The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu The leading online blog in the fields of corporate governance and financial regulation. Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:32:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.8 https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/cropped-photography-4-e1706898544564-1-32x32.png 2025 Activism Retrospective – The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu 32 32 2025 Activism Retrospective https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2026/02/18/2025-activism-retrospective/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2025-activism-retrospective https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2026/02/18/2025-activism-retrospective/#respond Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:30:19 +0000 https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/?p=179200?d=20260217121309EST Posted by Jamie Leigh, Sean Brownridge, and Bill Roegge, Cooley LLP, on Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Editor's Note:

Jamie Leigh, Sean W. Brownridge, and Bill Roegge are Partners at Cooley LLP. This post is based on a Cooley memorandum by Ms. Leigh, Mr. Brownridge, Mr. Roegge, Kevin Cooper, Lucas Wherry, and Simon Trisk.

Activists enjoyed a banner year in 2025. From proxy contest wins at blue-chip companies to a partnership with Taylor Swift’s fiancé, engaged shareholders once again demonstrated their capabilities, creativity and readiness. As we discussed in the fall, this year’s activism menu also included the rise of “withhold” campaigns, notable Delaware litigations regarding advance notice bylaws and the continued prominence of investors “swarming” targeted issuers.

This article complements our earlier market update by completing our 2025 activism retrospective and ensuring that boards and management teams have the information necessary to assess the activism playing field in 2026.

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