The Deal
Episodes
Drinks With The Deal: Kirkland's David Fox
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
David Fox discusses building an M&A practice at Kirkland & Ellis, his friendship with Joe Flom and his plans for the next phase of his career ...
Drinks With The Deal: Author Chase Purdy
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Chase Purdy discusses his new book "Billion Dollar Burger: Inside Big Tech’s Race For The Future of Food", in which he describes the effor...
Activist Investing Today: CII's Bertsch on Pills, Virtual Meetings
09 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Bertsch, the executive director of the Council of Institutional Investors speaks with The Deal for its Activist Investing Today podcast about why ...
Drinks With The Deal: Author Sarah Frier
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Frier, the author of the new book 'No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram' and a technology reporter for Bloomberg, talks about how ...
Activist Investing Today: AVI’s Bauernfreund on Japan Insurgencies
29 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Bauernfreund, manager of a $1 billion sometimes activist U.K. fund Asset Value Investors, discussed why he may start submitting shareholder propos...
Behind the Buyouts: Steen Brings the Farmer's Voice to VC
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Colin Steen, managing director at Syngenta Ventures, talks about investing opportunities in the agriculture and food sectors in the The Deal's in...
Drinks With The Deal: UPenn's David Skeel
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
David Skeel, a bankruptcy professor at the University of Pennsylvania, talks about his work with the Puerto Rico Oversight Board and the lessons of th...
Activist Investing Today: Goldstein Targets Fund Bylaws
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Activist investor Phil Goldstein believes a recent Securities and Exchange Commission decision upholding a closed-end fund's right to ignore a sh...
Activist Investing Today: Jackson Eyes eBay M&A Amidst Covid-19
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Jackson, manager of technology-focused hedge fund EMJ Capital, says he thinks the company should use cash on hand — and proceeds from expected ...
Activist Investing Today: Privet’s Rosenzweig on Synalloy, Covid-19
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The activist investor Ben Rosenzweig talked about why Privet doesn’t want to buy Synalloy now even though he is seeking to take control of its board...
Activist Investing Today: Coast's Rasteh on FirstGroup, Covid-19
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The founder of the New York-based activist fund explains why he hires CEO experts and other advisers to assist with the fund's campaigns. He also...
Activist Investing Today: V&E's Elbaum on Covid-19 vs. 2008
13 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Many hedge funds first-time activists, family offices and private equity funds who have been contemplating activism are going to walk away from their ...
Drinks With The Deal: Steven Lipin of Gladstone Place Partners
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Steven Lipin, founder of communications firm Gladstone Place Partners, talks with The Deal’s David Marcus about the Anixter and Disney/Fox deals, th...
Activist Investing Today: Author Geoffrey Cain
05 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Geoffrey Cain, author of a "Samsung Rising," talked with The Deal for its Activist Investing Today Podcast, about chaebols, the biggest swin...
Activist Investing Today: Banking Insurgent on M&A, Majority Votes
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
New community banking activist Abbott Cooper offers his thoughts on his M&A pushes at Community Bankers Trust and First United, two middle-market ...
Drinks With The Deal: Ted Smith of Union Square Advisors
07 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ted Smith, president of Union Square Advisors, discusses Permira's purchase of a majority stake in Lytx, the rise of tech PE, the outlook for sof...
Activist Investing Today: Hamermesh on Icahn, Bylaws and Insider Votes
28 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Widener University's Lawrence Hamermesh talks about why there isn't much clarity about whether activists can gain access to corporate books ...
Drinks With The Deal: Sullivan & Cromwell’s Frank Aquila
10 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Frank Aquila discusses his work for Tiffany’s on its sale to LVMH, for AmGen on its purchase of Otezla, and for Novartis on its billion purchase of ...
Activist Investing Today: Columbia’s Coffee on WeWork, Softbank and IPO Ratchets
12 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Retail investors are being harmed by essentially secret IPO protection deals still-private companies are reaching with mutual funds. At least that’s...
Drinks With The Deal: Chris Varelas
06 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The former Citi tech investment banker and author of 'How Money Became Dangerous' talks with The Deal’s David Marcus about working at Disn...
Activist Investing Today: Antitrust Expert Talks Activism
22 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Diana Moss, president of the American Antitrust Institute, suggested that financial activists are exerting pressure on companies to merge even though ...
Drinks With The Deal: PJ Solomon's Marc Cooper
08 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
PJ Solomon’s Marc Cooper talks about brand authenticity, the challenges of being a CEO and the joys of the half-bottle.
Activist Investing Today: Snow Park’s Pierce Talks Activism in Australia
18 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jeffrey Pierce, managing partner at activist fund Snow Park Capital, discusses his experiences with agitation at an Australian REIT and gives commenta...
Activist Investing Today: McRitchie Targets Shareholder Proposals, BRT’s ‘Stakeholders’
13 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The top proponent of shareholder proposals spoke to The Deal’s Activist Investing Today podcast about what he thinks would happen if the nation’s ...
Activist Investing Today: Goodwin On Friedman Doctrine and CEO Lobby’s Stakeholders Push
30 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Goodwin On CEO Lobby’s ‘Stakeholders’ Push -The chief of the Applied Corporate Governance Institute told The Deal that Milton Friedman’s 1970 ...
Activist Investing Today: Harvard’s Roe Disputes Perceptions Around Short-termism and Activists
13 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Activist funds face an uphill effort getting the votes they need to effectuate change. That’s the view of Mark Roe, professor of Law at Harvard Law ...
Activist Investing Today: State Street’s Vernardis Says Many Companies “Surrender” to Activists When They Settle
08 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Some settlements reached between activist hedge funds and corporations represent an “unconditional surrender” by the targeted firm rather than a t...
Activist Investing Today: Columbia's Coffee on Board Diversity and Litigation
04 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A lawsuit or two challenging California's recently approved board diversity law requirement is likely to emerge, though the proponents of such a ...
Activist Investing Today: Columbia’s Coffee on Activists, Icahn, M&A and Proxy Adviser Rules
31 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Activist hedge funds hurt research & development budgets at U.S. corporations, which has a broader negative impact on the economy.At least that’...
Activist Investing Today: CCGG’s McCall on Canada ‘Say on Pay,’ ESG and Diverse Boards
16 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Canada currently doesn’t have legislation mandating a non-binding vote of shareholders on executive compensation, but legislation percolating on Par...
Activist Investing Today: What’s Next at Sony With Third Point Hovering
12 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Activist Investing Today podcast spoke with The Deal’s media, technology and communications expert Chris Nolter, about whether there would be in...
Activist Investing Today: 'Dear Chairman' Author Gramm Discusses Luby's, Corporate Raiders
05 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s okay to call activist investors corporate raiders. At least that’s the view of Jeff Gramm, the author of “Dear Chairman: Boardroom Battles ...
Activist Investing Today: Turkey’s First Activist Talks Istanbul Insurgencies
26 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 2015, Ertan Enginalev, launched his first public insurgency campaign in Turkey, urging an industrial conglomerate, Akfen Holdings, to consider stra...
Activist Investing Today: Glass Lewis’ Grothe Talks Peltz, Campbell and Director Fights
08 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Activist investors like Nelson Peltz who have board and operational experience are more likely to be viewed positively by influential proxy adviser Gl...
Activist Investing Today: What’s Next For Rent-a-Center, Vintage in Delaware
01 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Activist Investing Today Podcast spoke with The Deal’s intrepid Delaware expert, David Marcus, about what to expect in Delaware Chancery Court l...
Activist Investing Today: UofW’s Nili Targets ‘Succession CEOs’ With Study
25 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Chief executives who also serve as board chairs are leaving CEO roles but maintaining chairman positions at a large number of U.S. corporations, a sit...
Activist Investing Today: Governance Guru Schulzke On Strong, Diverse Boards
18 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Individuals who sit on five or more corporate boards - particularly at the largest U.S. corporations -- may not have the bandwidth to focus enough ene...
Activist Investing Today: Raymond James’ Duncan Herrington Eyes Middle Market
11 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A recent proxy season found that the median market capitalization of companies targeted by activist investors was well below $300 million. That’s ac...
Activist Investing Today: Diligent’s Stafford on CEO-Chairmen and Scandal-Driven Board Shakeups
20 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Lead independent directors at U.S. corporations have become more important, especially when it comes to “clubby” boards. That’s the view of Bria...
Activist Investing Today: MacKenzie’s Marese talks M&A, Wynn and Poison Pills
14 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Institutional investors aren’t afraid to tell companies that shareholders should be permitted to buy as many shares as they want as long as they don...
Activist Investing Today: Guerra of ISS on Control Fights, Universal Proxies and Salting Pasta
05 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Activist hedge funds seeking board control essentially want corporations to give them "the keys” to businesses. As such they need to prove they...
Activist Investing Today: Governance Guru Charles Elson on Campbell, Dell and Insider Control
29 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The director of John Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance spoke to The Deal’s Activist Investing Today podcast about why he believes Third Point...
Activist Investing Today: Stifel's Bonifacino on Campbell, BlackRock, ISS and Unsolicited Bids
16 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Activists seeking to take control of boards don't need to have a CEO candidate in mind but they should produce a clear position about what they w...
Activist Investing Today: Doyle Targets Proxy Advisers
12 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Timothy Doyle, the general counsel of the corporate-backed American Council for Capital Formation, spoke to the Activist Investing Today podcast about...
Activist Investing Today: Morgan Lewis' Gottfried On Founder and Hedge Fund Activism Differences
02 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Keith Gottfried, chief of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP’s shareholder activism defense practice, took some time to talk to The Deal’s Activist In...
Activist Investing Today: Ancora's Chadwick Talks Working With Activist Pioneer Ralph Whitworth
02 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Activist Investing Today podcast talked to Jim Chadwick, about Ancora’s activist strategy and his recent insurgencies at Hill International and ...
Activist Investing Today: Applebaum On Icahn, Activism and Why Analysts Make Good Directors
02 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Activist Investing Today podcast talked to Michelle Applebaum, a former steel analyst who has been nominated by insurgent managers Barington Capit...
Activist Investing Today: Why Dan Loeb is Spear-Heading the Biggest Activist Campaign of 2018
02 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Activist Dan Loeb thinks Campbell Soup Co. should be sold and wants a full revamp over the board. The Deal's Senior Editor Ron Orol gave us the u...
Activist Investing Today: Marathon’s Cibelli on CEO pay, e.l.f., Shutterfly Campaigns
02 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Marathon Partners' manager Mario Cibelli explains why e.l.f.’s ‘fast beauty’ strategy can get its cosmetics into market faster than “lega...
Activist Investing Today: A Q&A With Wynnefield Capital’s Obus
02 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The insurgent investor Nelson Obus explains how listening in on his dad’s basement meetings put him on the road to investing, then later, Lazard ban...
Activist Investing Today: Barington’s Mitarotonda on Avon, Outback Steakhouse and Xerium
02 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
James Mitarotonda, who has run activist fund Barington Capital since 2000, says he takes a private-equity approach to public market investments in com...
Activist Investing Today: Sloane's Zacchei on Realistic Expectations For Activists
02 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sloane & Co.'s Dan Zacchei, who advises both targeted companies and investors involved in activist situations, suggests that an insurgent fun...
Activist Investing Today: Sidley’s Liekefett On War-and-Peace-Time in Activism
22 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Kai Liekefett recently joined Sidley Austin to become the law firm behemoth’s dedicated partner in charge of proxy fights and activism. He explains ...
Activist Investing Today: Engine Capital's Ajdler on Activism, CST Brands and Nelson Pelt
22 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Since 2013, the insurgent investor Arnaud Ajdler with a “fix it or sell it” investment philosophy has put 20 directors onto corporate boards. He t...
Activist Investing Today: Shill On Male Activists Targeting Women CEOs and Musk’s Control of Tesla
22 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Activist Investing Today podcast speaks to Gregory Shill, a University of Iowa associate professor of law, about the “glass cliff” and why we’...