Activist Shareholders in Corporate Governance: The Australian Experience and Its Comparative Implications

This book explores the regulatory challenges of public company shareholder activism.

Around the world, policy makers, practitioners and academics debate how best to regulate shareholder activism. Using Australia as a case study, the book examines key issues raised by this debate. With a market structure and legal settings that are conducive to activism, Australia makes an ideal case study and provides a fresh comparative perspective on the regulatory debate about shareholder activism, which tends to be dominated by US-focused analysis and commentary.

The book presents empirical evidence which reveals that Australian activism is a significant and multifaceted phenomenon, undertaken by different types of activists pursuing varying strategies and supported by a range of complementary market developments. The book uses this evidence to develop comparative insights and explore internationally topical issues, including:

- activists’ willingness to use interventionist governance rights;
- the role of intermediaries such as proxy advisers in facilitating activism;
- institutional investor stewardship; and
- the risks of collective shareholder activism.

This book provides an important comparative perspective on the topic of shareholder activism. It is an essential resource for policy makers, practitioners and academics interested in the regulatory implications of shareholder activism.

Tim Bowley is a Member of the Centre for Commercial Law and Regulatory Studies, Monash University, Australia.