News & Events

Corporate Counsel Yafit Cohn was quoted in Washington Internet Daily in an article titled “Communications Industry Shareholder Lobbying, Political Spending Proposals Face Uphill Battle.” The article discusses the failure of recent shareholder proposals aimed at compelling various communications and media companies to make their lobbying and political campaigning efforts more transparent. Yafit expressed that, despite repeated losses in recent years, such shareholder proposals likely will return in the 2018 proxy season and beyond. Yafit highlighted, however, that failed efforts do not reflect the likely behind-the-scenes negotiations occurring between companies and shareholders before proposals are submitted to a vote. Yafit further noted that, given that political contributions and lobbying proposals almost always fail, companies should “assess thoughtfully whether to provide disclosure and how much disclosure to provide given the company and its circumstances."