Steven assists public companies facing conflict with their shareholders on matters ranging from ESG proposals through proxy fights for Board seats, leveraging his more than two decades of prior experience advising hedge funds and other shareholders contemplating activist campaigns as well as public companies defending against activism. He has also advised many S&P 500 companies on activism preparedness, including proactively assessing credibility and vulnerability issues before they can become useful to a potential activist.
He also regularly advises Boards on a host of ESG issues – particularly matters of diversity, climate risk, governance and compensation – and developing strategies to keep these issues from developing into points of friction with the broader shareholder base, potentially giving activists a toehold.
Since joining SGA he has advised Disney in its defense against Trian, Huntsman in its defense against Starboard, LivePerson in its defense against Starboard, Alexion in its defense against Elliott and Verint in its defense against Nueberger Berman. He has also worked on numerous contentious or contentious transactions, including Bristol-Myers Squibb’s acquisition of Celgene, Anadarko’s defense against a hostile bid from Occidental, Spirit Airline’s defense against a hostile bid from JetBlue, Turquoise Hill’s acquisition by Rio Tinto, and Takeda Pharmaceutical’s acquisition of Shire.
Prior to joining SGA, Steven was a Managing Director heading up Corporate Governance and Activist Engagement at FTI Consulting. Previous to that, he held roles senior leadership roles at SCB Advising, Okapi Partners and MacKenzie Partners, including three years as head of MacKenzie’s London Office. He has a J.D. from SUNY Buffalo School of Law, and B.A. from SUNY Albany.
