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The article discusses concerns about corporate governance at retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. expressed in May, 2014 by shareholder-advisory service Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS). ISS says Wal-Mart needs to be more forthcoming about a foreign-bribery investigation into the company, and has also raised questions about executive-compensation practices at Wal-Mart. ISS advised that shareholders not vote to re-elect Wal-Mart chairman S. Robson Walton.

The article discusses the role of proxy advisers in the investment industry as of May 2013, with information on proxy advising firms such as Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Glass, Lewis & Co. Topics include the sale of recommendations on how to vote in corporate elections, voting analysis by shareholders, investor attitudes, and shareholder lobbying for the control of corporate governance.

The article states that a U.S. appeals court issued a ruling on April 14, 2015, permitting U.S. retail company Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to refuse to include a measure from New York City Trinity Wall Street Church concerning Wal-Mart's sale of semiautomatic rifles with high-capacity magazines and other products for its scheduled June 5, 2015, stockholders meeting.

The article looks at corporate governance in the U.S., reporting on a trend of institutional investors and investment managers pushing corporations to replace long-time directors with newer ones on their boards and discussing the average length of tenure of board members at various firms.

The article reports on the release of a report from the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) urging U.S. boards of directors to improve their management. Some of its recommendations are to improve risk oversight, corporate strategy, executive compensation and investor communication. NACD president Kenneth Daly said that directors have key role in fixing the corporate America. The report came amid scrutiny against corporate boards for poor management that contributed to the credit crisis and recession.

The article reports on move of Amalgamated Bank, which is the only union-owned bank in the U.S., to adopt a corporate-governance practices that it had opposed as an investor in other companies. Bruce Raynor, chairman of the board, is leading the changes but John Wilhelm, an Amalgamated director, is opposing the move because he felt that the proposals are bad corporate-governance measures. Amalgamated, who is one of the most active institutional investors in the U.S., owns $4.6 billion in assets and manages $12.3 billion in pension-fund money.

Focuses on a shareholder derivative lawsuit filed by stockholders of the Walt Disney Co., contending that Disney board members were lax when CEO Michael Eisner hired Michael Ovitz as the company's No. 2 executive in 1995. Excerpts from a deposition of Eisner, suggesting the hiring of Ovitz was a mistake; Size of severance package received by Ovitz; Damages being sought by the plaintiffs from the directors for allowing a no-fault termination of Ovitz; Claims made by Ovitz' attorney; Potential impact of the case on directors' personal liability; Assessment of the Court of Chancery in Delaware, where the suit is being heard, noting the growing clout of investors and the scrutiny of corporate governance has caused a shift in the court's rulings and judgments.

Reports that the New York Stock Exchange is coming under intensified attack for weaknesses in its own corporate governance. Report that will be released by the Council of Institutional Investors, a powerful pension-fund group; Criticism of the nation's biggest securities market for shortcomings in governing itself and discipling the brokerage industry; Details of the report; Belief that the New York Stock Exchange is not well-governed; Draft that bothered NYSE officials.

Discusses the efforts of corporate board prospects to investigate prospective companies for possible corruption and irregularity. Case of Peter G. Peterson, an investment banker formerly on the board of ImClone Systems Inc., who did not consider himself diligent enough in investigating the company; Heightened legal risks and expanded duties and expectations for corporate board members, which have caused prospective board members to be cautious about accepting board positions; Investigation of Network Associates Inc. by Robert B. Buckman before joining the board of the company.

Discusses a split between the roles of board chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) in corporations in the U.S. Corporate governance-standards; Efforts to improve monitoring of management and relieve CEOs who are overworked; Election of Joel J. Cohen as chairman of the board of Chubb Corp.; Commission of the National Association of Corporate Directors which will urge that corporations improve governance.

Presents information on the strength of corporate-governance standards in the United States. Endorsement of the standards by the California Public Employees' Retirement System (Calpers); Stipulations of the corporate governance standards; Reaction of investors to the standards; Why some business executives are hesitant about conforming to the standards; Expectations of the proposed standards.

Reports on a meeting of the California Public Employees' Retirement Systems to consider a revised set of United States corporate governance standards, the first ever by the fund. Changes seen in the proposal submitted by the fund; Recommendations made in the proposal; Comments from key individuals; Other related information.