Vinson & Elkins on Shareholder Engagement in 2026: Vigilance Amid Uncertainty

By Sebastian Tiller and John Johnston Effective shareholder engagement is a business imperative. Companies that do it well are more likely than others to build investor trust, anticipate investor expectations, protect against activism, and earn support for long-term strategy. This work has never been simple. Yet in 2026, it will grow even more complex, likely making proxy voting outcomes harder to predict and the reasons behind them harder to discern. Driven by four major developments, this new engageme ...