American Securities president and managing director Scott Wolff dives into the firm's approach to investments and value creation, its specialty chemicals platforms and the industrial sector's slow recovery.

Carmen Lu, a partner focused on activism defense at Paul Weiss, discusses why one should never assume multiclass share companies are 'bulletproof' from activists, and she offers views on M&A and tech activism, plus white squire defenses.

Michael Gerstenzang, managing partner at Cleary Gottlieb, believes generative AI will fundamentally change the practice of law. Our conversation with Michael is the second in a four-podcast miniseries with law firm leaders.

Brightstar founder and CEO Andrew Weinberg discusses the firm's investment strategy for family- and founder-owned businesses and its focus on resilient industry verticals. 

Neil Barr, chair and managing partner of Davis Polk, talks about the logic behind the firm's 2020 change from lockstep compensation, his work for Comcast and why being a tax lawyer helped prepare him to run his firm. Our conversation with Neil is the first in a four-podcast miniseries with law firm leaders.

Franchise Equity Partners founder and co-managing partner Michael Esposito dives into the investment firm's growth since its launch in 2021; its investments in restaurants, residential services and the auto aftermarket; and M&A expectations for 2025.

Sanjay Murti, an M&A partner at Freshfields in New York, discusses how he approached being an associate, the grueling year before making partner and his decision to lateral to Freshfields from Cravath. 

Sagar Gupta, who oversees Anson Fund's activism activities, discusses why sector specialization is vital for an activist, and he also talks about recent campaigns at Twilio, Globalstar and Lionsgate.

John Bessonette, a partner at Kramer Levin in New York, talks about how he developed a practice that includes both M&A and restructuring and his firm's pending merger with Herbert Smith Freehills. 

Stephen Brown, senior adviser and managing director at KPMGa's Board Leadership Center, covers a number of topics, including why he thinks there could be unintended consequences to new limits on activist shareholder proposals.