News & Insights

As we reflect on a fantastic 2025 at Joele Frank, we’re honored to begin 2026 with this recognition: #2 on Observer’s Top 50 Most Powerful PR Firms.Drawing on formal submissions, peer recognition, and extensive client, employee, and media surveys, Observer's ranking evaluates firms based on their ability to lead high‑stakes work that shapes markets, policy, and public conversation.

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This recognition builds on a year that also saw Joele Frank ranked #1 among our peers for our expertise in M&A and shareholder activism, underscoring the strength and consistency of our advisory work across the most complex and consequential situations. We’re deeply grateful to our clients for the confidence they place in us, and to our team for their judgment, rigor, and leadership in the moments that matter most.

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Read more at the link: https://lnkd.in/g7iarmfa

2025 was a milestone year at Joele Frank. As complexity grew across markets and industries, more companies than ever turned to JF to turn challenges into opportunities and deliver successful outcomes.

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Our 2025 Year in Review highlights many of the projects that defined the year and our continued industry leadership.

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Already well into 2026, the pace and intensity of our work remains high and our momentum remains strong. We look forward to continuing to help clients Take Control.

Clarity and consistency in high‑stakes moments define excellence in strategic communications — a standard Richard M. Goldman exemplifies as this year’s Communications Strategist of the Year at The M&A Advisor 20th Annual Turnaround Awards.

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Rich’s recognition reflects a track record built on exceptional professional insight, strategic discipline, and unwavering support for clients navigating unexpected situations.

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His approach embodies JF’s values: collaboration, execution, and a relentless focus on delivering results. Congratulations, Rich and thank you to our clients and partners who trust JF to guide them through their most important challenges.

Shareholder activism continues to reshape the corporate landscape, and Joele Frank continues to lead the way in helping companies successfully navigate the communications challenges it brings.

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We’re honored to be named the #1 IR/PR firm for activism defense in North America and internationally in 13D Monitor’s qualitative league tables, based on confidential, peer feedback from advisers across the legal, financial, proxy, and activism ecosystem.

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This recognition underscores the confidence our industry peers place in our team and the rigor of our counsel in high‑stakes situations.

We are excited to announce Sydney Snider as Joele Frank’s new Chief Operating Officer.Sydney brings to Joele Frank more than 20 years of experience in financial strategy and operations leadership, most recently serving as Managing Director and COO of Global Business Finance at Apollo Global Management. We look forward to benefitting from Sydney’s expertise and leadership. Please join us in welcoming Sydney to Joele Frank!

Another year at the top!

Joele Frank once again leads Bloomberg’s Activism League Tables for IR/PR Advisers — both globally and in the U.S. — with 80 activism defense mandates in 2025, more than double our closest competitor. This marks our seventh consecutive year at #1, a testament to our unmatched expertise in guiding clients through complex, high‑stakes activism engagements.

A huge thanks to our clients, fellow advisors, and exceptional team for making this achievement possible. On to 2026!

Starting 2026 strong: now with 26 partners!

We are proud to share that Kate Thompson has been elected to our firm's partnership. Having spent nine years at Joele Frank, Kate has established herself as a trusted advisor to many of the world’s leading alternative asset managers and their portfolio companies as they navigate increasingly complex and high-stakes communications challenges.

Since joining in 2017, Kate has played a key role in building Joele Frank’s Financial Sponsors practice. Our dedicated FS team is a clear leader in private capital, counting the world’s largest and most esteemed sponsors as long-term clients, which turn to Joele Frank for strategic communications counsel again and again. With Kate’s well-earned promotion, our firm will be even better positioned to continue capturing opportunities ahead in this growing sector.

Congratulations Kate!

“Our business involves serving as the gray-haired advisor -- the senior counselor who can talk to a CEO and senior management team and help them navigate the challenges of this process.”
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The tools and tactics involved in strategic communications have evolved dramatically over the past 35 years, but the value of seasoned counsel remains timeless. It truly was a pleasure and an honor to engage in a wide-ranging discussion with Harvard Zhang of Octus to reflect on where the restructuring industry has been, where it’s headed, and what enduring principles still guide our work.

Read the full article featuring Michael here: https://lnkd.in/eepg_8MN

We’re proud to have advised both Kimberly-Clark and Kenvue on their $48.7 billion cash-and-stock transaction, combining two global leaders in personal care and consumer health.

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What a week for M&A! We're deeply grateful for the opportunity to support more than $100 billion in transactions announced this week alone, including:

-Avidity Biosciences, Inc. on its $12 billion acquisition by Novartis AG

-American Water and Essential Utilities, Inc. on their $63 billion merger

-Qorvo, Inc. on its $22 billion merger with Skyworks

-Thermo Fisher Scientific in its $9 billion acquisition of Clario

Each of these transactions reflects the trust our clients place in Joele Frank to help communicate with clarity.

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Another quarter at the top — and still setting the standard.

Joele Frank is proud to once again be ranked #1 in M&A PR advisory for Q3 2025 by The Deal by With Intelligence.

For more than a decade, this leadership reflects what we value most: clarity, decisiveness, and trusted counsel when it matters most.

To our clients, colleagues, and fellow advisors — thank you for your confidence and partnership. Here’s to navigating what’s next, together.

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A change in the frequency of reporting will not change the demand for transparency and quality communications. At this year’s 13D Monitor conference, JF partner Barrett Golden joined Lina Tetelbaum and Dan Burch for a conversation on how companies can stay ahead of shareholder activism. From the evolving role of retail investors to the impact of semi-annual reporting and government involvement, the panel explored how strategy and communication must work hand-in-hand. Thank you to 13D Monitor for hosting a thoughtful and forward-looking discussion!

Navigating unsolicited M&A approaches has never been more complex. At this year’s Eastern Regional Conference hosted by the Society for Corporate Governance, JF Partner Jamie Moser will join Edward J. Lee of Kirkland & Ellis, Avinash Mehrotra of Goldman Sachs, Greg Taxin of Spotlight Advisors, LLC and Scott Winter of Innisfree M&A Incorporated for the panel “Feeling the Heat – Lessons Learned from Hostile M&A Situations." The discussion will explore key takeaways from recent high-stakes contests, evolving regulatory considerations and practical guidance for boards preparing for activist or hostile approaches.

JF is honored to have two Partners featured at NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) Summit 2025 this October: Barrett Golden will partner with Christopher Drewry (Latham & Watkins), Josh Dubofsky (Latham & Watkins) and Gloria Lin (Evercore) in a live simulation—immersing directors in the high-stakes world of shareholder activism. Sharon Stern will join Jim Langston (Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP), Vito Sperduto (RBC Capital Markets) and Mallory Bucher (NACD) to share insights on building trust with shareholders and navigating evolving expectations. Together, these sessions underscore the expertise and perspective that Joele Frank brings to guiding companies through complex governance, engagement and activism challenges.

What’s next in shareholder activism? JF President Matthew Sherman will join a powerhouse panel at the Garrett Institute, hosted by Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, to unpack the latest trends and strategies shaping the activism landscape. Matt will be in conversation with Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sussman of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates, David Rosewater of Morgan Stanley and Jim Langston of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP — sharing insights on how companies can stay prepared and take control.

We’re proud to be advising Corteva on its recently announced separation into two independent public companies — and to be working alongside a fantastic client and advisor team.It’s been a big year for corporate separations, with companies making moves to drive focus and create value. Clear and impactful communications are essential, and we’re honored to help lead the way.

“Arming my clients with the best possible communications tools and the best possible messaging is central to what I do.”

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Over the past 35 years, Michael has advised hundreds of companies engaged in liability management exercises, out-of-court restructurings and Chapter 11 proceedings. While the tools of the trade have changed significantly, the need for clear, consistent and credible messages across all audiences has remained a constant.

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Michael recently had a chance to speak at length with Philip Brendel and Noel Hebert of Bloomberg Intelligence about the evolution of the restructuring landscape for their monthly podcast on the State of Distressed Debt.

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Listen to the full episode here.

American Airlines has been a valued client of Joele Frank for many years. In January, we put into practice a crisis response plan we had hoped would never be needed, following the tragic accident in Washington, D.C. We had the privilege of welcoming Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer at American, to our office. In conversation with Andi Rose and Kelly Sullivan, Ron shared powerful insights on leading through crisis, the importance of readiness, and the role of clear, compassionate communication.We’re grateful for his leadership—and for the opportunity to discuss and learn from real-world experience in the most challenging of circumstances.

We’re proud to again be named the #1 M&A PR advisor by The Deal by With Intelligence – now for +10 years running. This recognition follows other honors across our practice areas, including being named the #1 activism defense PR advisor by Bloomberg (each year since the rankings began in 2019) and a top Bankruptcy PR advisor by The Deal. In a fast-moving, high-stakes landscape, impactful strategic communications matter – and these rankings show that JF delivers. To our clients, colleagues, and fellow advisor partners: thank you. We look forward to continuing to set the standard.

As we wrap up the first half of 2025, we’re proud to share that Joele Frank is once again atop the Bloomberg Global Activism Review and League Tables.

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JF is the #1 IR/PR advisor in activism defense—both globally and in the U.S.—with 54 engagements and $14.0B of aggregate activist stakes in defended companies in the first half of the year.

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We’ve topped the Bloomberg league tables every year since its launch in 2019. It’s a testament to the trust our clients place in us, the quality of the co-advisors we work with and the dedication of our team.

Joele Frank's Jed Repko, Lisa Boyd, and Natalia Weaver sat on a panel hosted by Faegre Drinker, led by Amy Seidel, to discuss "Investor Communications During Turbulent Times for Public Companies."

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Highlights Included:

(1) Consistency in all forms of communication is vitally important;

(2) Even small changes in disclosure ARE getting noticed and scrutinized;

(3) Consider using AI preemptively (but responsibly) to preview how stakeholders will interpret your disclosure; and

(4) There is no substitute for rigorous investor engagement BEFORE a high-stakes crisis arises.

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Not everyone has a fiscal year that matches the calendar. But for those who do, now is an excellent time for "proxy offseason" investor outreach.

We are excited to share that JF's own Partner Arielle Rothstein has been recognized with an Emerging Leader Award from The M&A Advisor.

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Arielle joined Joele Frank in 2013 as an Account Executive, and since that time has represented the best of JF with her consistency, intelligence, and dedication to serving our clients and supporting her colleagues.

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We're so pleased to see her years of hard work celebrated by The M&A Advisor. This represents the third year in a row that a Joele Frank partner has received the award.

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Congratulations to Arielle and her fellow winners!

JF Managing Director Anne Chapman will be speaking at the 2025 Society for Corporate Governance National Conference – Elevating Governance.

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On her panel, “Successfully Managing Through a Crisis,” Anne will offer insights on how to navigate complex crises and emerge stronger alongside moderator Eileen McCarthy of JetBlue and fellow panelists Andy Wright of Marriott International and Alyse Andalman Sagalchik of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.

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We look forward to seeing Anne on stage in Colorado Springs!

We’re excited to share that JF Partner Ed Trissel will be speaking on a panel at the 26th Annual Institute on Privacy and Cybersecurity Law hosted by Practising Law Institute (PLI). During the session, “Cybersecurity: How to Manage a Global Data Breach”, Ed – along with fellow panelists Lisa Sotto of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, Steve Grossman of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and Dave Wong of Mandiant (part of Google Cloud) – will take participants through a complex hypothetical cybersecurity attack and discuss the gamut of incident response activities. To learn more, click here.

How can board members help companies prepare for and respond to crisis situations in a rapidly evolving communications environment?

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We are excited to see JF Partner Michael Freitag answer this question and more at his upcoming panel, "When Things Go Wrong - Crisis and Reputational Resilience" at Financial Times Live's Outstanding Directors Exchange.

We are thrilled to share that, in addition to our firm’s Top PR Consultant recognition, JF team members took 5 out of the 10 spots on MergerLinks 2024 Top Dealmakers Rankings for North America! Congratulations to Andrew Brimmer, Matthew Sherman, Tim Lynch, Andrew Siegel, and Ed Trissel on another fantastic year.This recognition highlights our firm's unmatched leadership in M&A, advising on many of the year's largest and most impactful transactions. See the full list here.

“In the world of financial communications, Joele Frank continues to dominate.“

We are excited to be named one of The Top PR Agencies in 2025. Here’s to another year of driving impact and helping clients take control!

Click here to read more.

Recently, JF Partner Jed Repko joined a live panel at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference to discuss activist strategies, past moves in big pharma, and what companies can do to best prepare themselves should an activist approach them in 2025.

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Jed and his fellow panelists spoke about the importance of preparing in advance for an activist threat and regularly engaging with investors to confirm The Street is hearing the story you’re trying to tell.

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Thank you to Elina Tetelbaum of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and David Rosewater of Morgan Stanley for joining Jed on stage.

We are pleased to share that Eric Kaplan has been elected into our firm’s partnership. Eric is an outstanding senior leader who built and leads our creative and design efforts and who also plays a significant role in helping shape the firm’s brand, client offerings and culture.

Please join us in congratulating Eric on his well-deserved promotion!

We are proud to share that Joele Frank finished 2024 as the #1 IR/PR advisor in activism defense – both globally and in the U.S. – topping the Bloomberg Global Activism Review and League Tables for 2024.

You can read more about 2024 in activism here.

Our own JF Partner, Barrett Golden, made an appearance on the latest episode of D.F. King & Co.'s Proxy Insights Podcast, along with Elina Tetelbaum of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Damien Fisher of Evercore, and host Tom Germinario.

You can find the episode here or wherever you listen to podcasts.

At the 23rd Annual M&A Advisor Awards, JF received the Communications Firm of the Year award. Thank you to The M&A Advisor for hosting us for an excellent evening.

This webinar examined the impact of another Trump presidency on shareholder activism from a financial, antitrust, SEC, and public relations perspective.

If you missed the event, you can find the recording linked here.

Several members of our JF team headed to MetLife Stadium in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC to serve as field captains, helping to facilitate flag football games, an NFL Play 60 obstacle course, and other fun events for the “littles” and “bigs” in attendance!

JF is proud to serve as a sponsor for such an important cause, and grateful to our colleagues who served as volunteers this year.

Joele Frank has once again led The Deal's Q3 2024 league tables in both Mergers & Acquisitions and Bankruptcy.

Among Public Relations firms, JF ranked first in M&A, first in Bankruptcy and second in Private Equity. We sincerely appreciate the hard work of our dedicated colleagues, ongoing support from our fellow advisors, and trusted partnership of our valued clients. You can see the full league tables here.

The Deal recently highlighted three of Joele Frank’s shareholder activism defense mandates from the 2024 proxy season: Norfolk Southern, Match Group and Macy’s. JF partners Joele Frank, Matthew Sherman, Daniel Katcher, Eric Brielmann, Aaron Palash, Leigh Parrish, Arielle Rothstein, Joseph M. Sala, and Ed Trissel were all mentioned. You can read the full article here.

For the first half of 2024, Joele Frank ranked as the #1 M&A PR advisor in the U.S. by total M&A deal value, and the #2 PR advisor by total value globally, according to Mergermarket.

We are proud to provide best-in-class strategic communications and investor relations counsel to companies involved in M&A and other critical corporate developments.

Joele Frank Partner Joe Sala was featured in the latest issue of Lexology’s In-Depth: Merger Control. Read at the above link for Joe’s insight on how businesses should build communications into their game plans to best navigate a complex M&A environment in 2024.

We are proud to be recognized, once again, as the top IR/PR advisor – in both the U.S. and globally – in the Bloomberg Global Activism Review and League Tables for the first half of 2024.

We are as excited as ever to continue working with our fellow advisors to help clients navigate the complexities of shareholder activism defense and readiness, engage with investors, the media, and key stakeholders, and prepare for the proxy season ahead.

On Tuesday, June 11, Joele Frank’s President Matthew Sherman moderated a panel on shareholder activism defense and preparedness at the Annual NIRI: The Association for Investor Relations Conference in San Francisco.

Matt and his fellow panelists Pamela Codo-Lotti of Goldman Sachs, Ned Segal, former Chief Financial Officer of Twitter, and Demetrius Warrick of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates shared best practices, warning signs and a few war stories to help Investor Relations Officers plan and prepare.