White & Case Ranked Top Legal Adviser for Activism – First to Lead on both Activist and Company Sides

Global law firm White & Case LLP has been ranked as the #1 legal adviser to both activists and public companies in Europe, #2 legal adviser to activists in Asia Pacific and #4 legal adviser to activists globally in the Bloomberg Activism Market Review Adviser Rankings H1 2020. It is the top ranked full service international law firm for activism globally. This is the first time that a legal adviser has been ranked #1 on both the activist and the company sides of campaigns, reflecting White & Case's uniquely balanced activism practice.

"We are continuing to see activist activity outside the US, in particular in the UK, Japan and across Europe, notably France, Germany and Poland," said Partner Patrick Sarch (London), co-head of White & Case's Activism Practice. "In all these jurisdictions, we’re glad to be helping companies and investors engage to their mutual benefit, or to deal with differences on strategy, governance or business model, as cleanly as possible in the best interests of the companies and their shareholders. Our US and global presence advising both sides puts us in a unique position and allows us to provide our clients with a rounded view."

Partner Tom Matthews (London), co-head of the Activism Practice with Sarch added: "Whilst we have seen a decline in new public activist campaigns and demands since the onset of the pandemic, there is much going on below the surface. Many activists have adopted a 'wait and see' approach regarding public campaigns  and are instead repositioning themselves to take advantage of share price volatility and preparing for strategic engagement once the path ahead is clearer. We expect to see a rise in engagement in the coming months and are helping companies to prepare for this, with a new focus on a sustainability agenda and wider ESG issues."

Bloomberg Activism Market Review Adviser Rankings is a leading publication of Activism advisory rankings. The ranking represent the top financial, legal, IR and proxy solicitor advisors in the global shareholder activism market.