Christopher R. Drewry

Mind Medicine (MindMed) Inc. (NASDAQ: MNMD), (NEO: MMED) has announced that, based upon a preliminary vote assessment, shareholders have elected all six of the Company’s nominees to the Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on June 21, 2023. The Company notes that quorum was present at the Annual Meeting and that the number of shares represented at the Meeting exceeded 40% of the Company’s outstanding shares entitled to vote. In a significant change from all prior universal proxy contests, broker discretionary authority was retained for the routine auditor proposal with respect to all MindMed shareholders who did not receive proxy materials from the contesting shareholder. Latham & Watkins LLP represents MindMed in connection with the proxy contest by FCM with a shareholder activism and takeover defense team led by Chicago partner Christopher Drewry, Global Co-Chair of Latham’s Shareholder Activism & Takeover Defense Practice, New York partner Ian Nussbaum, and Washington, D.C. partner Michele Anderson, with associates Jeremie Ruiz and Henna Jalal. Advice was also provided on NASDAQ matters by New York counsel Gail Neely and on securities litigation matters by San Diego partner Colleen Smith.~~

Jun 21

1 min

Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. (NASDAQ: LFCR), a fully integrated contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced it has reached a cooperation agreement with 22NW, LP, which provides for the addition of four new board members immediately following Lifecore Biomedical’s 2023 annual meeting of stockholders. Large stockholders Legion Partners Asset Management, LLC and Wynnefield Capital, Inc., and their respective affiliates, have entered into similar cooperation agreements. Latham & Watkins LLP represented Lifecore Biomedical on the cooperation agreements with a shareholder activism defense team led by Chicago partner Christopher Drewry, Global Co-Chair of the firm’s Shareholder Activism & Takeover Defense Practice, Bay Area partner Tessa Bernhardt, Orange County partner Darren Guttenberg, and Washington, D.C. partner Michele Anderson, with associates Jack Vanderford and Kennedy Holmes, and with assistance from Los Angeles litigation partner Manny Abascal. Advice was also provided on capital markets matters by Chicago partner Scott Westhoff, with associates Greer Gaddie and Chelsea Carlson, and on securities matters by Washington, D.C. partner Brian Miller.~~

Jul 1

1 min

IAA, Inc. (NYSE: IAA) (the Company) has announced that its stockholders have adopted the previously announced merger agreement providing for the stock and cash acquisition of the Company by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated (NYSE: RBA) (TSX: RBA) (Ritchie Bros.) at the Special Meeting of IAA Stockholders. In a separate special meeting of shareholders, based on a preliminary vote count, Ritchie Bros. shareholders also voted to approve all proposals necessary to consummate the transaction. Accordingly, all stockholder and regulatory approvals required to consummate the transaction have now been obtained. Latham & Watkins LLP represented IAA on shareholder activism defense matters in connection with the company’s merger agreement with Ritchie Bros., including on the previously announced cooperation agreement with IAA shareholder Ancora, as well as opposition from Discerene Group LP. The Latham team was led by Chicago partners Christopher Drewry, Global Co-Chair of the firm’s Shareholder Activism & Takeover Defense Practice, and Bradley Faris, with associates Lucy Chauvin, Kennedy Holmes, and David Stepovich. Advice was also provided on securities matters by Washington D.C. partner Michele Anderson and Chicago partner Scott Westhoff, with associate KC Sands.~~

Mar 14

1 min

Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY, www.mrcy.com), a technology company that delivers processing power for the most demanding aerospace and defense missions, has announced a continuation of recent actions by its Board to enhance the execution of Mercury’s strategic plan to drive value creation for all stakeholders through Board leadership changes and the appointment of Scott Ostfeld, Managing Partner of JANA Partners LLC, as an additional independent director with a shareholder perspective and proven investment track record. As of Mercury’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the Board will be comprised of nine directors, five of whom will have been appointed to the Board in the past two years. Latham & Watkins LLP advised Mercury Systems, Inc. in the changes to its Board with a shareholder activism and takeover defense team led by Chicago partners Christopher Drewry, Global Co-Chair of Latham’s Shareholder Activism & Takeover Defense Practice and Bradley Faris, with associates Henna Jalal, Michael Magstadt and Claudia Wang.  Additional advice was provided on SEC matters by partner Scott Westhoff, with associate Andrew Rutsky; on benefits and compensation matters by partner Benjamin Rosemergy, with counsel Leah Segall; and on labor matters by Bay area partner Oswald Cousins.~~

Jul 6

1 min