Name of Registrant: Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc
Name of persons relying on exemption: California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
Address of persons relying on exemption: 400 Q Street, Sacramento, CA 95811
Written materials are submitted pursuant to Rule 14a-6(g)(1) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Submission is not required of this filer under the terms of the Rule, but is made voluntarily in the interest of public
disclosure and consideration of these important issues.
May 28, 2020
Dear Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Shareowner:
Support Shareowner Proposal #3 Requesting Majority Vote
We urge shareowners to support proposal #3 at the company’s June 16, 2020 Annual General Meeting. As of record date April 20, 2020, CalPERS owned approximately 71,000 shares of Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. common
stock. As a long-term shareowner of the company we ask that you support our non-binding shareowner proposal requesting the Board of Directors amend the company’s governing documents to allow for a majority voting standard in director elections, while
retaining a plurality vote standard for contested director elections.
Majority Vote for Director Elections is Becoming Widely Accepted
Plurality voting is rapidly being replaced with majority voting in uncontested director elections as a growing number of large companies have adopted it as a corporate governance best practice. Approximately 88% of the companies in the S&P 500
and 51% of the companies in the Russell 3000 have adopted some form of majority voting – an indication of the current direction of good corporate governance.
A Plurality Vote Standard Disenfranchises Shareowner
CalPERS believes that a plurality voting standard effectively disenfranchises shareowners when directors run unopposed. Under the existing plurality standard, uncontested director nominees can be elected with a single “For” vote, leaving votes
“Withheld” with no legal effect whatsoever. While under the CalPERS majority vote request, director nominees would need to be elected by the affirmative vote of a majority of shares represented and voting at a duly held meeting. Majority voting would
give shareholders a meaningful voice in determining who will represent them on the board.
Support Proposal #3 requesting Majority Vote for Director Elections
We believe a majority vote standard is essential to a sustainable system of governance that fosters director accountability and long-term value creation. Fully accountable governance structures through the adoption of majority vote should be in
place to offer shareowners a meaningful voice in the director election process. Please vote “FOR” shareowner proposal #3. Should you have any questions please feel free to contact Todd Mattley, CalPERS Associate
Investment Manager at Engagements@calpers.ca.gov or 916-795-0565.
Thank you for your support.
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Sincerely,
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Simiso Nzima
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Investment Director, Global Equity
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CalPERS Investment Office
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