Executives and boards should be prepared to address these issues with shareholders at annual meetings this year.
A regulator says new guidance will prevent companies from "gaming the rules to deny shareowners the right to vote on critical reforms."
The financial institution becomes the latest to adopt proxy access rules at the urging of large pension funds.
The industrial giant amended its bylaws to allow shareholders to include their director nominations in proxy materials.
The change could prevent other companies from excluding shareholder proposals that they say "directly conflict" with management proposals.
The regulator has backed off a rule that would have let investors directly nominate directors, but shareholders will still have a new way to influence elections.
