Section: January 22, 2026 | Vol 31, Issue 3
Delaware Supreme Court Overturns Lower Court Ruling, Upholds Moelis Agreement
A January 20 decision by the Delaware Supreme Court lets stand an agreement between Moelis & Company and its founder, chair and CEO Ken Moelis, that contains certain provisions granting a controlling shareholder broad powers over the board.
SEC Chair Slashes PCAOB Budget, Plans to Develop Strategic Long-Term Plan
In a January 22 statement, SEC Chair Paul Atkins announced that he is cutting the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) $362 million budget by 9.4%, a reduction of $37.6 million from last year’s allotment.
U.K. Scraps Audit Reform Package, Plans to Boost FRC’s Legal Powers
The U.K. Department of Business and Trade announced January 20 that it changed course on a longstanding audit reform agenda— enacted in the aftermath of high-profile accounting problems at major companies—after concerns raised by large companies about undue cost burdens. Instead, the government will opt to strengthen the legal powers of existing financial regulators.
Disney Does About-Face on Inclusion of Proposal on Disability Access
Disney reversed course and sent a letter to the SEC and its shareholders January 19 informing them it would be including in its proxy statement a shareholder proposal asking the company to commission an independent review of its disability access service (DAS), conducted by a qualified third party.
Proposal Asks Home Depot for Report on Sharing of Surveillance Data
Zevin Asset Management and 17 co-filers submitted a proposal asking Home Depot to evaluate and report on the risks associated with sharing data with third-party surveillance vendors.