The past year has shown a strong resurgence in global M&A activity, as companies seek to acquire weakened competitors and private equity makes the most of ready financing.
With increased M&A activity comes disagreement over valuations, sales practices and deal terms, often (if not always) resulting in shareholder litigation. We are now witnessing a change in the way deal litigation is prosecuted. Institutional investors and their counsel are becoming more active and are obtaining a wide range of monetary and corporate governance relief. The law is evolving as well, with recent landmark rulings involving, among other things, use of poison pills and other defensive measures against unsolicited tender offers, resolving conflicts of interest affecting management and advisors, and board oversight of the corporate sales process.
This webcast will examine the evolving landscape of M&A litigation, and will feature a panel of leading experts and practitioners in the field, including:
- Professor Steven Davidoff of the University of Connecticut School of Law who writes the “Deal Professor” column for The New York Times;
- Leading proxy solicitor Peter Harkins, President and CEO of D.F. King, who specializes in contested and complex proxy, consent and tender solicitations for public companies internationally;
- Prominent corporate litigator Bill Savitt, Partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, who advises boards and represents corporations and directors in M&A litigation, proxy contests and corporate governance disputes; and
- BLB&G partner Mark Lebovitch, who has served as lead counsel in some of the most significant corporate governance actions of the past five years.
Join our distinguished panel for a discussion of the important developments in the law, the state of shareholder activism, and the ongoing efforts to both restrain and empower shareholders in today’s M&A context. This free webcast is scheduled for Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 2 p.m. Eastern. To attend, please register below.
