Past topics have included policing corporate conduct, capital juries, and the criminal justice system post-September 11.

"The knowledge that derivative suits can be brought is a very strong control over corporate conduct."

Congress passed sweeping legislation to reform corporate conduct and governance last week, and President Bush has pledged to sign it.

After Mr. Bush's last big speech, about corporate conduct, the Dow dropped 179 points.

The company also responded by setting up equal-opportunity programs and defining standards of corporate conduct.

Requests may also be submitted by Canadian extractive sector companies that believe they are the subject of unfounded allegations concerning its corporate conduct.

Mr. Taxin says the firm hopes that its research and proxy advice will help enforce good corporate conduct.

A powerful group of lobbyists, playing on partisan disagreement in Congress, appears to have killed efforts to impose tight new controls on corporate conduct.

Mexican officials and American business groups respond that the labor panel has gone too far, turning the side agreement into a broad license to examine corporate conduct.

They contain no binding enforceable obligations for corporate conduct and the level of liberalization required would be inappropriate for developing countries.