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Aaron Briggs is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s San Francisco office and a member of the firm’s Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Practice Group. Aaron’s practice focuses on advising public companies of all sizes (from pre-IPO to mega-cap), with a focus on technology and life sciences companies, on a wide range of securities and governance matters, including:
- SEC compliance matters, including Exchange Act reporting, Securities Act registration issues, earnings releases and investor presentations, financial reporting and internal/disclosure control issues, securities law compliance (e.g., Section 16, Reg FD, Reg G, insider trading), auditor issues
- Corporate governance matters, including compliance with state corporate laws and NYSE/Nasdaq requirements, board/committee operations effectiveness, board evaluations, board composition and diversity, independence issues, fiduciary duties
- ESG and sustainability matters, including disclosure, alignment with TCFD/SASB/integrated reporting frameworks, program development, engagement with ratings agencies and other stakeholders, risk and liability management, board oversight
- Investor engagement matters, including disclosure usability and proxy/10-K redesigns, investor and proxy advisory firm expectations and engagement, shareholder communication effectiveness
- Annual meeting matters, including proxy statement compliance and effectiveness, proxy timeline and supplier management, proxy solicitation issues and effectiveness, meeting conduct best practices and issues, virtual meeting implementation
- Shareholder activism matters, including dealing with shareholder proposals, vote-no campaigns, adverse proxy advisor vote recommendations, hedge fund activism
- Executive compensation matters, including best practices, board oversight and governance, CD&A and other disclosures, SEC registration issues, investor expectations
In-House Experience
Before rejoining Gibson Dunn, Aaron served for five years as Executive Counsel - Corporate, Securities & Finance, at General Electric Company. His in-house experience—which included responsibility for SEC reporting and compliance, board governance, proxy and annual meeting, investor outreach and executive compensation matters, and included driving GE’s revamp of its full suite of investor communications (proxy statement, 10-K, earnings releases, and integrated report)—provides a unique insight and practical perspective on the issues that his clients face every day.
Memberships and Professional Involvement
- Co-Chair, Certified Corporate Governance Professional Oversight Commission for the Society for Corporate Governance
- Transparency Advocate, RealTransparentDisclosure.com
- Corporate Governance Professional Certificate, Society for Corporate Governance
Awards and Accolades
- Fellow, American College of Governance Counsel, an organization of leading corporate governance lawyers from the US and Canada (2023)
- Inductee, Governance Intelligence Hall of Fame (2023)
- Winner, Governance Professional of the Year, Corporate Secretary Magazine Corporate Governance Awards (2016)
Representative Transactions Serving as Governance Counsel
- Oruka Therapeutics Reverse Merger (2024)
- Spyre Therapeutics Reverse Merger (2023)
- Gyre Therapeutics Reverse Merger (2023)
- Apogee Therapeutics IPO (2023)
- Quidel-Ortho Merger (2022)
- Zevia PBC IPO (2021)
- Shattuck Laboratories IPO (2020)
- Biora Therapeutics IPO (2020)
- 89bio IPO (2019)
Selected Publications and Speaking Engagements
- Co-Creator & Author, A Practical Guide to SEC and Proxy Compensation Rules, “Chapter 18: Proxy Disclosure Effectiveness”
- Moderator, Society for Corporate Governance Northern California Chapter Event, “Navigating Complex Stakeholder Expectations Ahead of the 2025 Proxy Season” (2025)
- Contributing Author, “Annual State of Board Evaluations in the U.S.” (2024)
- Speaker, Gibson Dunn Capital Markets Client Webcast Series, “IPO & Public Company Readiness: Corporate Governance & ESG Considerations” (2024)
- Speaker, ABA SEER Fall Conference, “Lost at Sea? Navigating the Evolving ESG & Climate Disclosure Landscape” (2024)
- Speaker, Society for Corporate Governance National Conference, “The Growing Company - Charting Your Course from Small/Mid-Cap to Large Cap (2024)
- Speaker, Gibson Dunn Securities Regulation Client Panel Series, “SEC Up Close” (2024)
- Speaker, Center for Professional Education SEC Virtual Conference, “Hot Button Issues for Public Companies” (2024)
- Speaker, Gibson Dunn MCLE Blitz, “SEC Rulemaking & Getting Ready for the Annual Reporting Season” (2024)
- Speaker, Gibson Dunn Securities Regulation Client Webcast Series, “Key Considerations for Your 2024 Proxy Statement” (2023)
- Speaker, Society for Corporate Governance Essentials+ Conference, “SEC Rulemaking Developments” (2023)
- Speaker, Center for Professional Education SEC Virtual Conference, “Hot Button Issues for Public Companies” (2023)
- Speaker, Practising Law Institute SEC Institute, “Update on Management’s Discussion & Analysis” (2023)
- Speaker, Gibson Dunn MCLE Blitz, “ESG Opportunities & Pitfalls” (2023)
- Speaker, Gibson Dunn Securities Regulation Client Webcast Series, “Key Considerations for Your 2023 Proxy Statement” (2022)
- Speaker, Center for Professional Education SEC Conference, “Key SEC Developments and Hot Button Issues for Public Companies” (December 2022)
- Speaker, Gibson Dunn Capital Markets Client Webcast Series, “The Role of ESG in Capital Markets” (2022)
- Speaker, Gibson Dunn Client Webcast, “Understanding the SEC Rule Proposal on Climate Change Disclosure” (2022)
- Speaker, Gibson Dunn Capital Markets Webcast Series, “IPO and Public Company Readiness: Strategies and Considerations” (2022)
- Speaker, Gibson Dunn MCLE Blitz, “2022 SEC Disclosure & Proxy Season Outlook” (2022)
- Speaker, Practising Law Institute SEC Institute, “MD&A: Gearing Up for Year-End Reporting” (2021)
- Speaker, Practising Law Institute Virtual ESG 2021, “Building an Effective Corporate Governance Strategy and Managing Employees, Activists and Shareholders” (2021)
- Speaker, Society for Corporate Governance St. Louis Chapter Webinar, “Navigating the ESG Landscape” (2021)
- Moderator, Society for Corporate Governance Eastern Regional Conference Webinar, “The 2020 Proxy Season: A Season to Remember” and “What to Expect in 2021: Proxy Advisory Firms, Rule 14a-8 & Universal Proxy” (2020)
Academic Experience
Aaron received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School in 2007, where he was a Kosmerl Scholar. He received his Bachelor of Arts with high honors from the University of Notre Dame in 2004.
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