The number of methods for defining "CEO pay" when analyzing executive compensation continues to grow. From total pay suggested by the summary compensation table to the definitions used by Glass Lewis or Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) in their proxy review reports, there is no universal standard for measuring pay, especially in comparison to performance.

Compensation Committees face the challenge of balancing the tension in motivating their executives to create shareholder value in the current Say on Pay and economic environment. The current pullback in stock prices and the uncertain financial outlook for 2016 at many companies will make this year's compensation decisions even more challenging.

The past year has seen extensive criticism of share buybacks as an example of "corporate short-termism" within the business press, academic literature, and political community. The critics of share buybacks claim that corporate managers, motivated by flawed executive incentive plans (stock options, bonus plans based on EPS, etc.) and supported by complacent boards, behave myopically and undertake value-destroying buybacks to mechanically increase their own reward.

Executive pay continues to be a hotly debated topic in the boardroom among investors and proxy advisors, and it routinely makes headlines in the media. As the U.S. was in the heart of the financial crisis in 2008 – 2009, CEO total direct compensation (TDC = base salary + actual bonus paid + grant value of long-term incentives) dropped for two consecutive years.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has elected to eliminate the concept of extraordinary items under Generally Accepted Accounting Rules (GAAP), effective with fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015.

Performance-based long-term incentive (LTI) awards"typically performance shares or stock units (PSUs)"are a large component of annual LTI awards for executives at most companies . Compensation committees continue to wrestle with the various design considerations associated with PSUs.

The Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") staff has had a busy summer. Following the release of proposed rules and regulations regarding the CEO Pay for Performance and Clawback provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ("Dodd-Frank"), the SEC on August 5, 2015 proposed final rules and regulations regarding the CEO pay ratio disclosure. The CEO pay ratio disclosure fulfills a further mandate of the Dodd-Frank legislation.

On August 4, 2015, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) released its annual policy survey for the 2016 proxy voting season. The survey encompasses its global proxy voting policies across all potential topic areas.

Although all aspects of diversity are meaningful topics, this article is solely focused on gender diversity. Currently, females represent approximately 15% of outside board member seats in the S&P 1500 and about 18% of the S&P 500 seats. This equates to a median of 1-2 female board members in a group of 9-11 board members.

Following the recent release of new rules and regulations regarding the proposed pay for performance disclosure requirement imposed on public companies by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 ("Dodd-Frank"), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has just released rules to add Section 10D to the Securities Exchange Act regarding executive officer clawbacks of incentive compensation.