Proxy Season is Evolving, and Scrutiny is Intensifying. 

As governance expectations rise and voting behavior becomes less predictable, companies must approach proxy preparation with greater precision, foresight, and defensibility.

Enterprise AI demands discipline, not experimentation

As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in enterprise workflows, expectations have shifted. Innovation is no longer measured by novelty alone; it is measured by trust. For organizations managing regulated data, intellectual property, and sensitive financial information, AI adoption must be grounded in security, privacy, and governance from the outset.

As of March 18, 2026, directors and officers of a foreign private issuer (FPI) with a class of equity securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 were required to begin filing Section 16(a) reports with the SEC. This change stems from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (NDAA 2026), which includes the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act (HFIAA), enacted on December 18, 2025.

Josh Duncan on AI, Evolving Disclosure, and the Future of DFIN ActiveDisclosure

Markets change, regulations evolve, and reporting demands continue to expand; however, the need for accurate, defensible, and filing ready confidence remains constant.

Companies generally need to file for a business license or business tax registration certificate before they can engage in commerce in a particular area. This often involves filing for state or city business status and may require obtaining a business tax certificate. Business tax certificates provide some certification of the company’s ability to operate in the area and may also demonstrate current tax payments and filings.

To have any chance of success as a business, regulatory compliance must be a prominent part of daily operations. Regulations act as guardrails designed to protect people or organizations from harm. Some regulations can help businesses protect the health of the people they serve or employ, while others may aim to increase transparency of the company’s dealings.

Each decision a business makes either creates or mitigates risk, making the need for risk management a critical element of strategic business operations. Risk management is a requirement for many organ

Organizations are increasingly rethinking how they oversee risk, controls, and compliance. Traditional, periodic audits, while still necessary, often struggle to keep pace with modern transaction volumes, regulatory expectations, and real-time decision-making demands.

The global capital markets are entering 2026 in a notably different posture after several years of pronounced volatility. Inflation shocks, rapid interest rate hikes, and geopolitical uncertainty defined the 2022–2024 period, forcing issuers and investors into defensive, short-term decision-making.