Sidley’s preeminent Shareholder Activism and Corporate Defense practice frequently represents clients facing ESG and sustainability issues and demands in shareholder activism campaigns. Sidley is home to the No. 1 Shareholder Activism and Corporate Defense practice across all major league tables, led by Kai H. E. Liekefett and Derek Zaba, two of the very few lawyers in the world who devote 100% of their time to shareholder activism, proxy fights, hostile takeovers, short attacks, and other contests for corporate control.
Sidley’s Shareholder Activism and Corporate Defense practice has experience advising clients in all phases of an ESG activism campaign, including preparedness, vulnerability assessments, Rule 14a-8 shareholder proposals, investor relations matters, and proxy fights. In the past five years, Sidley has defended approximately 150 proxy contest defenses worldwide and more than 25% of all late-stage proxy contests in the United States, more than any other law firm. Our partners publish and speak widely on sustainability and corporate governance, with articles appearing in the Harvard Law School Corporate Governance Forum, Lexology’s “Getting the Deal Through” series, Law360, Insights, and The Review of Securities & Commodities Regulation.
Our Work
We help our clients in the following areas:
- ESG-Related Shareholder Activism. Defend against ESG-related shareholder activism matters, including traditional shareholder activism campaigns with an ESG theme.
- ESG Shareholder Proposals. Navigate ESG-related shareholder proposals from all major ESG proponents, including John Chevedden, James McRitchie, As You Sow, Green Century Capital Management, Carpenter’s Pension Funds, and The Accountability Board.
- Proxy Voting and ESG Rankings. Understand and respond to the evolving expectations of proxy advisors, institutional investors, and ESG rankers and raters.
- Mitigate Risk. Assess ESG- and sustainability-related performance and disclosures to address and mitigate potential activism risk.
- Disclosure Counsel. With high-profile and high-risk ESG- and sustainability-related disclosures, including the changing or removal of ESG- and sustainability-related targets and goals.
