Corporate Counsel Poll 2008

July 01, 2008


The landmark survey of European companies finds a new attitude to alternative investors

Nicholas Pettifer
Staff writer

Sovereign wealth is nothing to be afraid of. Hedge funds are easier to deal with and more reasonable. Stakeholder comments regarding corporate governance are useful. And company management's fiduciary duties should take account of short-term investors with large stakes.

Corporate counsel are becoming more comfortable with every type of alternative investor. This is the conclusion of the second annual Corporate Counsel Poll, which polled in-house lawyers at some of the largest corporations in Europe. The questions were put together by a panel of corporate counsel for their peers and the poll was conducted on a completely anonymous basis to allow free expression and honest opinion.

It reveals that, more and more, corporate counsel recognise the advantages that different types of shareholders bring, both financially and strategically. Yet there is also an appetite for international, voluntary codes of conduct for hedge funds and private equity.

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