Hitchcock Law Firm

The Hitchcock Law Firm has developed a practice of representing and advising institutional investors, individuals and social investors who seek to improve the performance and governance of corporations in which they hold stock.

The Hitchcock firm works with investors to develop a strategy that best advances their interests in improved performance. The firm works closely with the client to develop a program that focuses on one or a number of companies and is designed for maximum effectivness, consistent with the client's goals and resources. The range of services provided by the firm include:

• Targeting underperforming firms in the investor's portfolio.
• Developing and submitting shareholder resolutions to be presented at a company's annual meeting on key governance issues, as well as negotiating with corporate executives about the issues presented by those resolutions. The firm also represents clients before the Securities and Exchange Commission if the company tries to keep the proposed out of its proxy materials.
• Preparing and executing a media strategy and outreach to other investors about concerns at specific companies.
• Developing strategies to run independent candidates for the board of directors and for "just say no" campaigns opposing the re-election of incumbent directors, as well as representation before the SEC with respect to proxy materials and director-related conferences.
• Initiating or responding to rulemaking initiatives before the SEC on shareholder rights issues.
• Representing shareholders in litigation on shareholder rights and corporate governance issues.

Well before the recent corporate scandals that turned Enron and WorldCom into household names, the Hitchcock Law Firm has represented shareholders seeking to improve corporate governance and practices that can have an effect on the shareholder value of a company. The Hitchcock Law Firm has developed an expertise in using the legal tools that are available to shareholders to protect their investments by working to bring about changes in corporate practices and approaches.

The Hitchcock Law Firm has helped shareholders successfully challenge practices such as:

• anti-takeover measure that limit shareholder rights, such as "classified" boards of directors, which allow only a minority of directors to stand for election each year, as well as "poison pills" that are adopted without prior shareholder approval.
• excessive executive compensation packages, such as "golden parachutes" or options packages that are not effectively tied to long-term performance.
• policies that fail to give due attention to such issues as environmental concerns or other practices (sweat shop suppliers, human rights abuses in international operations) that can harm corporate reputation and performance.