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Highlighting Exxon fit, investors prompt companies to keep investor spats out of court

A group of around 40 large European and American institutional financiers on Tuesday prompted business to refrain from taking shareholders to court over disputes relating to their proposals.

The group, which represents $4.8 trillion in assets under management, highlighted the claim filed by Exxon Mobil versus two activist groups, in which the oil company seeks to bar their environment resolution.

They stated long-term financiers would suffer if business progressively look for the judgment of a court for settling differences on shareholder propositions.

We are concerned that these actions will prevent the filing of proposals worrying the sustainability concerns that are material to the performance of our equity and set earnings portfolios, the investors stated.

We want to secure the right of shareholders to utilize their vote to decide for themselves when a proposal, sustainability-related or otherwise, is in their best interests which of their stakeholders.

Among the group are pension investors APG, PGGM and insurer NN Group from the Netherlands, Nordic banks Nordea and Swedbank, and a series of other investors from throughout Europe and the U.S.

. The group backed a similar call to companies made by the U.S. Council of Institutional Investors in February to let the Securities and Exchange Commission