Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP > New York, United States > Firm Profile

Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP
1325 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK, NY 10019
NEW YORK
United States

M&A/corporate and commercial > Shareholder activism Tier 1

According to one client, Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP‘s dedicated practice in New York is ‘quite simply the best and most experienced when it comes to shareholder activism’. The group is highly active, having advised on a wide range of activist campaigns, and the work is often cross-border, with matters taking place across jurisdictions such as Japan, Ireland, Canada, China, and the British Virgin Islands.The ‘intellectually agile’ Andrew Freedman runs the team alongside vastly experienced founding partner Steve Wolosky. Of the ‘seasoned lawyers that are practical and knowledgeable about all aspects of a campaign’, a standout name is Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sussman, who often represents and provides strategic guidance to hedge funds and other large investors in shareholder activist situations. Kenneth Mantel is another key lawyer in the team and is instrumental in the group’s work representing the most prolific and prominent activists in the market such as Elliott Management. Ryan Nebel regularly advises shareholders in connection with their strategies and investments.

Practice head(s):

Andrew Freedman; Steve Wolosky

Testimonials

‘Olshan is, in my view, quite simply the best, most experienced firm when it comes to shareholder activism. You know when you go into a campaign that you have seasoned lawyers on your side that are practical and knowledgeable about all aspects of a campaign, and its likely evolution. Having that much experience in a very specific practice is invaluable.’

‘Andrew Freedman is pragmatic, incisive, and hard working. He is sharply focused on achieving the best outcome and intellectually agile in getting there which is incredibly important in a fast-moving activist campaign. He is able to quickly identify the hierarchy of outcomes and the best negotiation strategy for achieving those. he does not get stuck on winning small points for their own sake, but in winning materially the whole campaign.’

Key clients

Ancora Advisors, LLC

Browning West LP

Chatham

Elliott Investment Management L.P.

Engaged Capital LLC

Engine Capital LP

ETFS Capital Limited

Land & Buildings Investment Management, LLC

Legion Partners Asset Management, LLC

Lion Point Capital, LP

Macellum Advisors, LP

Marathon Partners Equity Management, LLC

MG Capital Management, Ltd

Outerbridge Capital Management, LLC

RCF Management L.L.C.

RC Ventures, LLC (Ryan Cohen)

Starboard Value LP

The Donerail Group LP

Third Point Management

Velan Capital, L.P.

Work highlights

  • Advised Elliott Investment Management L.P. on all activist, governance related matters for its campaign and successful settlement at Duke Energy Corporation.
  • Advised Chatham on its acquisition of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company by deploying activist strategies, including the initiation of a lawsuit to level the playing field, navigating a multi-month bidding war, and financing the transaction without any due diligence, in order to be the successful acquirer.

Media, technology and telecoms > Advertising and marketing: transactional and regulatory Tier 3

The New York-based team at Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP has a broad transactional and regulatory practice. Key areas of expertise include sweepstakes and contest law, regulatory investigations, and e-commerce and social media-related matters. Practice head Andrew Lustigman has significant experience counseling both domestic and international clients on sweepstakes, contests, and the development of social media programs and marketing campaigns, as well as on regulatory, intellectual property and privacy matters. Scott Shaffer is also noted for his experience in compliance-related advertising and marketing matters, while associate Morgan Spina focuses on structuring of sweepstakes, clearance of advertising materials, advertising agreements, and regulatory investigations. Tamara Carmichael recently departed from the firm.

Practice head(s):

Andrew Lustigman

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Harbor Freight Tools, USA Inc.

Golfballs.com, Inc.

PLx Pharma Inc.

North American Nutraceuticals, LLC

Milk Makeup, LLC

Fooji, Inc.

Housewares America, Inc.

Leading Pharma, LLC

North American Media, Inc.

Fareportal Inc.

Work highlights

  • Advising PLx Pharma Inc. in connection with the advertising of its recently launched Vazalore.
  • Advising Fooji, Inc. on sweepstakes, contests, and related matters pertaining to ‘pop-up’ promotions on a weekly basis with an advertising spend in excess of $20 million per annum.
  • Advising popular cosmetic brand Milk Makeup, LLC in connection with its advertising, regulatory, and intellectual property matters regarding multimillion-dollar advertising campaigns.

Olshan, a law firm based in New York, represents major businesses and entrepreneurs in their most significant transactions, problems and opportunities. Olshan’s clients range from public companies, hedge, venture capital, private equity and other investment funds to entrepreneurs and private companies worldwide. Clients choose Olshan for innovative strategies and sophisticated, game-changing advice in corporate, securities law and shareholder activism, complex commercial, corporate and securities litigation, real estate, intellectual property, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, and advertising.

Main areas of practice
Shareholder Activism practice group:
Olshan’s shareholder activism group is widely recognized as the global premier practice in representing activist investors in contested director elections. Over the past decade our clients have orchestrated the replacement and appointment of more than 1,000 public company directors across the globe.  We advise on over 100 activist campaigns each year, including many of the most closely followed, high-profile board contests and activist-driven M&A situations The Activist group counsels clients on a wide variety of activist strategies, from proxy contests, consent solicitations and hostile takeovers to letter-writing campaigns and behind-the-scenes discussions with management and boards of directors.

Advertising, Marketing and Promotions: The advertising, marketing and promotions group attorneys are focused on serving the advertising, internet, and promotional marketing industries. Whether utilizing the latest in new digital technology to conduct a sweepstake, incorporating social media into a campaign, or delivering their message through traditional media channels, clients rely on the group for innovative and proactive legal advice that allows them to market effectively.

Corporate/Securities Law: Olshan’s corporate and securities law group provides experienced and creative counsel to public and private issuers, underwriters, venture capital firms and others in a variety of capital-raising transactions. Clients regularly call upon the group for its expertise in negotiating mergers and acquisitions, credit facilities and other loan transactions, venture capital financings, buyouts and ‘going private’ transactions, navigating contested proxy solicitations, forming and other matters.

Real Estate: The real estate law attorneys have particular experience serving clients in the areas of major office buildings, including purchases, sales, financings, space leasing and ground leasing of office buildings, hotels and development sites, retail leasing, where the firm represents major brand retailers in leasing retail space in Manhattan and across the US, ground rent reset arbitrations and real estate joint ventures.

Litigation: The litigation group represents funds, banks and other investors involving securities fraud allegations, broker-dealer disputes, lending, and contests for corporate control. Additionally, the group includes former prosecutors who maintain a white collar defense and whistleblower practice and general commercial litigators involved in a wide array of business and contract disputes involving software development, sales of businesses, sale of goods and more.

Bankruptcy and Financial Restructuring: The attorneys in the bankruptcy and financial restructuring group represent or have represented creditors, creditors’ committees, debtors, trustees, bondholders, secured creditors and lenders, landlords and buyers and sellers of distressed assets and debt or equity positions in out-of-court restructurings as well as in-court insolvency cases.

Intellectual Property Law: The intellectual property law group offers expert counsel and litigation capabilities to enable businesses and individuals to establish, protect and exploit their trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. The trademark practice is particularly extensive.

Brand Management and Protection: Olshan’s brand management and protection group helps clients build strong, enduring brands and protect them from challenges throughout the world, working with clients from brand inception through all stages of marketing and development.

Tax and Personal Planning: Olshan’s tax and personal planning group provides skilled and sophisticated tax and financial planning services to corporations, partnerships/LLCs and other business entities, high-net-worth individuals, families and fiduciaries of complex estates and trusts.

Employee Benefits: the employee benefits group meets the challenges employers face in connection with the compensation of employees and the planning and administration of employee benefits. The group assists in the design and drafting of all forms of executive compensation plans, arrangements and programs.

Employment Practices: the employment practices group assists employers in managing their relationships with employees and independent contractors, including preparation of employment contracts, investigations into allegations of discrimination and harassment, counsel on workplace testing and FCRA.

Department Name Email Telephone
Shareholder Activism Practice Group Andrew Freedman afreedman@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2250
Shareholder Activism Practice Group Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sussman egonzalez@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2206
Shareholder Activism Practice Group Ryan Nebel rnebel@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2279
Advertising, Marketing & Promotions Andrew Lustigman alustigman@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2258
Corporate/Securities Law Mitchell Raab mraab@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2237
Bankruptcy & Financial Restructuring Adam Friedman afriedman@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2216
Employee Benefits Stephen Ferszt sferszt@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2229
Employment Practices Michael Passarella mpassarella@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2322
Intellectual Property Law Mary Grieco mgrieco@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2389
Litigation Lori Marks-Esterman lmarksesterman@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2257
Litigation Brian Katz bkatz@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2276
Real Estate Thomas Kearns tkearns@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2273
Real Estate Nina Roket nroket@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2335
Personal Planning Warren Gleicher wgleicher@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2231
Tax Eduardo Cukier ecukier@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2203
Brand Management & Protection Mary Grieco mgrieco@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2389
Brand Management & Protection Andrew Lustigman alustigman@olshanlaw.com 212.451.2258
Photo Name Position Profile
Andrew Freedman photo Andrew Freedman Co-Managing Partner and Chair, Shareholder Activism Practice
Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sussman photo Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sussman Partner; Vice Chair, Shareholder Activism Practice
Andrew Lustigman photo Mr Andrew Lustigman Co-Managing Partner; Chair, Advertising, Marketing & Promotions Practice; Co-Chair, Brand Management &…
Kenneth Mantel photo Kenneth Mantel Partner
Ryan Nebel photo Ryan Nebel Vice Chair
Meagan Reda photo Meagan Reda Partner
Scott Shaffer photo Scott Shaffer Partner
Morgan Spina photo Morgan Spina Associate
Steve Wolosky photo Steve Wolosky Chair Emeritus, Shareholder Activism Practice
Number of Partners : 44
Number of Lawyers : 49
Co-Managing Partner : Nina M. Roket
Co-Managing Partner : Andrew M. Freedman
Co-Managing Partner : Andrew B. Lustigman