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Shareholder activism has now entered the mainstream as an investment approach designed to agitate for corporate change, whether in terms of strategy, structure or management. The recent credit crunch has limited the scope for highly leveraged transactions, which, in turn, has increased the appeal of investor activism as a means of achieving significant returns based on relatively small investments. A weaker stock market further supports this trend.
This timely conference is being held at a time when the evolving role of CFDs and their increased use in activist or takeover strategies is attracting a high degree of regulatory interest, both from the FSA as seen in their recent FSA consultation paper and from the Takeover Panel. With public and regulatory scrutiny increasing particularly in relation to disclosure of interests in companies, the Hedge Fund Standards Board published its “Best Practice Standards” – earlier this year.
This event, the second in this successful series, brings together a speaker panel of exceptional quality to provide delegates with an in-depth analysis of the current topics and themes in the world of shareholder activism. It will also examine the recent developments of the various new drivers behind the growth of activism, as well as looking at the European perspective.
Issues to be discussed include:
- Activist - friend or foe?
- Implications of the current state of the equity and debt markets for activism
- The changing climate for litigation/class action
- Activism as insider dealing
- CFDs: disclosure and transparency
- Institutional shareholder perspective on shareholder activism
- Recent examples of companies’ strategies in combating activism
- Comparing and contrasting shareholder activism in the UK, Netherlands and Germany
- Case study: Northern Rock - a study in activist strategies
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Confirmed Speakers
Conference Chairman
Gavin Davies, Partner, Herbert Smith LLP
Keynote Addresses
Margaret Ewing, Vice Chairman and Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP - former Chief Financial Officer, BAA plc
Simon Walker, Chief Executive, The British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association
Eric Knight, Chief Executive, Knight Vinke
Other Expert Speakers
Mirza Baig, Associate Director, F&C
William Claxton-Smith, Head of Corporate Governance, Insight Investment
Christopher Clerc, European Counsel, Shearman & Sterling LLP
Edward Farmer, Director of Corporate Finance, Panmure Gordon & Co.
Robert Hingley, Director General, The Takeover Panel
Alex Kay, Partner, Herbert Smith LLP
Roger Lawson, Chairman Northern Rock Shareholders Action Group, UK Shareholders Association
Roger Leese, Partner, Clifford Chance LLP
Anthony Maton, Partner, Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld and Toll LLP
David Paterson, Head of Corporate Governance, National Association of Pension Funds
Stuart Pickford, Partner, Mayer Brown LLP
Anne Simpson, Executive Director, International Corporate Governance Network
Mike Weston, Investment Director, Hermes UK Small Companies Focus Fund
Crispin Wright, Managing Director, Rothschild
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