Vinson & Elkins Wins Top Shareholder Activism Defense Practice Award from Activist Insight for Unprecedented Sixth Consecutive Year

Over the past six years, Activist Insight has credited Vinson & Elkins’ Shareholder Activism practice with defending 194 campaigns waged by activists against boards and management teams of public companies – 75 more campaigns than the law firm with the second highest total of campaigns defended during this timeframe.

“Six consecutive years as the top-ranked firm confirms the value of our counsel to our clients,” said Lawrence Elbaum, partner and co-leader of Vinson & Elkins’ Shareholder Activism practice. “This recognition highlights that, for the better half of the past decade, our practice has become a destination for sound, aggressive and highly focused advice for boards and companies targeted by activists,” added Shareholder Activism practice co-head and Vinson & Elkins partner, Patrick Gadson.

The award from Activist Insight comes on the heels of several recent honors for Vinson & Elkins’ Shareholder Activism practice, including:

• “Tier 1” by Legal 500 U.S., M&A/Corporate and Commercial – Shareholder Activism: Advice to Boards, 2021
• Chambers Ranked, Corporate/M&A: Takeover Defense (New York), 2021
• #1 Ranked by FactSet and Refinitiv for number of campaigns defended for five years in a row, 2016 – 2020
• #1 Ranked by Bloomberg’s inaugural full-year rankings in 2019 based on number of campaigns defended

Individual recognitions for the co-heads of Vinson & Elkins’ Shareholder Activism practice include:

Lawrence Elbaum

• Ranked in Chambers USA Corporate/M&A: Takeover Defense (New York), 2021
• Highlighted as a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500 U.S., Shareholder Activism – Advice to Boards, 2021
• Finalist for “Dealmaker of the Year,” The Deal Awards, 2019
• Named New York Law Journal “Rising Star,” 2018

Patrick Gadson

• Recognized as “Up and Coming” in Chambers USA Corporate/M&A: Takeover Defense (New York), 2021
• Featured on Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” list, 2021
• Highlighted as a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500 U.S., Shareholder Activism – Advice to Boards, 2021
• Named a 2019 “Rising Star” by The Deal

Comprised of approximately 30 attorneys, Vinson & Elkins’ Shareholder Activism practice, jointly led by Elbaum and Gadson in New York, leverages the firm’s top-tier public company, M&A, ESG and litigation practices to effectively represent companies facing shareholder activism.