• Credit crisis renews calls for regulatory change
• Powerful new group takes aim at SOX repeal
• IPOs have all but dried up in the US – SOX blamed
• Further turmoil might spur success where others have failed
• Partial rollback more likely than complete overhaul
By Michael Reilly
• Bailout preconditions likely to spread to other industries
• Compensation and risk management will take center stage in 2009
• Many shareholder activists are being forced to the sidelines
• Increase in takeover action will cause issuers to seek better protection
• Engagement between shareholders and issuers is key to success
By Brendan Sheehan
• Corporate blogs offer great opportunity and great risk
• Employees need guidelines and training
• Communication must be targeted to specific audience
• Legal liability is still largely untested
• GC and corporate secretaries fret about regulatory violations
By Erik Sherman
• Recent attacks highlight need for security awareness
• Basic training can keep employees healthy and productive
• Companies have duty of care to provide safe working environment
• High-risk destinations require special instruction
• Well-defined disaster recovery plans are essential to effective response
By Brendan Sheehan
• DoJ offers up pre-closing plan to protect acquiring companies
• Internal as well as external compliance monitoring is important
• Pre-closing procedures remain crucial
• Third parties are still a major risk area
• Data privacy proves major hurdle in international M&A
By Janine Armin
• News aggregator contributed to United Airlines stock collapse
• Old bankruptcy story presented as new by Google
• Companies need crisis plan for quick response
• Dating information is integral to avoiding miscommunication
• Consistent information flow keeps news fresh
By Tim Human
• Surveillance firms dig to compile investor profiles
• Executives use reports to get better read on investor interests
• Reports need to be combined with other sources to be accurate
• Surveillance is a useful cross-check to broker-generated meetings
• Different firms choose unique points of focus for investor profiles
By Anna Snider
Great corporate governance and risk management are ideals all public companies strive to achieve. But what goes into a great governance program? This question was answered at the inaugural Corporate Secretary Magazine Awards where the best practitioners across a range of important governance elements were recognized. The next 11 pages feature the first of a two-part series of interviews with the winners of these prestigious awards in which you will discover what makes the best governance programs in the US tick.