23
Jun
Shareholder Activism: Tactics, valuation tensions, settlements
Activism is rising in the UK, with campaigns sharpening around governance fundamentals, director-level targeting, capital-returns demands and early settlements, amplified by tactics such as swarming, bumpitrage and digital or AI-driven outreach. This session will discuss when activism accelerates strategic reviews and M&A, and when it complicates execution.
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SpeakersAnthony Kluk Managing Director Sodali & Co
Alice Squires Partner, Head of Investor Advisory Rothschild & Co
Brian Kelly Portfolio Manager, Head of Equity Strategies Sona Asset Management
Patrick Sarch Partner White & Case
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Alice Squires is a Partner, Head of Investor Advisory and co-Head of Shareholder Engagement. She joined Scott Harris in 2012 which was subsequently acquired by Rothschild & Co in 2015 as part of the foundation of Investor Advisory businesses.
Alice specialises in activist defence, ESG issues and covers all aspects of shareholder engagement for clients including messaging, Board engagement, remuneration support, retaining and finding new long term buyers.
She leads a number of high profile accounts including Royal Dutch Shell where Investor Advisory run the European investor engagement programme and provide feedback and insight across the investor universe.
Alice began her career with NatWest Markets in Corporate Finance in 1995 working with UK and European clients. She moved within NatWest to Equity Sales, which was acquired by Bankers Trust (BT) and to its successor company, Deutsche Bank, after it acquired BT in 1999.
She was Head of Mid Cap European Equity Sales and ran the number one ranked team for 6 years until 2005 covering all sectors and European countries for stocks under €5bn market cap and led a wide range of IPO’s, placings and takeovers.
Alice holds an MA (Hons) Economics and Politics from Edinburgh University and a Post Graduate Dip in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Brian Kelly is Portfolio Manager, Head of Equity Strategies at Sona Asset Management. Brian joined Sona with 16 years of experience across investing and strategic advisory with leading international firms. Prior to joining Sona, Brian was at PJT Partners, a leading advisory-focused investment bank, where he advised clients on complex public M&A, capital markets and investor issues. Brian joined PJT Partners from Highbridge Capital Management where he helped to build the firm’s Event Driven strategy. Brian graduated from University College Dublin with a Bachelor’s in Business & Law.
Patrick Sarch is a partner in White & Case’s Global Mergers & Acquisitions practice and co-founder of the Firm’s Shareholder Activism practice. A leading corporate finance adviser, he has advised numerous major corporates on shareholder activism defence strategies, engagement campaigns and other high-profile governance matters, as well as acting for several leading activist investors.
Recognised as a heavyweight boardroom adviser on critical and transformative issues facing companies, Patrick is also widely regarded as an expert in corporate governance. He has been involved in a number of market-leading and innovative transactions and situations, earning a reputation for navigating complex and challenging circumstances to deliver smooth, commercially sound outcomes. His solutions are often uniquely structured, unlocking value for all stakeholders while balancing competing interests and strategic objectives.