Hayley Cook

Hayley Cook is a Managing Director in the New York office. She advises public and private companies on a range of high-stakes situations including contested and friendly M&A, activism preparedness and defense, IPOs, executive changes, crises and regulatory and litigation matters. She also supports clients with ongoing corporate positioning, reputation management and investor relations.

Notable assignments include advising Southwest Airlines on its defense of a special meeting proxy contest with Elliott Management, International Paper on its acquisition of DS Smith, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts on its defense of an attempted hostile takeover and proxy contest brought by Choice Hotels, Six Flags on its merger with Cedar Fair, EQRx on its sale to Revolution Medicines, Lee Enterprises on its defense of an attempted hostile takeover and proxy contest brought by Alden Global Capital, Clear Channel Outdoor on several European divestitures, Lands’ End on executive changes, TEGNA on its proposed take-private transaction with Standard General following two successful proxy contest defenses, Kyndryl on its spin-off from IBM, Prevail Therapeutics on its IPO and subsequent sale to Eli Lilly and ADP on its successful defense of a proxy contest brought by Pershing Square.

Hayley began her career at ICR where she focused on developing and executing financial communications strategies for publicly traded REITs, homebuilders and private real estate investment firms.

Hayley graduated from Miami University with a B.A. in Strategic Communication.