Umit Gurun (UT Dallas) and Quoc Nguyen (DePaul U.)
Discussant: Laura Starks (University of Texas, Austin)
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- Responsible Institutional Investing Around the World
Rajna Brandon (U. Geneva), Simon Glossner (UVA), Philipp Krueger (U. Geneva), Pedro Matos (UVA) (Presenter), Tom Steffen (Osmosis Investment Management)
Discussant: Alexander Dyck (University of Toronto)
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- The Real Effects of Environmental Activist Investing
S. Lakshmi Naaraayanan (LBS), Kunal Sachdeva (Rice U.) (Presenter), Varun Sharma (LBS)
Discussant: Lilian Ng (York University)
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- Coordinated Engagements
Elroy Dimson (U. Cambridge) (Presenter), Oğuzhan Karakaş (U. Cambridge), Xi Li (LSE)
Discussant: Wei Jiang (Columbia University)
Read the Paper
Afternoon Session: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. (EDT)
- The Big Three and Board Gender Diversity: The Effectiveness of Shareholder Voice
Todd Gormley (Wash U.), Vishal Gupta (U. Alabama), David Matsa (Northwestern U.), Sandra Mortal (U. of Alabama) (Presenter), Lukai Yang (U. of Alabama)
Discussant: Tracy Wang (University of Minnesota)
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- The Distribution of Voting Rights to Shareholders
Vyacheslav Fos (Boston College) (Presenter), Cliff Holderness (Boston College)
Discussant: Michelle Lowry (Drexel University)
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- Trading and Shareholder Democracy
Doron Levit (U. of Washington), Nadya Malenko (U. of Michigan) (Presenter), Ernst Maug (U. of Mannheim) Discussant: Liyan Yang (University of Toronto)
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- Disloyal Managers and Shareholders’ Wealth
Eli Fich (Drexel U.) (Presenter), Jarrad Harford (U. of Washington), Anh Tran (U. of London)
Discussant: Xiaoyun Yu (Indiana University)
Read the paper
We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 John L. Weinberg/IRRCi Research Paper Award competition, which seeks to highlight innovative research and includes an award of US$10,000:
- “The ESG-Innovation Disconnect: Evidence from Green Patenting” (Cohen, Gurun, and Nguyen)
- “The Distribution of Voting Rights to Shareholders” (Fos and Holderness)
Past Events
The Weinberg Center is looking forward to the 2021 Corporate Governance Symposium that will be held on March 16, 2020. This is the second year for the John L. Weinberg/IRRCi Research Paper Award competition. The focus of the 2021 Corporate Governance Symposium will be “Governance Issues of Critical Importance to Boards and Investors in 2021.”
The Weinberg Center is accepting submissions for its research paper competition. Practitioners and academics are invited to submit research papers by Monday, November 16, 2020, for consideration. Two research papers will be selected and each will receive the John L Weinberg/ IRRCi 2021 Research Paper Award along with a $10,000 award. One of the authors of each of the selected papers must be available to present the paper virtually via livestream at the Center’s Symposium on March 16, 2021.
Past Events
Tuesday, March 17, 2020, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM @Clayton Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, DE :
CANCELLED
Colleges and universities around the country are uniquely open and inclusive communities. As such, the coronavirus presents particular challenges to institutions like the University of Delaware. As the national response to this situation evolves, the University has responded with guidance about conferences, celebrations, and other non-essential events planned for this spring.
In light of this and in light of the COVID-19 travel restrictions affecting many of our participants and registrants, the College of Arts and Sciences at University of Delaware has decided to cancel this year’s Weinberg Center Corporate Governance Symposium which was to have been held on March 17, 2020.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND.
To Register
Approved for 5.4 DE CLE credits
The Weinberg Center is excited about its upcoming 2020 Corporate Governance Symposium that will be held on March 17, 2020. The Center will be celebrating its 20th anniversary and it is also the inaugural year for the John L. Weinberg/IRRCi Research Award competition.
The focus of the 2020 Corporate Governance Symposium will be “Governance Issues of Critical Importance to Boards and Investors in 2020.”
The symposium will begin with an address by our John L. Weinberg Distinguished Speaker – Steve Miller, Chairman of the Board of Purdue Pharma L.P. Mr. Miller has previously served on numerous Boards, including U.S. Bank, United Airlines, Dow DuPont, and was Chairman of AIG (2010-2015). He was CEO of Hawker Beechcraft and International Automotive Components, and CEO and Executive Chairman of Delphi Corporation.
Mr. Miller will be followed by a panel who will focus on the most critical governance issues for boards and investors in 2020. The confirmed panelists are:
- Glenn Booraem, Investment Stewardship Officer and a principal, Vanguard
- The Honorable J. Travis Laster, Vice Chancellor, Delaware Court of Chancery
- Aeisha Mastagni, Portfolio Manager, California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS)
- Patrick McGurn, Special Counsel and Head of Strategic Research and Analysis, ISS
- Gloria Santona, Of Counsel, Baker & McKenzie LLP; Retired Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, McDonald’s Corporation; and Director, Aon PLC
Moderator: Charles M. Elson, Edgar S. Woolard, Jr., Chair of Corporate Governance; Director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance; and Professor of Finance
The panel will be followed by acomplimentary lunch.After lunch will be the keynote speaker, The Honorable J. Travis Laster, Vice Chancellor, Delaware Court of Chancery, who wil talk about “The Concept of Coercion in Delaware Corporate Law.”
The keynote address will be follwed by the presentation of the two research papers that were selected as the winners of the first John L. Weinberg/IRRCi Research Award Competition will be facilitated by the Weinberg Center’s Co-Directors of Academic Research – Yaron Nili, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Wisconsin – Madison Law School, and Sanjai Bhagat, Provost Professor, Division Chair of the Professional Effectiveness Division, University of Colorado Boulder, Leeds School of Business. The research paper award winners being presented are:
- “Corporate Culture: Evidence from the Field,” by John R. Graham, Duke University & NBER; Jillian Grennan, Duke University (Presenter); Campbell R. Harvey, Duke University & NBER; Shivaram Rajgopal, Columbia University
Discussant: Allen Ferrell, Harvard Law School
Read the paper - “Does Revlon Matter? An Empirical and Theoretical Study,” by Matthew D. Cain, Berkeley Center for Law and Business; Sean J. Griffith, Fordham Law School (Presenter); Robert J. Jackson, Jr., New York University School of Law; Steven Davidoff Solomon, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
Discussant: Jill E. Fisch, University of Pennsylvania Law School
Read the paper
The special research papers being presented after the research paper competition winners are:
- “Corporate Governance and Firm Performance,” Dr. Sanjai Bhagat
Read the paper - “The Giant Shadow of Corporate Gadflies,” Yaron Nili
Read the paper
DE CLE/CPE: The Symposium has been approved for 5.4 DECLE credits. CPE credits will be provided by our event partner, Sallie Mae*. 3 credit hours of CPE in the field of “Business Management & Organization” will be offered.
*Sallie Mae Bank is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org. Due to this program being offered free of charge, there will be no refunds issued.
There is no charge for the program, which includes a complimentary lunch. Materials will be sent in advance of the program.
Weinberg Center/IRRCi Research Award Competition – Call for Papers
Past Events
The First Annual ISG/Corporate Issuers Conference, hosted by ISG and the Weinberg Center, took place on Friday, September 13, 2019, at Clayton Hall on the University of Delaware campus.
Topics included: Introduction to ISG; Deep-Dive into the ISG Stewardship Principles; Deep-Dive into the ISG Corporate Governance Principles; The New Paradigm and the Importance of ISG; Breakout Groups
Participants:
- Keynote Speaker: Martin Lipton, founding partner of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
- Donna Anderson – T. Rowe Price
- Lindsey Apple – MFS Investment Management
- Allison Bennington – ValueAct Capital
- Glenn Booraem – Vanguard
- Matthew DiGuiseppe – State Street Global Advisors
- Charles Elson – John L. Weinberg Center
- Margaret Foran – Prudential Financial
- Rakhi Kumar – State Street Global Advisors
- Aeisha Mastagni – CalSTRS
- Hope Mehlman – Regions Financial
- Ann Mulé – John L. Weinberg Center
- Margriet Stavast – PGGM
- Ray Cameron – BlackRock
- Clare Payn – Legal and General
- Patti Brammer – OPERS
- Brian Denney – Vanguard
For more information visit the ISG website
Past Events
Friday, September 13, 2019, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM @Clayton Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, DE :
To Register Click Here
On January 1, 2019, the Investor Stewardship Group (ISG) an investor-led initiative comprised of more than 60 of the largest U.S.-based institutional investors and global asset managers representing in excess of US$31 trillion AUM, marked the one-year anniversary of its Framework for U.S. Stewardship and Governance.
Join many of the ISG investors at the First Annual ISG/Corporate Issuers Conference, which will provide unique opportunities for ISG investors and corporate issuers to:
- Learn more about the Investor Stewardship Principles and Corporate Governance Principles
- Participate in breakout sessions that will include both ISG investors and corporate issuers
- Hear the latest on the New Paradigm and the importance of ISG from keynote speaker, Marty Lipton from Wachtell, Lipton Rosen & Katz
- Enjoy many informal networking opportunities
The ISG Fall Conference Committee invites you to attend what promises to be an informative and exciting conference, which is co-hosted with the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, on the campus of the University of Delaware.
Register early as space is limited.Also, make your hotel reservation early as hotel space on campus can sell out quickly.Information about campus hotels can be found on the “More Info” page.
See you in September!
Past Events
Wednesday, March 20, 2019, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM @Clayton Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Co-sponsored with the Department of Finance, Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics
To Register, click HERE
REGISTRATION REQUIRED TO ATTEND
The focus of the 2019 Corporate Governance Symposium will be “Governance Issues of Critical Importance to Boards and Investors in 2019.” The symposium will begin with an address by our John L. Weinberg Distinguished Speaker – Indra Nooyi, Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo.
Ms. Nooyi will be followed by a Special Speaker – Robert J. Jackson, Jr., Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Commissioner Jackson will be followed by a panel who will focus on the most critical governance issues for boards and investors in 2019. The confirmed panelists are:
- Glenn Booraem, Investment Stewardship Officer and a principal, Vanguard
- Aeisha Mastagni, Portfolio Manager, California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS).
- Steve Odland, President and CEO, The Conference Board
- Eric Shostal, Vice President, Investor Stewarship Team, BlackRock
- Myron T. Steele, Partner, Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP; former Chief Justice, Delaware Supreme Court
Moderator: Charles M. Elson, Edgar S. Woolard, Jr., Chair of Corporate Governance; Director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance; and Professor of Finance
The panel will be followed by a luncheon speaker – William D. Cohan, New York Times best-selling author, special correspondent at Vanity Fair, and a former senior Wall Street M&A investment banker at Lazard Frères & Co., Merrill Lynch and JPMorgan Chase
The presentation of academic papers on topics that are of critical importance to boards and investors will occur in the afternoon. The following papers will be presented:
- “Audit Process, Private Information, and Insider Trading,” by Salman Arif, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University; John Kepler,The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; Joseph Schroeder,Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, and Daniel Taylor, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (Presenter)Discussant – W. Robert Knechel, Fisher School of Accounting, University of Florida
- “Investors’ Attention to Corporate Governance,“ by Peter Iliev Penn State University; Jonathan Kalodimos, Oregon State University; and Michelle Lowry, Drexel University (Presenter)Discussant – Alan Crane, Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University
- “Investor-Driven Governance Standards and Firm Value,” by Yonca Ertimur, University of Colorado Boulder; and Paige Patrick, University of Washington (Presenter) Discussant – Fei Xie, Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics, University of Delaware
- “Shareholder Voting on Golden Parachutes: Determinants and Consequences,“ by Albert H. Choi, University of Virginia Law School (Presenter); Andrew C.W. Lund, John F. Scarpa Center for Law and Entrepreneurship, Villanova University, Charles Widger School of Law; Robert Schonlau, Farmer School of Business, Miami University
- Discussant – John White, Cravath, Swaine & Moore
Call for Papers
UDaily Pre-Event Article
UDaily Post-Event Article
LinkedIn post, March 20, 2019
“Delaware Should Limit Dual-Class Stock Use, SEC Commissioner Says,” Bloomberg Law, March 20, 2019 (subscription)
“Investors intensify their fight against dual-class shares,” Pensions & Investments, April 1, 2019 (subscription)
Material
1. Indra Nooyi
2. Commissioner Robert J. Jackson, Jr.
3. BlackRock
4. CalSTRS
5. Vanguard
6. The Conference Board.
7. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz memos
8. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP memo
