The Enlightened Shareholder Value Principle and Corporate Governance

The enlightened shareholder value principle (ESV) was formulated during the comprehensive review of UK company law by the Company Law Steering Group in the late 1990s and early 2000’s and requires directors of companies to act in the collective best interests of shareholders. The principle was taken up by the then UK Government and is now embedded in the Companies Act 2006. The emergence of the principle constitutes an important development in corporate governance, particularly in determining wh