Christopher Ludwig Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced on Wednesday it has hired a former Barclays Capital attorney to lead its shareholder engagement and activism defense group.

Christopher Ludwig has joined the firm's New York office after previously working as Barclays' managing director and head of shareholder advisory for the Americas. Before his time there, he spent a decade as a managing director at Credit Suisse.

As a partner in Simpson Thacher's M&A practice, the firm said Ludwig will advise on "a full suite of shareholder engagement and activism defense strategies, including proxy contests, withhold campaigns, short attacks, stock accumulations, strategic defensive measures and corporate governance matters."

"Simpson Thacher has a world-class team of lawyers with a reputation for providing thoughtful counsel and deep expertise across all practice areas to help their clients achieve success," Ludwig said in a statement. "I am excited to leverage both my legal background and experience in investment banking to help develop and deploy shareholder engagement and activism defense strategies that protect both our clients' interests and the interests of their respective shareholders."

In addition to his combined legal and investment banking experience in matters like shareholder activism defense and contested and special situation mandates, Ludwig has advised on more than $200 billion of announced M&A transactions, according to Simpson Thacher. He earned his law degree from Tulane University Law School and went on to get a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School.

"In today's dynamic market, companies that anticipate challenges and engage constructively with their shareholders are best positioned to achieve their long-term growth objectives and deliver value," global M&A practice head Eric Swedenburg said in a statement. "Christopher's tremendous expertise across the full range of shareholder engagement and activism defense, bolstered by his background in law, will be invaluable as we continue to develop proactive strategies for our clients that help them not only protect value but unlock new opportunities for sustainable success."

Ludwig is the latest M&A attorney to join Simpson Thacher's ranks. Other additions to the practice this year include former Kirkland & Ellis LLP partner William N. Lay in Boston and former Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP counsel Iliana Karaoglan in New York.

Ludwig was not immediately available for comment.