What’s Market Trends: How Shareholder Activism and Engagement Are Shaping Public M&A in 2026

Cleary Gottlieb partner Nick Rumsby was quoted in the article, “What’s Market Trends: How Shareholder Activism and Engagement Are Shaping Public M&A in 2026,” published by Thomson Reuters.

The article examines the evolving landscape of shareholder activism and its growing influence on public M&A in the UK.

With shareholders playing an ever more active role in UK public M&A, the interplay between shareholder expectations and a target board’s decision to recommend an offer has become a defining dynamic. As Nick explains, “every situation is different, and it remains the case that the value of a board recommendation remains high. Where a bidder puts a price on the table before a deal has been recommended, shareholders will actively engage with both parties and make clear the point at which they expect a target board to engage with a bidder and support a transaction.”

Read more (subscription required).