The Shareholder Rights Project (SRP) was established by the
Harvard Law School Program on Institutional Investors to contribute to education, discourse, and research related to efforts by institutional investors to improve corporate governance arrangements at publicly traded firms. During three academic years (2011-2012 through 2013-2014), the SRP operated a clinic that assisted institutional investors (several public pension funds and a foundation) in moving S&P 500 and Fortune 500 companies towards annual elections. This work contributed to board declassification at about 100 S&P 500 and Fortune 500 companies. This website provides information about the work done by the SRP clinic during its three years of operation. Any communications with respect to the SRP clinic should be attributed solely to the SRP and not to Harvard Law School or Harvard University.
SRP Media Releases
SRP News Alert, 75% of 2014 Engagements Have Already Produced Agreements to Declassify:
Towards Declassification at 100 S&P 500 and Fortune 500 Companies, March 11, 2014
SRP Post, Toward Board Declassification in 100 S&P 500 and Fortune 500 Companies: The SRP’s Report for the 2012 and 2013 Proxy Seasons, February 25, 2014
SRP News Alert, Advancing Annual Elections in the 2014 Proxy Season: Towards Declassification at 100 S&P 500 and Fortune 500 Companies, December 4, 2013
SRP News Alert, Towards Board Declassification in One-Hundred S&P 500 and Fortune 500 Companies: Announcing the SRP's 2012-2013 Results, October 29, 2013
SRP News Alert, Mid-Year Update on Engagement Results: 77 Board Declassifications, and 57 Successful Precatory Proposals with Average Support Exceeding 80%, July 9, 2013
SRP Post, SRP Mid-Proxy-Season Results: 19 Boards Declassified, 13 Precatory Declassification Proposals Passed, May 22, 2013
Bebchuk, Wachtell Lipton Was Wrong About the Shareholder Rights Project, The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, April 9, 2013
SRP Post, 36 Declassification Proposals Going to a Vote in April and May, The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, April 3, 2013
SRP News Alert, Substantial 2013 Results Already Produced by SRP and SRP-Represented Investors: 46 S&P 500 and Fortune 500 Companies Agree to Move towards Annual Elections, March 13, 2013
SRP Post, Initial 2013 Annual Meeting Results: Six Board Declassification Proposals Passed with Average Support of 79%, The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, March 6, 2013
SRP News Alert, Large-scale Governance Reforms in S&P 500 Companies, February 13, 2013
Joint press releases with investors that worked with the SRP clinic, February 13, 2013:
SRP News Alert, Advancing Corporate Governance Reforms in 2013, November 28, 2012
Joint press releases with investors that worked with the SRP clinic, November 28, 2012:
SRP News Alert, Improving Corporate Governance in S&P 500 Companies, September 5, 2012
Joint press release by the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management Board and the SRP, August 21, 2012
SRP Post, SRP-Represented Investors Responsible for 36% of Successful 2012 Shareholder Proposals, August 8, 2012
SRP Post, Thirty-Three Declassification Proposals Win Approval with Average Support of 82%, The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, June 13, 2012
SRP Post, Seventeen Boards of S&P 500 Companies Already Declassified Following Agreements with SRP-Represented Investors, The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, May 17, 2012
SRP Post, Twelve Shareholder Declassification Proposals Submitted by SRP-Represented Investors Win Approval with Average Support of 79%, The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, May 8, 2012
NYTimes Dealbook Op-Ed: Giving Shareholders a Voice, April 19, 2012
SRP Post, Thirty-Six Precatory Declassification Proposals Going to a Vote at Annual Meetings, The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, April 10, 2012
SRP Post, Ten Additional Companies Disclose Management Declassification Proposals Made Pursuant to Agreements, The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, April 4, 2012
SRP News Alert, Repealing Classified Boards in S&P 500 Companies, March 19, 2012
Joint press releases with investors that worked with the SRP clinic, March 19, 2012: