Key Contacts
-
Corporate Governance
Our corporate governance practice includes advising on SEC and stock exchange requirements and helping clients to identify and understand investor perspectives and proxy advisory firm policies; advising on shareholder engagement, shareholder proposals, anti-takeover defenses and emerging governance practices; addressing interactions with activist shareholders. We have advised numerous boards and management teams on key governance issues, including the design and implementation of board governance policies, committee charters, internal controls, disclosure policies, controls and procedures, whistleblower policies, succession planning, and attorney reporting procedures. We regularly advise companies across industries how best to address environmental, social and governance (or ESG) matters such as how to navigate the competing concerns of shareholders and other stakeholders, including employees and customers, proxy advisory firms, non-government organizations and others. We also serve as independent counsel to a number of audit committees. -
Disclosure Issues
Our disclosure experience includes advising on substantive and technical filing and disclosure questions. We routinely draft and review all types of reports, proxy statements and other documents filed with the SEC, as well as press releases and other informal market communications, and regularly assist clients in anticipating and responding to SEC staff comments. We have extensive experience in advising on compliance with Regulation FD, Regulation G and other requirements that apply to non-GAAP financial measures, Section 16 reporting, and executive compensation disclosure. We work closely with our clients to identify and respond to new and emerging disclosure requirements and market expectations, including the use of the proxy statement as an engagement tool; risk management, including cybersecurity and reputational risks; use of social media; and the full range of ESG disclosure areas, including sustainability, environmental risk management, climate matters, diversity and human capital management, human rights, and supply chain practices.
Keeping Current: Disclosure and Governance Developments Blog
WilmerHale’s corporate governance and disclosure team provides guidance to public companies and their boards, helping clients navigate the complex landscape of legal and business issues. Our team is well-versed in evolving SEC and stock exchange requirements, emerging governance and disclosure expectations, high-stakes issues such as issuer repurchases, insider trading and executive compensation, and responding to shareholder proposals and other investor communications. This blog offers valuable legal and practical insights on developments and trends impacting public companies. Contributors include members of the firm’s Corporate Practice and our renowned securities enforcement and regulatory practices, who together have served as outside counsel to hundreds of public companies.
Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG)
The WilmerHale ESG Webinar Series addresses key environmental, social and corporate governance issues facing companies, boards, executives and investors.
Experience
-
Public Company Counseling
We regularly advise public company clients on corporate governance and disclosure matters. These clients include Agios Pharmaceuticals; Akamai Technologies; Analog Devices; CIRCOR International; Danaher Corporation; Discovery; Editas Medicine; Generation Bio; Genpact; Hilton; Huntington Ingalls Industries; Kala Pharmaceuticals; Karyopharm Therapeutics; MKS Instruments; Northrop Grumman; PepsiCo; Revvity (FKA PerkinElmer); PTC Therapeutics; S&P Global; Skyworks Solutions; Solid Biosciences; State Street Corporation; The Walt Disney Company; and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Recognition
-
Named a Leading Corporate Practice
Chambers USA
2012-2023
-
Ranked Band 1 for Securities Regulation: Nationwide
Chambers USA
2020-2023
-
Ranked Among the Best Law Firms for Corporate Law
U.S. News – Best Lawyers®
2021-2024
- Chambers USA Guide – Named our corporate practice among the best in 2012–2023, with sources saying that WilmerHale provides “excellent service and quality advice and representation.” The 2021 and 2023 editions of Chambers USA also ranked WilmerHale in Washington DC and Boston for Corporate/M&A.
- Boston Magazine – Recognized 11 WilmerHale corporate lawyers to its 2023 Top Lawyers list.
- Chambers Global – Recognized 27 WilmerHale lawyers and 31 practice areas in its 2020–2023 editions.
- Best Lawyers in America – Recognized 121 WilmerHale lawyers for 2024 naming nine as “Lawyers of the Year.”
- U.S. News - Best Lawyers® – Recognized in the 2010–2024 “Best Law Firms” rankings. In the 2024 rankings, our corporate, mergers and acquisitions, and venture capital law practices were ranked in the first tier nationally and in Boston, and our corporate law practice was also ranked in the first tier in Colorado, New York and Washington DC. Our securities/capital markets law practice was ranked in the first tier nationally and in New York and Washington DC. Our technology law practice was also ranked in the first tier nationally and in Boston.
- The Legal 500 United States – Recognized WilmerHale among top law firms for our work in the area of Corporate Governance in its 2017–2023 editions.
- Law360 – Named WilmerHale a Technology Practice Group from 2019–2022, an award recognizing the firm’s key role in the significant matters that made headlines and changed the legal landscape within the past year.
- Super Lawyers – Our corporate lawyers are consistently recognized as “Super Lawyers” and “Rising Stars” in multiple jurisdictions.