Covid-19: Planning Your Annual General Meeting

The AGM is an important annual event for the shareholders of a company.  It is their opportunity to, amongst other things, be presented with information on the financial performance of the company, to put questions to the directors in relation to same and, potentially, to appoint those who will act as directors of the company for the coming year.  From the perspective of those charged with the management of the company, the convening of the AGM represents both a firm legal obligation with which the company must comply and an opportunity for meaningful engagement with the shareholders.

As AGM season approaches, companies should be mindful of the alternative options available to them where shareholder participation is restricted due to the current travel and social distancing measures in place to limit the spread of COVID-19. Given the public health advice being issued by the HSE and the Irish government, companies should avoid holding physical AGMs or, where possible,