found: Work cat: Corporate Governance Reform and Transparency Act of 2016, 2016:p. 1 (the bill H.R. 5311 to improve the quality of proxy advisory firms for the protection of investors and the U.S. economy; the term 'proxy advisory firm' means any person who is engaged in the business of providing proxy voting research, analysis, or recommendations to clients)
found: Wikipedia, Dec. 19, 2016:proxy firm (also called a proxy advisor, proxy adviser, proxy voting agency, vote service provider or shareholder voting research provider; provides services to shareholders (in most cases an institutional investor of some type) to research and provide analysis proposals being put up for a vote by shareholders using the principles of good corporate governance)
found: Center on Executive Compensation web site, Dec. 19, 2016:proxy advisory firms (provide institutional investors with research, data, and recommendations on management and shareholder proxy proposals that are voted on at a company's annual meeting)