Glass Lewis Lauds Disney, Doubts Mitchell

In a report in advance of Walt Disney Co.’s annual meeting in Minneapolis next week, proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis lauded the Burbank company’s board for such actions as revamping executive pay, increasing disclosure and “taking some important steps to improve relations with shareholders.”

Yet it advised withholding votes for the board’s chairman, former Sen. George J. Mitchell, questioning his autonomy because of past work for Disney.

Earlier, the largest proxy advisory firm, Institutional Shareholder Services, recommended shareholders vote for all 12 Disney directors, including Mitchell.