Michael W. Peregrine
Subscribe to Michael W. Peregrine's PostsMichael W. Peregrine represents corporations (and their officers and directors) in connection with governance, corporate structure, fiduciary duties, officer-director liability issues, charitable trust law and corporate alliances. Michael is recognized as one of the leading national practitioners in corporate governance law. Read Michael W. Peregrine's full bio.
The Board’s Role in Preventing—and Extinguishing—Employee Burnout
By Michael W. Peregrine on Jun 3, 2021
Posted In Employee Benefits
One of the COVID-19 pandemic’s most insidious harms has been the impact on employee health, morale and productivity arising from the erosion of home/work boundaries. In this Forbes article, McDermott partner Michael W. Peregrine argues that the mitigation of such harms is a board’s business. Access the article.
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A Living Wage: The Latest ESG Challenge for Corporate Governance
By Michael W. Peregrine on May 7, 2021
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Executive Compensation
Long considered controversial from economic and shareholder perspectives, living wage concepts are receiving more attention in the context of economic policy, social responsibility and ESG investing. As progressive perspectives concerning income equality, and executive and employee compensation, are becoming more mainstream, corporate leaders should prepare for greater engagement in this important conversation. Access the article
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The “Glass Cliff” Challenge for Corporate Governance
By Michael W. Peregrine on Mar 18, 2021
Posted In Employment, Labor
Most corporate directors are familiar with the term “glass ceiling”—as they should be. Fewer directors are familiar with the term “glass cliff”—but they should be. For their ability to recognize the distinction between the two, and respond to the related challenges, will be critical to a company’s efforts to assure gender equality within its workforce....
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Racial Diversity, Gender Equality and Corporate Governance: An Update
By Michael W. Peregrine on Feb 23, 2021
Posted In Employment
Corporate governing boards have a substantial homework assignment given multiple important developments affecting board composition and oversight of workforce culture. These developments encompass new surveys from prominent governance and consulting sources, notable litigation trends and a new state law. Collectively, they represent an accelerated focus by third parties on how directors are selected and employees...
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Women and the Pandemic Workplace: Leadership’s Critical New Challenges
By Michael W. Peregrine on Nov 17, 2020
Posted In Employment, Labor
Leadership’s responsibility for assuring gender equality within the workplace just received an important, highly public “push.” In a recent article in Forbes, McDermott partner Michael Peregrine analyzes a crucial study by McKinsey and LeanIn.org, which concluded that women have born an outsized workplace-related burden during the COVID-19 economy. Access the article.
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The Accountability Pendulum Nudges Back Towards Executives
By Michael W. Peregrine on Mar 5, 2020
Posted In Employment, Executive Compensation
Several new, highly public developments showcase prominent executives being subjected to significant financial penalties, loss of employment and reputational damage arising from allegations that they bore responsibility for corporate scandals to which they contributed, directly or indirectly. Even though these developments are unique in their nature and scope, the sheer magnitude of the penalties asserted...
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Governing Health Podcast Series: Health Care Industry Executive Compensation Trends
By Michael W. Peregrine and Ralph E. DeJong on May 15, 2018
Posted In Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation
Executive compensation for the health care industry is always an important topic for the board, made even more critical by the provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and recent governance trends. We’re joined by two of the leading health care industry voices on executive compensation practices: Tim Cotter of Sullivan, Cotter and Associates,...
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How the Tax Act Upsets the Board/Executive Compensation Committee Dynamic
By Michael W. Peregrine and Ralph E. DeJong on Jan 23, 2018
Posted In Executive Compensation
Michael Peregrine and Ralph DeJong wrote this bylined article about what they called the “enormous consequences” for tax-exempt hospital senior executive compensation due to the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions that place an excise tax on executive compensation and benefits. “From a corporate governance perspective, the significance of these new provisions carries the...
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Tax Reform Bill Becomes Law: Lessons for Tax-Exempt Organizations
By Erika Mayshar, Michael W. Peregrine, Mary K. Samsa, Ralph E. DeJong and Robert C. Louthian, III on Dec 28, 2017
Posted In Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation, Retirement Plans
Tax-exempt organizations—especially hospitals and health systems—face a new tax reality now that both houses of Congress have voted to pass the final tax reform bill. Continue Reading.
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Advising the ‘Cultural Revolution’ in the Boardroom
By Michael W. Peregrine on Apr 25, 2017
Posted In Employment
Michael Peregrine wrote this bylined article analyzing what he called the “significant emerging governance trend” in which corporate boards proactively exercise “more vigorous and direct oversight of the organization’s corporate culture,” reflecting “an increasing awareness of how matters of culture and reputation correlate to the success of an organization, and to the board’s efforts to sustain...
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