The Institutional Investor Summit - June 3-4

(Invitation-Only; Limited Seating Available)  
Contact Chris Skroupa and reference Hedge Fund Solutions for complimentary access.

Recovery Risks & Returns: A Summit on Corporate Governance for Institutional Investors 
June 3-4, 2010 
The Intercontinental Barclay
111 East 48th St
New York, NY 10017
(212) 755-5900 

Click Here For More Information 

About The Summit: Recovery Risks & Returns:
A Summit on Corporate Governance for Institutional Investors is designed for pension funds, hedge fund activists and select fund managers seeking to address risk and enhance long term value through governance based solutions.

From 2007 forward, investors have experienced unprecedented losses and have begun to ask the important questions on how to best approach risk and its role in creating long term shareholder value.

As Wall Street emerges from the Great Recession, how will institutional investors create value through corporate governance?

Confirmed Speakers: 

Richard Mourdock, Treasurer
State of Indiana 

Jim Hood, Attorney General
State of Mississippi 

Richard Cordray, Attorney General
State of Ohio 

Kelly L. Schmidt, Treasurer
State of North Dakota 

Greg Zoeller, Attorney General
State of Indiana 

Mario Gabelli, Chairman & CEO
Gabelli Asset Management Company 

Bill Ackman, Founder & Managing Partner 
Pershing Square Capital Management, LP 

Inga van Eysden, Chief of the Pensions Division
New York City Department of Law 

Gregory P. Taxin, Co-founder & Managing Director
Spotlight Advisors 

George W. Neville, Special Assistant Attorney General  
State of Mississippi 

Vineeta Anand, Chief Research Analyst
AFL-CIO 

Tord Carnlof, Co-founder & Senior Advisor
Ethix SRI Advisors 

Hans-Christoph Hirt, Director
Hermes Equity Ownership Services Limited 

Michael Garland, Director of Value Strategy
CTW Investment Group 

Dennis Johnson, (formerly with Shamrock Activist Value Fund)

Jody Olson, Chairman
State of Idaho Retirement Board 

Stephen L. Brown, Director & Associate General Counsel, Corporate Governance
TIAA-CREF 

Damien Park, Managing Partner
Hedge Fund Solutions, Inc. 

William J. Kelley, Jr., General Counsel
Retirement Systems of Alabama 

Pat McGurn, Special Counsel, Corporate Governance
Riskmetrics 

Kil Huh, Director of Research
Pew Center on the States 

Douglas A. Love, Chairman Investment Policy Committee
New Jersey Investment Council 

William Fornia, Senior Vice President
Aon Consulting 

Cas Sydorowitz, CEO, Corporate Advisory
Georgeson 

Ruth Ryerson, Executive Director/CIO
Fort Worth Employees' Retirement Fund 

Greg Kinczewski, Vice President/General Counsel
Marco Consulting 

Timothy Schoolmaster, President & Trustee
Evanston Police Pension Fund 

Carol Nolan Drake, J.D., Chief External Affairs Officer
Ohio Public Employees Retirement System 

Andrew Shapiro, President
Lawndale Capital Management LLC 

Michael D. Underhill, Chief Investment Officer
Capital Innovations, LLC 

Tom Gray, General Counsel
Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois 

Lisa Lindsley, Director
Capital Strategies AFSCME 

Timothy E. Brog, Managing Director
Locksmith Capital Management 

Jaeson Dubrovay CPA, CAIA, Partner
Advisory Aksia LLC 

Scott Zdrazil, Director of Corporate Governance
Amalgamated Bank, Long View Funds 

Tracey C. Rembert, Sustainability Analyst and Governance Advocate
Pax World Management LLC 

Ossian Ekdahl, Head of Communication and ESG
First Swedish National Pension Fund (AP1) 

Thomas Kirchner, President & Portfolio Manager
Pennsylvania Avenue Funds 

Ric Marshall, Chief Analyst
The Corporate Library 

Jared L. Landaw, COO & General Counsel
Barington Capital Group 

Brian L. Schorr, Chief Legal Officer
Trian Fund Management 

Peter Skjødt, Executive Director, Economic Affairs
Danish Insurance Association

10 Ways a Company is Vulnerable to an Activist Shareholder

Wall Street Lawyer recently published an article on shareholder activism written by Keith Gottfreid and Barry Genkin, Partners with the law firm Blank Rome LLP.

From the article:

According to data collected by FactSet SharkRepellent, there were 137 proxy fights in 2009 compared to 125 proxy fights in 2008 and 108 proxy fights in 2007. Of the 137 proxy fights in 2009, 46 made it to a meeting or shareholder vote. In addition, in 2009, activist shareholders secured board seats at 26 companies, either as a result of a proxy fight or other form of activist campaign.

The article continues by addressing the top ten criticisms the authors have seen most often lodged against a board of directors, without regard to any ranking in frequency or importance, that relate to the board's composition, leadership, compensation and governance:

1. Insufficient Level of Industry Expertise;
2. Absence of Core or Necessary Competencies Among Board Members;
3. Insufficient Level of Board Independence;
4. Little or No Stock Ownership;
5. Excessive Board Compensation;
6. No Separation of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Roles;
7. Low Turnover Among Board Members;
8. Failure to Heed the Will of Shareholders;
9. Record of Supporting or Facilitating Its Own Entrenchment; and
10. Failure to Hold Management Accountable.

Read the full article

CHECK OUT THE SHAREHOLDER ACTIVISM WEBINAR 

Hosted by BLANK ROME and THE ALTMAN GROUP
Wednesday May 12, 2010 2:00PM (EST)

Summary: Each proxy season brings new shareholder activism trends that are important for every IRO and legal counsel to understand. Hear from a panel of experts on current issues and trends for this proxy season and beyond. In addition, hear about real life examples of shareholder activist situations from a leading proxy solicitation group executive and activism attorney and know what you can do to prepare your company in advance. The presentation is scheduled begin at 2.00pm to 3.00pm Eastern Time with a Question & Answer session to follow.

Click Here to Register

Fourteen or Fight - S/T 7"

The Chicago hardcore 7" of the 2000's is right here. Fourteen or fucking Fight! Raging, raw, straight forward hardcore with catchy hooks & tasteful pinches of melody while still staying aggressive and capturing the 80s USHC style. Probably best known for doing the split with the Repos, but sadly get hardly any attention beyond that. The band started as ex-Charles Bronson/MK-Ultra, now these dudes are still shredding in bands like Manipulation, Herds, Chronic Siezure RIP. This Lengua Armada hit has been out of the press for quite some time, good luck finding this gem. A true classic.

download here.

Condominium - Gag 7"

The 4th vinyl offering slung by the monumental Condominium. Another single to add on to their growing empire of triumphant releases. The record starts with 7 minute epic jangle "Gag", then leads to the hard hitting squall, "Redemption Song", not unlike the hit of their last 7", "Barricade". Then the record ends with a rattling instrumental track that could be taken right off Death In June's - The Guilty Have No Pride. Another excellent effort by this Minneapolis (now) trio. Released by Deer Healer Records, head over to their catalog for purchase, not many copies left. This is not to miss.

download here.

Operation Makeout - Hang Loose

Here's an awesome band that I've rediscovered in a big bad way the past couple weeks. I first found out about Operation Makeout a few years ago when I was first getting heavy into Sleater-Kinney and wanted to find something akin to them. And yes they do sound a lot like S-K, but one thing they do not have that this band does is some great dueling male/female vocals at times reminiscent of X. It seems that people have pretty much forgotten about them (if they even bothered to learn in the first place) which is a shame because a lot of people are missing out on some catchy tunes.

Mint Records

Download Here

No Class - Tape

Yes. Been listening to this monster of a cassette non-stop since I picked it up at the Abused / Career Suicide gig in St. Louis last weekend. Kansas City stooges No Class bring some of the best hardcore I've heard in a hot minute. Get ready for some old school chord progressions, hard mid-tempos & hot straight forward vocals. Members of past KC ragers Black Mark & Wound Up. "You're Over" is the fucking jam. Mosh. E-mail the band for a copy ~ noclassnoclassnoclass[at]gmail.com | thewayyoutreatme.blogspot.com

download here.

Raw Nerve - LP

The master rip of this 14 song masterpiece, straight from the band. No bullshit crumby sounding usb turntable rips. Raw Nerve do everything perfect here. Fourteen songs in under 14 minutes, no boring stinkers as most LP's seem to have. Perfect pack of short, violent rippers & mid-paced slammy jabbers with the obvious hit of the LP titled "Hemlock". Includes the recording of the 'secret' double grooved track. Few copies still available from Youth Attack. HardCore lives!

download here.

OUT NOW: Much Worse - Proper Execute 7"

7 tracks of high energy, uncontrollable hardcore punk. Fans of 9 Shocks Terror, Cut The Shit & Gauze not to be disappointed. Limited to 300. Hand stamped labels & hand numbered inserts. 40 alternate & limited covers for sale as well. THANKS.

Purchase here:
http://passjudgement.bigcartel.com

download here.

Copies will be available shortly from Grave Mistake, 16oh & Sorry State.

Pigeon Religion - Crystallized Meth 7"

The 3rd vinyl offering from Arizona's sexoid trio Pigeon Religion. Two tracks off the Crystallized Meth Cassette which was released last year in exiguous quantities and a new exclusive song titled Rust. All that's here is more fuzzed, feedback ridden Flipper worship with deathrock gazes. Buy this over at Video Disease. Copies are going fast.

download here.