Coronavirus (COVID-19)

ARCHIVED: This archived overview outlines the elements of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that affected law and market practice that was relevant to Corporate lawyers. It is not maintained and is for background information only.

For a summary of the main issues that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic raised for corporate lawyers, see Practice Note: Coronavirus (COVID-19)—key issues for Corporate lawyers [Archived].

General meetings and AGMs

The coronavirus pandemic presented immediate legal and practical challenges to companies that needed to hold their annual general meeting (AGM) while social distancing restrictions were in place.

On 17 March 2020, the Chartered Governance Institute (CGI) and Slaughter & May published guidance about company AGMs and the impact of Covid-19. The guidance was supported by various institutional investor representative bodies and reviewed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. It was intended to offer practical support to companies relating to the holding AGMs during the coronavirus pandemic and the options discussed included adapting the basis on which a company’s AGM is held, delaying convening an AGM, postponing an AGM, adjourning an AGM and conducting a hybrid AGM.

On 28 March 2020,

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