Book excerpt: Expanded and completely reorganized to meet the needs of today's increasingly prescriptive environment, Public Company Deskbook: Complying with Federal Governance and Disclosure Requirements is your one-stop center for expert counsel on how to deal effectively with the overlapping legislative, regulatory and private initiatives to reform public company governance and disclosure practices over the past decade. The enhanced Deskbook provides in-depth practical guidance centered around each of the following areas: Board Structure & Governance; Shareholder Meetings; Audit Committee, Auditor Policy & Auditor Disclosure; Compensation Committee, Compensation Policy & Compensation Disclosure; Public Company Reporting & Compliance; and Corporate Investigations & Whistleblowing. Included are numerous sample forms, checklists and documents, such as sample committee charters, director and officer questionnaires and annual meeting timelines for both NYSE- and Nasdaq-listed companies. Also addressed are current shareholder relations, including the prevalence, SEC-profile and outcome of common shareholder proposals, an analysis of proxy-advisor withhold recommendations and a comprehensive activist update. Written by three partners with Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, Public Company Deskbook: Complying with Federal Governance & Disclosure Requirements, Third Edition is an indispensable resource for securities practitioners, compliance officers, directors, officers, accountants, auditors, and research analysts, and an important reference for securities regulators.