Board and committee meeting support
This includes the circulation of meeting papers, attendance at board and committee meetings and taking full minutes, advising on good meeting conduct, reviewing the content and application of schedules of matters reserved to boards and committee terms of reference, and preparing and circulating minutes and action points arising from meetings.
AGM support and project management
The AGM is a crucial time for Company Secretaries of quoted companies and can place immense strain on an in-house Secretariat function. We can provide assistance throughout and project-manage the AGM process, including drafting and reviewing shareholder communications such as the Notice of Meeting and proxy documentation, managing the despatch of communications to shareholders, providing an ‘extra pair of hands’ on the day of the AGM in assisting the Company Secretary, the board and shareholders, minuting and recording proceedings, and coordinating any post-AGM announcements and filings. Similarly, we can also relieve pressure points by taking day-to-day company secretarial compliance off Company Secretaries’ desks whilst they focus on the AGM.
Corporate governance reviews and healthchecks
Our reviews and corporate governance ‘health checks’ assess compliance against your company’s relevant regulatory obligations. Corporate governance is Jordans’ bread and butter so a health-check by one of our specialists will ensure your governance arrangements and processes don’t hold your business back. This would typically include an audit of your company’s corporate governance documentation, policies, systems and procedures to identify where improvements can be made, making recommendations for change and drafting and implementing the resulting policies and procedures.
Advice and guidance on the interpretation and application of relevant corporate governance codes and best practice
Quoted companies, whether listed on AIM or in the small-mid cap sector, are faced with a wide range of rules, regulations and guidelines, including inter-alia the Companies Act, the AIM Rules, the Listing, Prospectus, Disclosure and Transparency rules (LPDTs), the QCA and/or the UK Corporate Governance Code and shareholder engagement and investor guidelines. We can help you navigate and interpret the red tape relevant to your business.
Preparation and release of regulatory announcements via RNS Submit
Jordans has a licence with RNS Submit, the UK’s leading service for regulatory news announcements and the provider of choice for companies traded on the London Stock Exchange. We can assist you in drafting, preparing and releasing your regulatory announcements to the market.
Board evaluation and board effectiveness reviews
An effective board is a crucial factor in an organisation’s business success and conducting an open and honest board evaluation is an opportunity for a board to review and improve its performance. We can help boards and committees measure their effectiveness through our objective and impartial evaluation service.
Flexible ad-hoc support for specific projects including secondment
This can include flexible in-house or remote support on a secondment or interim basis, to cover absences such as maternity leave or long-term sickness, or just to help existing teams with a specific project or to reduce a heavy workload.
Directors’ training on statutory duties and obligations
Being a company director can be a richly rewarding experience, but the role is not an easy one and it is very important that all directors know exactly what is expected of them, the risks and their statutory duties. Directors’ training can also include assisting in the induction of new directors and regular training for the Board as a whole.
Statutory compliance support for your Group’s subsidiary companies
A strong subsidiary governance framework is critical to avoid both financial and reputational damage. We can take care of the statutory compliance obligations of your UK and international subsidiaries and branches, to enable your team to focus on other priorities.
Helpline and bank of hours
One element that is popular with our quoted company clients is a retainer of banked hours. This is based upon a reduced blended hourly rate to help with budgeting for ad hoc projects, transactions and day to day enquiries. As part of this service, our Corporate Governance consultants are on hand to assist with your day to day queries through a dedicated helpline.
Production of the Annual Report and Accounts and AGM documentation
We can provide hands-on assistance and practical support in drafting the Annual Report. We can assist quoted companies in drafting narrative sections of their Annual Reports, assessing compliance against the plethora of regulations and advising on best practice. Jordans is a contributor to the FRC’s project evaluating corporate reporting in the small cap sector.
Provision of suitable body/qualified individual to hold office as Company Secretary
One advantage of having a corporate body as the Company Secretary is that it provides flexibility by enabling more than one person to represent the Company Secretary and access to a more extensive knowledge base than might otherwise be the case. Public companies may appoint a corporate body as Company Secretary provided the directors are satisfied that the body has the requisite knowledge to perform this role.