Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) announced the appointment of Jay Frankl as a Managing Director to lead the firm’s newly established Shareholder Activism and Contested M&A practice within its Disputes and Investigations (DI) group. The new practice underscores A&M’s commitment to help clients improve and defend asset value, along with enhancing governance, by providing strategic advisory services for activism defense, proxy fights, and contested M&A situations.
With over twenty-five years of activism defense advisory, value creation, transformation, and stock exchange regulatory experience, Frankl has led dozens of high-profile shareholder activism and contested M&A engagements across multiple sectors, including healthcare and transportation. He advises management and boards about shareholder activism considerations and threats. He also has significant experience developing strategies to achieve or regain compliance with Nasdaq and NYSE listing requirements. Recognized for his ability to help deter activist investors and defend against hostile takeover attempts, Frankl also serves as an expert witness focused on corporate governance matters.
Jerry Dent, Managing Director and Global Practice Leader of A&M’s Disputes and Investigations Group, remarked, “Our firm has a strong track record of helping companies drive meaningful change. The establishment of our Shareholder Activism and Contested M&A service is a natural extension of that heritage. Jay’s in-depth advisory experience combined with his reputation for uncovering asset value, in support of driving change, is a unique differentiator that distinguishes A&M’s Shareholder Activism and Contested M&A line of service. As we continue to invest in top-tier talent, with an eye towards the market’s emerging needs, Jay’s leadership provides a proprietary roadmap for helping clients navigate activist situations and contested transactions.”
A&M’s Shareholder Activism and Contested M&A service conducts activism vulnerability assessments, shareholder perception studies, and board diligence on dissident nominees to help clients proactively mitigate activist threats and maximize shareholder value. Complementing these strategic offerings, the practice also develops value and performance improvement plans, provides transformation planning and execution, along with advising on carve-outs, spin-offs, and M&A planning and execution. Leveraging Frankl’s dual shareholder activism expertise and value-creation mindset, this service is well placed to support firm-wide strategic initiatives further strengthening A&M’s position as a business transformation leader.
Prior to joining A&M, Frankl served as Senior Managing Director and Co-Leader of the Activism and M&A Solutions practice at FTI Consulting, where he led some of the largest shareholder activism and hostile takeover defense engagements in U.S. history. Previously, he served as Counsel with Nasdaq, where he was involved in more than 1,000 hearings for companies facing potential delisting and was part of the team that created the modern corporate governance rules.
Reflecting on his new role, Frankl stated, “A&M’s reputation for real world results and as “fixer of companies” make it an ideal platform for building a best-in-class Shareholder Activism and Contested M&A practice. Companies need more than just legal and financial expertise to withstand activist threats—they need the hands-on, action-oriented approach that is part of A&M’s DNA.”
Frankl earned a bachelor’s degree from Springfield College and a J.D. from the Catholic University of America. He serves as Vice Chairman-elect of the University of Maryland Medical System Board of Directors, where he has chaired the Audit & Compliance and Investments committees. He has been recognized four times by inclusion in the National Association of Corporate Directors’ Directorship 100 list, honoring the U.S.’s most influential corporate governance advisors.