The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has just released its proposed rules regarding the requirement for companies to report as to whether employees and non-employee directors are allowed to hedge or offset the decrease in market value of equity securities. Proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has just released a new document explaining the firm's latest policies with respect to executive compensation, including its say on pay advisory voting services. Another proxy advisory firm, Glass, Lewis & Co. LLC (Glass Lewis), has implemented changes to its pay for performance and equity plan models.

Proxy advisory firm Glass, Lewis & Co. LLC ("Glass Lewis") has just published a new 45 page report which provides an overview to the Glass Lewis approach to advising its institutional investor clients regarding proxy matters. For the 2015 proxy season, Glass Lewis has noted six policy changes which are highlighted in the report. In order to keep our clients abreast of these changes in Glass Lewis policy, Pay Governance has summarized these policy changes

As companies approach the upcoming proxy season, Say on Pay (SOP) once again becomes top of mind for Compensation Committees and corporate management. Over the past 4 years since SOP proposals became mandatory under Dodd-Frank, shareholders have continued to show overwhelming support for executive pay packages despite continued criticism by media and other outlets.

Do companies set appropriately challenging goals in their incentive plans? How does a compensation committee determine whether management is recommending challenging goals? How important are earnings guidance and analyst expectations in goal setting?

At a recent Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) conference, two private equity firms' operating partners observed that executive compensation programs in each and every company in which they invested had to be completely overhauled. "Of course," quipped one CHRO, "all you need to do is grant large, upfront stock options as a one-time long-term incentive, and you don't worry about pay after that."

Virtually all large U.S. companies provide long-­‚Äêterm incentives (LTIs) through equity-­based awards, which provide economic alignment with the

Publicly traded companies are required by the SEC and the stock exchanges to obtain shareholder approval when such companies seek to implement a new long-term equity plan or increase the share reserve pursuant to such plans.

On June 30, 2014, the SEC issued a Staff Legal Bulletin (referred to as "SLB 20") which provides guidance regarding the responsibilities of investment advisers and proxy advisory firms with respect to the voting of corporate proxies.

In the three years that U.S. public companies have held non-binding Say on Pay (SOP) votes under the Dodd Frank Act, compensation committees, compensation advisors, and financial regulators have seen the clout of Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) increase dramatically in the executive compensation arena.

For the past several years, executive compensation policies and practices have been under intense scrutiny by lawmakers, the media and governance experts.