(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are their own.)

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's first stated goal is to protect investors. Restrictions during Donald Trump's presidency on so-called proxy advisers, firms that help shareholders decide how to vote on corporate matters, seemed like a move away from that in favor of company bosses. President Joe Biden's SEC on Wednesday pushed to reverse those changes.

Chair Gary Gensler's agency is proposing to scrap rules approved last year that increased legal liability for advisory firms like Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis and required them to share recommendations early on with corporate executives. The SEC also adopted final rules requiring companies to use universal ballots for director nominees. That puts all candidates for board seats on one form instead of the outdated use of separate proxy cards for names proposed by the company and by investors with alternative ideas.

The denizens of boardrooms may regain the SEC’s ear after the next presidential election. For now, though, the agency is back on mission in support of investors, from retirees to cage-rattling activis(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are their own.)ts like Elliott Management. (By Gina Chon)

(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are their own.)

(Editing by Richard Beales and Amanda Gomez) ((SIGN UP FOR BREAKINGVIEWS EMAIL ALERTS: https://bit.ly/BVsubscribe))