Corporate Board Meeting Minutes, Agendas and Other Written Records: Governance Best Practices

Description

The SEC and shareholders are increasing scrutiny of corporate board governance and director conduct. Boards of directors and corporate secretaries must take steps to ensure that their board meeting procedures are in order. Corporate recordkeeping creates legal vulnerabilities for corporate boards and requires special attention from corporate secretaries and other corporate governance professionals.

Board meeting agenda and minutes serve as the official record of corporate activities, outlining the issues to be discussed and memorializing the deliberations and decisions of the board. Effective agendas and minutes can help boards demonstrate compliance with fiduciary obligations. Ineffective recordkeeping, on the other hand, can serve as adverse evidence against the corporation in regulatory proceedings or shareholder litigation.

There are a number of best practices corporate boards and their corporate governance professionals can implement to ensure their boardroom practices will withstand heightened scrutiny and minimize director liability. These practices include developing concise and prioritized agendas, distributing materials to directors well in advance of meetings, and strategically drafting minutes that take the business judgment rule into account.

Listen as our authoritative panel discusses recordkeeping best practices for corporate boards of directors and their corporate governance professionals, including strategic agenda preparation, minute-taking and document retention.