Moderator: Steve Wade, head of event content, IR Magazine & Corporate Secretary
Steve Wade is the head of event content at IR Media Group. As a content researcher, conference producer, and event host for IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary, Steve is responsible for gathering intelligence on public companies' most significant global issues. Steve’s team develops events that promote excellence in investor relations, governance, and sustainability for issuers and investors.
Prior to Corporate Secretary, Steve’s background was in corporate social responsibility and responsible investment. During his time at Ethical Corporation (now Reuters Events), Steve launched the ESG symposium; an event focused on connecting the socially responsible investment community with corporate sustainability leaders at listed companies. Steve was a judge for the Deloitte Green Frog Awards, celebrating the best corporate reporting in Eastern Europe. Steve also presented research at the Global Sustainable Event Summit in London and has spoken about extra-financial reporting with the United Nations Global Compact, the World Bank, and the Polish Ministry of Finance.
Steve has a BSC in Event Management, is a member of working groups toward improved practices in international event management, and enjoys swimming, rugby and outdoor pursuits in his spare time.
Micheal Dobbs, SVP and general counsel, Texas Pacific Land Corporation
Micheal Dobbs is the Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel for Texas Pacific Land Corporation. Prior to his role with the company, he was a partner at Kelley Drye & Warren, LLP in Houston Texas.
Neil McCarthy, senior director of sales enablement & business development, Morrow Sodali
Neil McCarthy joined Morrow Sodali in 2022 as Senior Director, Sales Enablement & Business Development. Neil joined Morrow Sodali from Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. where, as the Senior Director, Disclosure Solutions, he developed and delivered educational programs expand awareness for their services to law firms. Prior to Broadridge, Neil was an M&A attorney at Skadden Arps, and an investment banker at Salomon Smith Barney and Bear Stearns. He also worked as an attorney for the US Treasury. He founded and built an information services firm for corporate lawyers, Lawyer Links, LLC, and has also served as legal counsel / corporate finance and M&A advisor to several start-up companies. Neil graduated from Harvard Law School and is an attorney in good standing in Massachusetts.
Andrea Reed, partner, capital markets, corporate governance, Sidley
ANDREA L. REED is a partner in the Chicago office with a focus on advising public companies through complex governance challenges and disclosure matters.
Clients rely on Andrea for specialized corporate governance advice on matters such as leadership transitions, crisis management, engaging with shareholders, proxy advisory firm matters, ESG initiatives, shareholder activism, exchange listing standards, board composition and leadership structure, board evaluations, insider trading, fiduciary duties, internal policies and best practices. She has also assisted many of our clients in responding to Rule 14a-8 shareholder proposals.
Andrea also regularly advises public companies with a strategic role on SEC reporting matters and unique disclosure issues that arise. She provides counseling on annual and quarterly periodic reports and investor communications, responding to SEC comments, ESG disclosures, Regulation FD matters, Regulation G and non-GAAP financial measures, Section 16 and beneficial ownership disclosures and emerging trends and best practices in SEC disclosures. She has extensive experience in assisting our clients with preparing the proxy statement for shareholder meetings and providing support throughout the shareholder meeting process.
Andrea works with companies across a variety of industries, with a larger concentration in the biotechnology and financial services sectors. She also works with many of our clients in the transition to becoming a public company and managing the unique governance and disclosure issues that arise for companies navigating the first several years following an IPO. She is regularly consulted as a contributor to publications and speaking engagements on the topics of corporate governance and SEC disclosures.
Earlier in her career, Andrea managed debt and equity offerings for public companies, having represented both issuers and underwriters in a wide variety of transactions. Andrea also has a background in public and private mergers and acquisitions.
Andrea received her J.D. with highest distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law and was elected to Order of the Coif. While in law school, she served on the executive board of the Iowa Law Review.
