REFILE-MOVES-JPMorgan revamps shareholder activism defense practice -sources
(Corrects spelling errors in paragraphs 4 and 5)
By Svea Herbst-Bayliss
Aug 3 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co is revamping its shareholder activism defense practice by promoting David Freedman to oversee the business globally after head of activism David Hunker left the bank, sources familiar with the moves said on Monday.
JPMorgan said that Freedman, a JPMorgan veteran, will become head of global shareholder engagement and M&A capital markets and vice chairman of M&A, reporting to Anu Aiyengar and Dirk Albersmeier, according to a memo seen by Reuters.
Benjamin Wilson, who has worked on the shareholder activism defense team for years, will become regional head for North America. Kirshlen Moodley will head the practice in Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Koichiro Doi will head the business in Asia Pacific, the JPMorgan memo said.
Hunker, who had worked at JPMorgan for 16 years, will join Ernst & Young and lead the professional services firm's push in advising boards on shareholder engagement, three people familiar with the matter said. He is expected to start at the end of 2020.
Hunker had lead the bank's activism defense practice since 2017 when he was promoted to head of shareholder activism defense. Before that he had been an executive director in the bank's M&A group working on defense for eight years.
JPMorgan declined to comment and Ernst & Young did not respond to requests for comment.
Activism defense has become a major franchise for investment banks, as hedge funds such as Elliott Management, Starboard Value and Third Point push for changes at companies. Last year Goldman Sachs ranked as the industry's top activism defense firm, having dethroned Morgan Stanley, which had held the top spot for three straight years, according to Refinitiv data published in March.
There has been movement among bankers in the last months in this are, with Peter Michelsen leaving Goldman Sachs for Qatalyst Partners and Duncan Herrington joining Moelis from Raymond James.
(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Greg Roumeliotis; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
