Shaun Mathew

Practice Areas

Shaun is a corporate partner and a leader of Kirkland’s Shareholder Activism & Hostile Takeover Defense practice. Shaun has been recognized as among the best lawyers for activism and takeover defense in the United States and has been profiled as one of “13 lawyers on speed-dial when companies and investors fight for boardroom control.”

He counsels public companies and their boards of directors on shareholder activism and hostile takeover response and preparedness, investor engagement, and corporate governance matters, including those related to diversity, sustainability and other ESG related issues. In addition, Shaun is a member of Kirkland’s Crisis Response practice group, counseling clients on governance and communications considerations in high-profile crisis situations.

Shaun was recognized as a Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) in 2021 and is a founding member and New York lead of Kirkland’s South Asian Affinity Group.

His recent experience includes defending public companies and private equity sponsors in several of the most high profile challenges to M&A transactions, and he has defended clients against campaigns mounted by a number of activist investors including Starboard Value, Elliott Management, Alden Global Capital, Carl Icahn, JANA Partners and Engaged Capital.

Shaun is a frequent speaker on shareholder activism, corporate governance and ESG topics and has guest lectured at Harvard Law School and the University of Michigan Law School, among others. His articles have been featured in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, and he has been quoted in leading publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Deal and Law360.

Personal

Harvard Law School, J.D., cum laude; New York University, B.A., Economics & Politics, summa cum laude