Introduction to the Italian Law of Public Companies

This introduction to the Italian law of public companies is the first chapter of forthcoming book on the same issue and aims at giving a general overview on the main issues and rules applicable to public companies operating in the Italian markets. This paper focuses on corporate governance issues, having regard to transparency and control principles as well as to the ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors. Concluding remarks highlight that fostering long-term shareholders’ activism may be a tool for strengthening the long-term best interest of the corporation since it allows directors to manage their enterprises in a manner that emphasizes the long-term over the short-term