Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sussman Quoted in Bloomberg Article on Shareholder Activism Campaigns During the Pandemic

Olshan partner Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sussman was recently quoted in a Bloomberg Article entitled “Shareholder Activism Campaigns Rebound Out of Pandemic” in which she discussed some of the reasons for the heightened tensions between companies and activist investors during the pandemic. Mrs. Gonzalez-Sussman commented on the current state of shareholder activism and said, “Companies so far this year have tended to believe they navigated the pandemic well, and have momentum going into the back half of the year.” She continued, “The activists, on the other hand, have focused on their track records prior to the outbreak…the result is that a lot of fights that should have settled early, didn’t, which created a big disconnect.” She explained, “That’s what was creating this surprise on the company side and frustration on the investor side.” In conclusion she mentioned that, “This has both sides in boardroom battles “hyper-focused” on the quality of their slate, adding that candidates will need to have skill sets that address a myriad of issues, from operations to ESG.”