The AGM in Europe: Theory and Practice of Shareholder Behaviour

by Anne Lafarre

Overview

Business, Economics and Legal scholars have all argued about the theoretical importance of annual general meetings in assessing business shareholder relations and wider issues of corporate governance, but often without knowing how the AGM functions in practice. Anne Lafarre combines wide ranging empirical legal and economic research to analyse and understand the real role of the AGM in the European businesses and corporate governance frameworks today. Focusing on seven European member states (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK) the author persuasively explores how the impact of legal rulings and business pressures effects shareholder representation in European AGMs and their propensity to affect change through these forums. Drawing wide ranging data sets to challenge existing economic and legal theory, the author presents practical conclusions and future policy implications.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787435346
Publisher:	Emerald Publishing Limited
Publication date:	11/02/2017
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

1, Introduction: The Law & Economics of the AGM 
2, The European Framework of Shareholder Rights 
3, The National Level of Shareholder Rights: Procedural and Information Rights 
4, The National Level of Shareholder Rights: Decision-Making Rights 
5, Descriptives of Shareholder Voter Turnout 
6, Descriptives of Corporate Ownership Structures 
7, Descriptives of Shareholder Voting Behaviour 
8, Descriptives of Shareholder Types and Behaviour
9, 'The More the Merrier': What Drives (Small) Shareholder Attendance at Annual General Meetings? 
10, The Impact of the Shareholder Rights Directive 
11, Shareholder Dialogue: Assessing the Relevance of Dutch AGMs 
12, Small Shareholder Voting Coordination in Concentrated Ownership Structures 
13, Conclusions and Policy Implications

Editorial Reviews

Based on the author’s PhD dissertation, this book examines the differences between the legal theoretical role and practical role of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of shareholders in the corporate governance of listed companies in Europe and whether and how its functioning might be enhanced, focusing on shareholder turnout. It presents comparative legal analysis of the current framework of AGMs in companies in Europe, including the procedural, information, discussion and question, and decision-making rights of shareholders, then discusses voter turnout and the behavior of small shareholders during AGMs and whether and how they use their powers in practice, looking at 251 companies in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the UK; factors that contribute to small shareholder participation in AGMs, including the Shareholder Rights Directive and forum rights; and small shareholder turnout and decision making in concentrated ownership structures.

Annotation ©2017

Based on the author’s PhD dissertation, this book examines the differences between the legal theoretical role and practical role of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of shareholders in the corporate governance of listed companies in Europe and whether and how its functioning might be enhanced, focusing on shareholder turnout. It presents comparative legal analysis of the current framework of AGMs in companies in Europe, including the procedural, information, discussion and question, and decision-making rights of shareholders, then discusses voter turnout and the behavior of small shareholders during AGMs and whether and how they use their powers in practice, looking at 251 companies in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the UK; factors that contribute to small shareholder participation in AGMs, including the Shareholder Rights Directive and forum rights; and small shareholder turnout and decision making in concentrated ownership structures.

Annotation ©2017