Ruth Pachman

With more than 30 years of experience, she has led high-profile engagements in the areas of media relations and investor relations; corporate governance and shareholder activism; financial restructuring and chapter 11 filings; the full spectrum of complex M&A activity; and crisis communications that encompass reputational challenges, cyber security, and internal investigations. She was named to the Lawdragon annual “Global 100 Leaders in Legal Strategy and Consulting” guide for crisis communications in for the past five years.

Strategic messaging and complex financial disclosure/investor relations are cornerstones of her practice, often in connection with a corporate inflection point. She works seamlessly with internal teams across the communications, investor, legal, financial, and C-suite functions. Her work often involves sensitive communications challenges and opportunities in the areas of executive leadership transitions; capital markets and shareholder-focused initiatives; litigation support and regulatory oversight, and workforce/human relations matters. Her practice includes significant work in Japan, including shareholder activism and cross-border M&A.

Ruth holds a BA in English, magna cum laude, from Wesleyan University and an M.A. in English with an Emphasis in Expository Writing from the University of Iowa. She joined Kekst CNC in 1987. Ruth was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Wesleyan University in 2024. She is also a member of the Board of the New York Youth Symphony and a member of the Museum of Modern Art Drawing and Print associates.  Ruth served on the Board of Directors of Union Settlement of East Harlem for 29 years, including four years as Chair.

Experience

Corporate Governance and Shareholder Activism

• While many situations with activist demands are resolved privately, notable public engagements have included 7&i (parent company of 7-11), Extended Stay America, the Board of Toshiba, Olympus, RPM, The Advisory Board Company, Yum! Brands, PulteGroup, Compuware, Cracker Barrel, Dell, one of the nation’s largest banks, and a major transportation company.
• Advise on a range of governance matters with broader stakeholder implications.

Restructuring and Chapter 11

• Represented healthcare industry companies Endo and Cano Health, major consumer brands such as API (the holding company of Avon’s non-U.S. operations), RadioShack, Kodak, rue21, and Nine West; industrial enterprises such as Intelsat, SunEdison, Jack Cooper, Walter Energy, Lear, and Aleris; and financial services firms such as SquareTwo Financial.

M&A Activity

• Representative M&A activity has included: Nuance Communications’ acquisition by Microsoft; ODP Corporation’s plan to separate into two publicly traded companies; CVS Health’s acquisition of Aetna; Third Point Re’s acquisition of Sirius Group; WABCO’s acquisition by ZF Friedrichshafen; Corning Incorporated in the strategic realignment of its ownership interest in Dow Corning Corporation; Endurance Specialty Holding’s unsolicited bid for Aspen Holdings.
• Numerous cross-border situations are highlighted by: Fuji Xerox’s planned combination with Xerox (and the related litigation with Carl Icahn); Baxalta’s acquisition by Shire; Meiji Yasuda’s acquisition by Stancorp Financial; Infineon’s acquisition of International Rectifier; Aleris’s ultimately unsuccessful acquisition by China Zhongwang; Publicis’ acquisition of Sapient; and Daimler’s combination with Chrysler.
• Represented private equity firm KKR for more than 20 years, handling dozens of high-profile and complex transaction announcements and serving as its chief media spokesperson.

Litigation Support

• Work to address communications implications of whistleblower suits and other employee-related litigation and concerns.
• Help with communications plans in the face of various federal and state inquiries from the SEC, DOJ, and State Attorneys General.
• Advise companies faced with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, leading to a variety of disclosure, business practice, and oversight challenges.