Michael Freitag
Partner
For more than three decades, Michael has provided strategic communications counsel and support to business leaders, boards of directors, ultra-high-net-worth families and leading academic and cultural institutions. Bringing a calm, measured demeanor to high-stakes situations, Michael is often sought out for his expertise in crisis communications, C-suite management changes, corporate restructurings and reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, and shareholder activism defense. He also assists clients with ongoing reputation management, investor relations and media relations – drawing on analytical and writing skills he honed early in his career in the newsroom and editorial department of The New York Times.
Education
Michael received a BA in political science from Yale University. He is a longtime Trustee of Greenwich Library and has been nominated to serve on the Corporation of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Recent Highlights
Select Experience
Crisis Communications
Michael has been deeply involved in a broad array of crises involving individual companies and the broader business community, including the economic and social impact of tariffs, regional conflicts, environmental changes and the COVID-19 epidemic; allegations of executive misconduct, fraud and accounting irregularities; earnings surprises; cybersecurity breaches; government investigations and regulatory actions; targeted social media attacks; and shareholder derivative lawsuits, mass torts and other litigation.
Restructuring, Bankruptcy & Liability Management
Michael regularly assists clients to develop and implement communication plans related to out-of-court restructurings, liability management exercises and in-court Chapter 11 reorganizations and Section 363 asset sales. He has worked on hundreds of such cases since the early 1990s, including such landmark cases as R.H. Macy & Co, Marvel Entertainment, Owens Corning, Kmart, General Motors, Delta Air Lines, Caesars Entertainment, and Toys ‘R’ Us. Recent matters include Akumin, Coach USA, ConvergeOne, Express, Forma Brands, Hornblower Group, Joann, Mallinckrodt, MD Helicopters, Prospect Medical, Restoration Forest, Rite Aid, SVB Financial Group, Thrasio and Zachry Holdings.
Financial Sponsors
Michael regularly advises private equity firms and their portfolio companies, as well as hedge funds, family offices and university endowments. He has supported Sycamore Partners, a leading private equity firm specializing in retail and consumer investments, with all of its major transactions since its inception in 2011.
M&A/Transactions
Michael’s recent M&A, spin-off and IPO assignments include Berry Global in its proposed combination with Amcor; Mattress Firm in its acquisition by Tempur Sealy; Dentsply Sirona as it pursues strategic alternatives for its Wellspect business and realigns its Byte business; MoneyGram in its sale to Madison Dearborn Partners; Entegris in its acquisition of CMC Materials; TeraWulf in its reverse merger and public listing; Torrid in its initial public offering; and Tech Data in its sale to Apollo and subsequent merger with SYNNEX.
Shareholder Activism Defense
Michael has counseled numerous companies in their interactions with a wide range of activist investors, including Starboard, JANA, Engine Capital, Ancora, Elliott, Corvex, Sachem Head and Trian.
In Conversation
Why are you drawn to working with clients involved in Chapter 11 proceedings?
It may seem counterintuitive at first glance, but I find the assistance my colleagues and I provide to companies undergoing a financial reorganization to be extremely rewarding. In these situations, the stakes are very high and the result can be existential for the company. The quality of the advice we provide and materials we produce can have a meaningful impact on a wide range of constituencies, including employees, their families, and the communities they serve. I worked on the Chapter 11 filing of Pan American World Airways during my first week on the job in November 1990 and instantly became hooked. I’ve been involved in hundreds of cases since then, including many with successful outcomes.
Who are some of the notable people you’ve had a chance to work with in your career?
I’ve had the opportunity to meet many accomplished business leaders and investors over the years. But two mentors early in my career probably had the greatest impact on me. In college, I developed a friendship with the university’s president, A. Bartlett Giamatti, an engaging and witty scholar of renaissance literature who later went on to serve as Commissioner of Major League Baseball (and father of actor Paul Giamatti). I later spent two years as news clerk to A.M. (Abe) Rosenthal, columnist and former Executive Editor of The New York Times. Despite winning a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting and leading The Times’ fearless coverage of the Pentagon Papers and Watergate, his op-ed column was a complete flop!
Why are you drawn to working with clients involved in Chapter 11 proceedings?
It may seem counterintuitive at first glance, but I find the assistance my colleagues and I provide to companies undergoing a financial reorganization to be extremely rewarding. In these situations, the stakes are very high and the result can be existential for the company. The quality of the advice we provide and materials we produce can have a meaningful impact on a wide range of constituencies, including employees, their families, and the communities they serve. I worked on the Chapter 11 filing of Pan American World Airways during my first week on the job in November 1990 and instantly became hooked. I’ve been involved in hundreds of cases since then, including many with successful outcomes.
Who are some of the notable people you’ve had a chance to work with in your career?
I’ve had the opportunity to meet many accomplished business leaders and investors over the years. But two mentors early in my career probably had the greatest impact on me. In college, I developed a friendship with the university’s president, A. Bartlett Giamatti, an engaging and witty scholar of renaissance literature who later went on to serve as Commissioner of Major League Baseball (and father of actor Paul Giamatti). I later spent two years as news clerk to A.M. (Abe) Rosenthal, columnist and former Executive Editor of The New York Times. Despite winning a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting and leading The Times’ fearless coverage of the Pentagon Papers and Watergate, his op-ed column was a complete flop!
Personal Side
I recently was nominated to serve on the Corporation of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the world's premier independent organization dedicated exclusively to ocean research, technology, and education. WHOI combines state-of-the-art science, engineering, and ship operations to unravel the mysteries of the deep and devise science-based solutions to planet-wide problems. I inherited my interest in oceanography – and lifelong love of sailing – from my father, an avid boater who worked as a yacht broker for many years.