Let's Get Practical: Moving To Virtual AGMs In Response To COVID-19

As the COVID-19 global health pandemic continues, companies are having to respond to a constantly evolving situation. For Canadian and U.S. public companies, this includes having to make quick decisions about when and how to hold their 2020 annual shareholder meetings (AGMs), while at the same time implementing the necessary precautions to safeguard the health and well-being of their employees, customers, partners, shareholders, communities and other stakeholders. For most issuers, this means deciding in short order whether to hold their historically physical AGMs as virtual meetings or whether to delay or postpone their AGMs to a yet uncertain future time when the COVID-19 crisis has abated. Here we discuss recent guidance and practical tips to help issuers manage their 2020 shareholder meetings.