Business Law and Corporate Law

ISS STOXX Governance has released the results of its annual global benchmark policy survey, revealing significant divisions between institutional investors and corporate respondents on critical governance issues. The survey examined contentious topics including director independence criteria, the potential shift to semiannual reporting, say-on-pay voting requirements, and nature-related risk disclosures...

The Delaware Court of Chancery has issued its first interpretation of new General Corporation Law section 144(d)(2), establishing a heightened legal presumption of director independence in interested-director transactions for publicly traded corporations. In Ayers v. Foley, the court examined two separate compensation decisions at Fidelity National Financial, applying different standards of review and offering critical guidance on how boards can structure approval processes to maximize legal protection.

The SEC's proposed amendments would fundamentally restructure how public companies determine their filer status, raising the large accelerated filer threshold from $700 million to $2 billion and extending scaled disclosure accommodations to approximately 81% of reporting companies.

On August 26, 2026, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury published FAQs addressing certain critical components of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) wellness program rules. The FAQs were welcomed by employers, as the HIPAA wellness program rules have been the subject of more than 80 class action lawsuits claiming that wellness programs imposing premium surcharges for tobacco use violate the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

ISS STOXX Governance has released the results of its annual global benchmark policy survey, revealing significant divisions between institutional investors and corporate respondents on critical governance issues. The survey examined contentious topics including director independence criteria, the potential shift to semiannual reporting, say-on-pay voting requirements, and nature-related risk disclosures...

The SEC's Division of Corporation Finance has issued two new no-action letters expanding retail investor voting programs beyond the initial Exxon framework, allowing Goldman Sachs and Tesla to implement standing voting instruction programs. These letters enable retail shareholders to provide advance voting instructions aligned with management recommendations while maintaining certain investor protections...

Maryland has amended its franchise registration and disclosure law with changes taking effect October 1, 2026. The amendments extend enforcement authority, expand franchisee claims periods, clarify jurisdictional scope, establish franchisee association rights, and codify a fast-track renewal program for franchise disclosure documents.

International restaurant expansion often generates legal problems before anyone believes there is much legal work to do. A team finds a location and negotiates the lease before confirming that the hours, the liquor service, and the patio are permitted at that address. An executive chef flies in to train the kitchen on a visitor stamp.

On July 9, 2026, the United States District Court for the Central District of California issued its decision in So Cal Storage, LLC et al. v. UNITS Franchising Group, Inc., 2026 WL 2045621 (C.D. Cal. July 9, 2026), granting a franchisor's motion to dismiss the franchisees’ claims arising from alleged misrepresentations, software failures, vendor restrictions, and misuse of advertising fund contributions.

If you are under SEC investigation, one of the most critical, strategic decisions you may face is whether to invoke your Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Corporate legal departments increasingly use third party platforms and managed billing services to review outside counsel invoices. In many cases, the client selects the system and directs its law firms to submit bills through it. Some of these services now use artificial intelligence, automated review, or a combination of technology and human reviewers to examine individual time entries and recommend billing reductions.

A recent California lawsuit alleges that AI-based employee selection tools discriminated against workers on protected leave and those with disabilities during a reduction in force. The case highlights critical legal risks for employers deploying AI in high-stakes employment decisions, particularly around how AI systems handle productivity metrics for employees who are absent or working under accommodations.