Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has a well-established shareholder activism practice encompassing M&A, corporate governance, and capital markets mandates. The team advises public companies on takeover preparedness, activist engagement strategy, and responses to hostile bids, and is experienced in managing cross-border campaigns requiring coordinated, multidisciplinary support. The practice is led by New York-based Kyle Harris, who advises clients across the consumer products, healthcare, industrials, and TMT sectors, and San Francisco-based J.T. Ho, whose experience includes proxy contests, activist negotiations, and governance disputes, including crisis communications. Francesca Odell contributes capital markets expertise, while Paul Shim handles transactional mandates. Kimberly Spoerri and Lillian Tsu advise boards on governance frameworks and disclosure obligations aimed at mitigating activism risk. Sebastian Alsheimer joined as co-head from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in January 2026.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The practice is thoughtful and guides us toward practical outcomes when facing shareholder activism. Activism can be contentious and emotional, and they help the team think critically and rationally in these situations. They have also offered discounted rates and fixed fees for certain matters.’
- ‘J.T. Ho and Shuanjun Wang are both great to work with. They are highly responsive and strong presences in the boardroom. JT draws on a wealth of activism experience to ensure proper preparation and response.’
- ‘Cleary has world-class talent who dig deep with clients. Their greatest strength is the deep relationships they build, resulting in best-in-class counsel across practice areas. Their special situations work in M&A and transactions, as well as shareholder activism defense, is among the best across law firms, both because of the talent they foster and the collaborative way they engage with other advisors. Cleary should be at the top of the list.’
- ‘Francesca Odell has more depth of knowledge about her clients than any counselor I have encountered in my career. Her roll-up-your-sleeves approach makes her a respected advisor and significant contributor to strong client outcomes. Kyle Harris has advised on some of the largest and most complex transactions in the market and is known for providing unvarnished advice to achieve success. His depth of knowledge helps clients, particularly in M&A, anticipate risks and be well prepared for what may come.’
- ‘The Cleary activism group is extremely knowledgeable, practical, and responsive. The attorneys are experts at identifying legal and strategic risks and providing comprehensive assessments and recommendations, allowing clients to make informed decisions at every stage.’
- ‘Each member of the group I have worked with approaches matters in a disciplined, client-focused manner. In particular, JT Ho has encyclopedic knowledge of the securities laws and some of the best judgment of any activism lawyer I have encountered.’
Key clients
- Henry Schein
Work highlights
Represented Henry Schein, the world’s largest provider of health care solutions to office-based dental and medical practitioners, in its strategic partnership with KKR, in connection with its defense of an activism campaign by Ananym Capital Management.
Practice head
Kyle Harris; J.T. Ho; Sebastian Alsheimer
Other key lawyers
Francesca Odell; Paul Shim; Kimberly Spoerri; Lillian Tsu; Shuanjun Wang