The Informed Board Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

“There’s certainly an argument to be made, that the moment you name a new CEO, then you ought to be starting to think about who the next person is,” says Blair Jones. 
In this episode of the Informed Board podcast, our host, Skadden M&A partner Ann Beth Stebbins, is joined by guests, Blair Jones, a managing director at Semler Brossy Consulting Group LLC, and Erica Schohn, partner and head of the Executive Compensation and Benefits Practice at Skadden, to explore best practices in CEO succession planning. They highlight the importance of preparedness, noting that a well-conceived succession program should serve as a contingency plan for unforeseen events, as well as for orderly retirement of a CEO.
The trio emphasize that succession planning should be an annual event, allowing for adjustments as business strategy evolves. They also discuss the necessity of having multiple candidates and keeping them incentivized, including those not selected for the CEO position. A key issue is the current CEO’s role in succession planning. Typically, the CEO will be involved, but ultimately it falls to the board to make the final decision.
The guests also highlight emerging trends in succession planning, including the use of external assessments, the role of executive chairs and the development of next-level candidates. They conclude that, while companies lean toward internal candidates during planned successions, external candidates are more likely to be considered in the case of unexpected transitions or  shifts in business strategy.
💡 Meet Your Host 💡Name: Ann Beth Stebbins
Title: Partner at Skadden
Connect: LinkedIn
💡 Featured Guests 💡Name: Erica Schohn
Title: Partner at Skadden
Connect: LinkedIn
Name: Blair Jones
Title: Managing Director at Semler Brossy Consulting Group, LLC
Connect: LinkedIn
Connect with Skadden☑️ Follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn.
☑️ Subscribe to The Informed Board on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.
☑️ Let us know what topics you would like to hear about on The Informed Board by reaching out to us at info@skadden.com.
The Informed Board is a podcast by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, and Affiliates. This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes

Skadden partners Ann Beth Stebbins, David Schwartz and Lara Flath discuss the implications for US companies of the Supreme Court’s decision in June striking down race-based affirmative action programs in higher education. David Schwartz is global head of Skadden’s labor and employment group, and Lara Flath is a Skadden litigation partner who represented the University of North Carolina (UNC) in the litigation relating to its consideration of race in the admissions process.
💡 Meet Your Host 💡Name: Ann Beth Stebbins
Title: Partner at Skadden
Connect: LinkedIn
💡 Featured Guests 💡Name: David E. Schwartz 
Title:  Partner at Skadden
Connect: LinkedIn
Name: Lara A. Flath  
Title:  Partner at Skadden
Connect: LinkedIn
 
Connect with Skadden☑️ Follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn.
☑️ Subscribe to The Informed Board on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.
☑️ Let us know what topics you would like to hear about on The Informed Board by reaching out to us at info@skadden.com.
The Informed Board is a podcast by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, and Affiliates. This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. This podcast is considered advertising under applicable state laws.

Companies now face an additional regulatory hurdle when making acquisitions in the European Union. In addition to merger control and foreign direct investment (FDI) filings, they will be subject to the EU’s new Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), Skadden partner Giorgio Motta explains. The law, which took effect in July, allows the European Commission to look into acquisitions of, and investments in, businesses in Europe by non-EU companies that have received some sort of financial support from a non-EU government.
Read the full summary of the conversation HERE.
💡 Meet Your Host 💡Name: Ann Beth Stebbins
Title: Partner at Skadden
Connect: LinkedIn
💡 Featured Guest💡Name: Giorgio Motta
Title:  Partner at Skadden
Connect: LinkedIn
Connect with Skadden☑️ Follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn.
☑️ Subscribe to The Informed Board on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.
☑️ Let us know what topics you would like to hear about on The Informed Board by reaching out to us at info@skadden.com.
The Informed Board is a podcast by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, and Affiliates. This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. This podcast is considered advertising under applicable state laws.

In 2022, the U.S. restricted technology exports to China that might have military uses, and an executive order is expected soon limiting investments in certain Chinese tech companies. Skadden M&A partner Ann Beth Stebbins leads a discussion about the reasons for the rules and their impact on companies doing business in China. Joining her are Jessie Liu, a partner in Skadden’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Group, and partner Brian Egan of the firm’s National Security, CFIUS and International Trade Groups.
Read the full summary of the conversation HERE.
💡 Meet Your Host 💡Name: Ann Beth Stebbins
Title: Partner at Skadden
Connect: LinkedIn
💡 Featured Guests 💡Name:  Jessie Liu
Title:  Partner at Skadden
Connect: LinkedIn
Name:  Brian Egan
Title:  Partner at Skadden
Connect: LinkedIn
Connect with Skadden☑️ Follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn.
☑️ Subscribe to The Informed Board on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.
☑️ Let us know what topics you would like to hear about on The Informed Board by reaching out to us at info@skadden.com.
The Informed Board is a podcast by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, and Affiliates. This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. This podcast is considered advertising under applicable state laws.

The SEC’s Rule 14a-8, which gives shareholders the right to put proposals to a vote of other shareholders, was adopted to allow shareholders access to other shareholders and management, BlackRock Head of External Affairs Dalia Blass explained. But it came with some protections to prevent proposals that would be a waste of time, such as those that had little to do with the company’s business. Ahead of the 2022 proxy season, the SEC changed its approach, making it harder for companies to exclude shareholder proposals, even highly prescriptive or granular, micromanaging measures.
Read the full summary of the conversation HERE.
💡 Featured Guests 💡Dalia Blas - BlackRock
Marc Gerber - Skadden
Gabrielle Wolf - Innisfree M&A
Connect with Skadden☑️ Follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn.
☑️ Subscribe to The Informed Board on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.
☑️ Let us know what topics you would like to hear about on The Informed Board by reaching out to us at info info@skadden.com.
The Informed Board is a podcast by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, and Affiliates. This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. This podcast is considered advertising under applicable state laws.

In a move intended to “democratize” shareholder voting, several large index funds are giving their investors a say in how shares are voted, instead of leaving those choices to fund managers’ stewardship teams. In the pilot projects, aimed primarily at institutional investors, fund investors are given several options: to vote as the fund manager’s stewardship team recommends; to vote with management; to vote according to an advisor; or possibly some other formula to be administered by the fund manager.
Read the full summary of the conversation HERE.
💡 Meet Your Host 💡Name: Ann Beth Stebbins
Title: Partner at Skadden
Connect: LinkedIn
💡 Featured Guests 💡Dalia Blas - BlackRock
Marc Gerber - Skadden
Gabrielle Wolf - Innisfree M&A

Connect with Skadden☑️ Follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn.
☑️ Subscribe to The Informed Board on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.
☑️ Let us know what topics you would like to hear about on The Informed Board by reaching out to us at info info@skadden.com.
The Informed Board is a podcast by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, and Affiliates. This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. This podcast is considered advertising under applicable state laws.