Its suit, which includes seeking legal fees, has drawn criticism from shareholders like Norway's sovereign wealth fund and California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS). A large number of votes against ExxonMobil board nominees would signify shareholder disgust with the company's tactics. CalPERS called climate change "a serious threat to long-term investment returns," while arguing that ExxonMobil's litigious tactics could have "devastating" consequences for corporate governance. "If ExxonMobil succeeds in silencing voices and upending the rules of shareholder democracy, what other subjects will the leaders of any company make off limits? Worker safety? Excessive executive compensation?" CalPERS said it would vote against all 12 board nominees "to send a message that our voices will not be silenced."