Biography

Rebecca regularly advises on global compliance program design, implementation, review and oversight, including the interplay between corporate compliance and ESG-related risks and opportunities. Her fit-for-purpose and risk-based approach to corporate compliance is informed by her experience developing and implementing a global compliance program during a six-month secondment at a major diversified multinational in the Middle East.
Rebecca has extensive expertise in advising on highly sensitive and unusual matters for public and private companies, and not-for-profit corporations (including universities, sports governing bodies, trade groups and charitable organizations). These include special committee investigations and other matters relating to ESG issues such as bribery, CEO activism, climate transition, conflicts of interest, corporate culture, cybersecurity, product safety and quality control, racial discrimination, sexual assault, and whistleblower protection.
Rebecca counsels U.S. public companies (including U.S. filers incorporated outside the U.S.) and foreign private issuers, private equity firms, portfolio and private companies, state-owned enterprises, professional services firms, institutional investors, financial market utilities and not-for-profit corporations, operating in a wide range of industries, at all stages of their life cycle, with respect to the full range of complex corporate governance, securities regulation and compliance issues and related disclosure, including board and committee fiduciary duties and protections, ESG and risk oversight, board leadership, composition and structure, board effectiveness, corporate culture, director independence, director elections, corporate governance policies and procedures, board evaluations, related party transactions, conflicts of interest and corporate opportunities, crisis preparedness and management, CEO transitions, executive and director compensation, shareholder engagement and activism, proxy advisory firm policies, takeover defenses, and compliance with applicable corporate laws, regulations and listing rules. She has extensive experience in a broad range of cross-border mergers and acquisitions and securities transactions, particularly multi-jurisdictional transactions requiring harmonization of U.S. and non-U.S. regimes, including those requiring innovative SEC relief.
Rebecca is a frequent speaker and writer on ESG topics, including at events in the U.S., Europe and Asia sponsored by the American Bar Association, the Practising Law Institute, The Conference Board and the U.S. State Department. She serves as Co-Chair of the International Developments in Corporate Governance Subcommittee of the American Bar Association and has lectured at the Yale School of Management and at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.
In 2021, Rebecca was elected as a Fellow to the American College of Governance Counsel. In 2008, Rebecca was named a “Rising Star of Corporate Governance” by the Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance at the Yale School of Management.
Rebecca is dual-qualified in New York and Australia. She has practiced corporate law since 2001.
Firm News & Announcements, Speaking Engagements, Latest Thinking
Firm News & Announcements
- Rebecca Grapsas Named Weil Partner – Enhancing Firm’s Sustainability & ESG Platform Press Release — November 06, 2023
Speaking Engagements
-
The Conference Board’s Corporate Governance Council Meeting
Speaker(s):
Rebecca Grapsas
October 13, 2023 — Weil Public Company Advisory Group partner Rebecca Grapsas spoke on a program titled “‘Traditional’ Cybersecurity Issues with AI Implications” as part of The Conference Board’s Corporate Governance Council meeting in Copenhagen.
-
Hitting the Reset Button on ESG: Setting Strategy with the Broader Picture in Mind
Speaker(s):
Lyuba Goltser and
Rebecca Grapsas
August 1, 2023 — Public Company Advisory Group Co-Head Lyuba Goltser and Public Company Advisory Group partner Rebecca Grapsas spoke on a program titled “Hitting the Reset Button on ESG: Setting Strategy with the Broader Picture in Mind” as part of The Conference Board’s ESG Center Working Group.
-
Board Oversight
Speaker(s):
Rebecca Grapsas
May 1, 2022 — Weil Public Company Advisory Group partner Rebecca Grapsas spoke on a panel titled “Board Oversight” as part of the Corporate Governance Seminar, Deakin University webinar.
Latest Thinking
- A New Benchmark for Corporate Transparency on Climate – California Governor Newsom Signs Bills Establishing Corporate Climate Disclosure Standards, While Questioning the Feasibility of the Current Implementation Deadlines and Highlighting Concerns over Costs to Affected Businesses Alert — By Annemargaret Connolly, Lyuba Goltser, P.J. Himelfarb, Matthew D. Morton and Rebecca Grapsas — PDF — October 12, 2023
-
Sustainability & ESG Quarterly Roundup
Blog Post — Weil Governance & Securities Watch
— By
Lyuba Goltser,
Annemargaret Connolly,
James Bromley,
Marc Schubert and
Rebecca Grapsas
— September 11, 2023
We are pleased to share with our clients and friends the latest edition of our newsletter, Sustainability & ESG Quarterly Roundup. In this newsletter, we highlight key developments relating to sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics over the past quarter, with a focus on developments of interest to U.S. public and private companies, […]
The post Sustainability & ESG Quarterly Roundup appeared first on Governance & Securities Watch.
... - Requirements for Public Company Boards: Including IPO Transition Rules Blog Post — Weil Governance & Securities Watch — By Rebecca Grapsas — August 07, 2023
-
Quarterly Review of Corporate Governance and Public Company Disclosure Developments
Blog Post — Weil Governance & Securities Watch
— By
Adé Heyliger,
Julie Rong and
Rebecca Grapsas
— July 21, 2023
In this quarterly newsletter, we highlight key developments related to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) rulemaking, corporate governance, the increasing attention on green hushing, and proxy season trends over the past quarter, with a focus on developments of interest to U.S. public companies. ...
-
The Big Three & ESG: A Guide to BlackRock, State Street & Vanguard Proxy Voting Policies & Guidance on Key ESG Issues
Blog Post — Weil Governance & Securities Watch
— By
Lyuba Goltser and
Rebecca Grapsas
— May 19, 2023
The “Big Three” institutional investors, BlackRock, State Street Global Advisors and Vanguard, have significant influence on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies and related disclosure for public companies. In this annual publication, we provide the latest thinking of the Big Three on key ESG topics. Companies are well-advised to review these policies and guidance in planning for engagement with the Big Three throughout the year, and in considering ESG disclosures going forward. ...