Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sussman > Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile
Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP Offices
1325 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK, NY 10019
NEW YORK
United States
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Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sussman
Work Department
Corporate/Securities Law and Shareholder Activism Practice Groups
Position
Partner; Vice Chair, Shareholder Activism Practice
Career
Preeminent in her field, Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sussman advises hedge funds and other large investors in activist-related engagements with boards and management teams to maximize shareholder value, including behind-the-scenes engagements, withhold campaigns, proxy contests, and making unsolicited acquisition proposals. She is vice chair of Olshan’s Shareholder Activism Practice and a member of the firm’s Corporate/Securities Law Group.
Elizabeth possesses a clear understanding of market practices, deep knowledge of the law, and extensive experience in advising clients on all aspects of shareholder activism. A talented lawyer and an excellent negotiator, she zeros in on the key issues, helps clients evaluate their situations, devises actionable, strategic plans, and provides exceptionally practical advice based on both her clients’ immediate goals and their long-term vision.
Hedge funds and other large investors in shareholder activist situations regularly rely on Elizabeth for legal and strategic guidance on everything from large stock accumulations, behind-the-scenes engagements, letter-writing campaigns, consent and exempt solicitations, submitting shareholder proposals, negotiating settlements, running proxy contests, and making unsolicited offers.
Corporate directors and management teams at both public and private companies retain Elizabeth for advice when board-related issues or disputes arise. She has negotiated settlements for various investor groups at well-known companies including Momentive Inc., Kohl’s Corporation, and Bed Bath & Beyond. She represented an investor group in its successful proxy campaign for control at EQT Corporation and advised on the successful unsolicited acquisitions of Perry Ellis International by its founder George Feldenkreis, and R.R. Donnelley & Sons by Chatham Asset Management.
Both public and privately held companies also rely on Elizabeth’s guidance in mergers and acquisitions, capital-raising transactions, tender and exchange offers, and general corporate and securities law matters, including SEC reporting and corporate governance.
Elizabeth has been recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” in Corporate/M&A: Shareholder Activism by Chambers USA, achieved Tier 1 “Leading Lawyer” recognition in The Legal 500 United States guide for M&A/Corporate and Commercial: Shareholder Activism – Advice to Shareholders every year since 2020, and has been recognized numerous times by Crain’s New York Business. She also was profiled in Business Insider as one of the top go-to lawyers for activist investors.
Memberships
Board of Directors, Columbia Law School Association since 2018
Education
Elizabeth received her J.D. from Columbia Law School and holds a B.A., cum laude, from New York University College of Arts and Science.
Lawyer Rankings
United States > M&A/corporate and commercial > Shareholder activism
(Leading lawyers: Advice to shareholders)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.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading lawyers: Advice to shareholders United States > M&A/corporate and commercial > Shareholder activism
- Shareholder activism United States > M&A/corporate and commercial