Kai Liekefett cochairs Sidley Austin LLP’s shareholder activism and corporate defense practice. He has more than 20 years of experience in the United States, Europe, and Asia. In the past five years, Kai has defended more than 125 proxy contests, which is more than any other defense attorney in the world, and approximately 25 percent of all late-stage US proxy fights. Kai was named Dealmaker of the Year by The American Lawyer in 2019. Chambers USA recognized him in Band 1 as one of the leading lawyers for takeover defense, noting that “Kai is a pioneer in the field of shareholder activism defense.” Kai has also been listed as one of the leading lawyers for Shareholder Activism—Advice to Boards by The Legal 500, which called him “[one] of the best lawyers in America.” Under Kai’s leadership, Sidley rose to the top of all activism defense league tables in recent years, including number one rankings by Bloomberg, FactSet, Diligent, and London Stock Exchange Group. In 2020, Kai was elected to the American College of Governance Counsel.