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Akin

Akin

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United States • M&A/corporate and commercial

3

Corporate governance

The corporate group at Akin regularly handles corporate governance issues as part of M&A transactions and aids directors and officers with fiduciary duties, corporate governance structures and practices and ESG issues. The team is well-versed in a number of different regulatory and compliance requirements such as the NYSE, Nasdaq listing rules, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Activism is another key focuson the firm as well as shareholder communications, proxy and annual meeting preparations and executive compensation. Chair of the team, Kerry Berchem, is experienced in handling boardroom issues and corporate governance mandates from New York.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Accolades

Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Client satisfaction: NPS ®

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Kerry Berchem advised a special committee of our board of directors regarding potential conflicts of interest. She was extremely knowledgeable and explained difficult concepts clearly. She was responsive to our directors' questions and concerns throughout the several-month process that included multiple meetings. I would highly recommend Kerry for corporate governance matters, especially those that involve special situations.'

  • ‘Kerry Berchem navigated difficult situations and personalities with a lot of finesse. She clearly explained difficult concepts with ease and never got defensive when questioned. She understood the board politics and when to listen and when to speak up. Kerry is a very effective counselor and skilled in guiding directors through difficult decisions. Sarah Schultz was also very good in communicating with the Board and responding to difficult questions.’

  • ‘Akin has both broad and deep corporate governance experience. It is exceptional at partnering and building strong board relationships. It seamlessly includes appropriate specialist experience as the board needs it. Truly a valued partner!’

  • ‘The individuals we work with spend appropriate time in getting to know the client's issues and in building strong board/management relationships. They bring unbiased and comprehensive advice to our company which is greatly appreciated. ’

  • ‘Akin was great. They integrated the resources of the entire firm with the corporate governance practice to make things seamless.’

  • ‘Kerry Bercham is a rockstar. With a holistic and creative approach to problem-solving and an innate ability to manage and navigate complex issues, at every turn Kerry carefully balanced legal and business considerations in her recommendations and somehow corralled a very disparate board to "land the plane." She is a distinguished leader in a crowded field and has established herself as a trusted advisor both to the board and the C-Suite.'

Key clients

  • Diamondback Energy, Inc.
  • Enterprise Products Partners LP
  • EOG Resources, Inc.
  • Fossil Group
  • Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd.
  • Mammoth Energy Services, Inc.
  • MRC Global
  • Rattler Midstream LP
  • Sorenson Holdings LLC
  • Tellurian Inc.
  • Viper Energy Partners LP
  • Vital Energy
Practice head

Kerry Berchem

Other key lawyers

Sarah Schultz; Dan Fisher