SUPPORTING STATEMENT: A 15% stock ownership threshold to call a special meeting would bring American Tower generally in line with more than 100 companies that provide for 25% of shares to be able to call for a special shareholder meeting. More than 100 companies do not attach strings to their 25% threshold. However AMT attached a big string to its current threshold by excluding all shares that are not held for a full continuous year. Thus to make up for the exclusion of all shares held for less than a full continuous year the new threshold at AMT should reasonably be set at 15%.
Since a special shareholder meeting can be useful in replacing a director, this proposal may be an incentive for the AMT directors to improve their performance and in turn improve shareholder value.
Calling a special shareholder meeting is hardly ever used by shareholders but the main point of the right to call a special shareholder meeting is that it gives shareholders a Plan B option if management is not interested in good faith shareholder engagement. Management could elect to genuinely engage with shareholders as an alternative to conducting a special shareholder meeting.
With the widespread use of online shareholder meetings it is much easier for management to conduct a special shareholder meeting and our bylaws thus need to be updated accordingly.