In the US, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has pushed most public companies to defer performance bonuses for senior executives by about a year, slightly helping reduce "short-termism".

As part of complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, executives must provide guidance on the implementation of SOX mandates, particularly Sections 404 and 302.

And that means corporate directors and executives are starting to worry about being sued under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for bungling the job.