Recognition
Latham & Watkins Named Top Activism Defense Law Firm in 2024
January 17, 2025
Bloomberg, Diligent, FactSet, and The Legal 500
Firm earns multiple recognitions as a leader in shareholder activism defense.
Latham & Watkins has been recognized as the #1 legal advisor in the world to middle and high-market cap companies (US$2–10 billion) on activism defense matters by both Bloomberg and FactSet in their respective 2024 Activism League Tables. Bloomberg additionally recognized Latham as the top activism defense advisor in Europe in 2024.
The firm’s recognition as a leader in activism and short seller defense is built on decades of experience and an in-depth understanding of activists and their strategies.
Latham’s Shareholder Activism & Takeover Defense Practice earned additional top rankings in the 2024 year-end global activism league tables and legal directories, including:
- #1 Public Short Seller Defense Advisor, FactSet (YE 2024)
- #1 Global Defense Advisor in Healthcare, Bloomberg and FactSet (YE 2024)
- #1 Global Defense Advisor in Materials, Bloomberg (YE 2024)
- Top Activism Legal Advisor, Diligent Market Intelligence Advisor Awards (2024)
- Tier 1 in Shareholder Activism: Advice to Boards, The Legal 500 US (2022-2024)
A sampling of the firm’s activism defense work in the latter half of 2024 includes representing:
- Healthcare Realty Trust in connection with a cooperation agreement with Starboard Value resulting in new independent board directors
- Indivior PLC in connection with a relationship agreement with Oaktree Capital Management resulting in new independent board directors
- Cheesecake Factory in connection with its engagement with JCP Investment Management
- Wolfspeed in connection with its engagement with JANA Partners
- Atea Pharmaceuticals in connection with its engagement BML Capital Management & JEC Capital Partners, respectively