Elizabeth Ruth Gonzalez-Sussman

As Vice Chair of Olshan's Activist & Equity Investment Practice, Elizabeth R. Gonzalez-Sussman has been ranked as one of the leading lawyers focused on shareholder activist situations. Elizabeth is also a partner in the firm’s Corporate/Securities Law Group and counsels clients in the areas of corporate governance, corporate and securities law and mergers and acquisitions.

Elizabeth represents and provides strategic guidance to hedge funds and other large investors in shareholder activist situations, including large stock accumulations, behind-the-scenes engagements, letter writing campaigns, exempt solicitations, submitting shareholder proposals, negotiating settlements, running proxy contests, undertaking hostile takeovers and other activist related M&A activity. Elizabeth also advises individual directors and management teams in board disputes at private and public companies. Recent representations have included negotiated settlements by various investor groups at Momentive Inc., Kohl’s Corporation, and Bed Bath & Beyond, a successful proxy campaign for control by an investor group at EQT Corporation, and the successful unsolicited acquisitions of Perry Ellis International, by its founder George Feldenkreis, and R.R. Donnelley & Sons, by Chatham Asset Management.

Elizabeth also assists both public and privately-held companies in mergers and acquisitions, capital raising transactions, tender and exchange offers, and general corporate and securities law matters, including SEC reporting and corporate governance.

Elizabeth has been recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” in Corporate/M&A: Shareholder Activism by Chambers USA in 2022 and 2021. Chambers noted that "Elizabeth is a very talented lawyer. She is an excellent negotiator who is great at narrowing down to key issues and giving extremely pragmatic advice."

She also has been recognized as a Tier 1 "Leading Lawyer" in The Legal 500 U.S. in M&A/Corporate and Commercial: Shareholder Activism - advice to shareholders since 2020 and previously was recognized as a "Recommended Lawyer" in the same category in 2019 and named to the "Notable Women in Law " by Crain's New York Business in 2019 and 2020 and "Notable Diverse Leaders in Law" by Crain's New York Business in 2022. Elizabeth was profiled in Business Insider as one of the top go-to lawyers for activist investors.

Elizabeth served as Campaign Treasurer for Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State's first female Governor, resulting in her successful election in November 2022.

Prior to joining Olshan, Elizabeth practiced in the corporate finance group of O'Melveny & Myers LLP and in the corporate group of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP.