Joe provides strategic counsel and communications support to public and private clients across a broad range of industries. His areas of expertise include:

Mergers, Acquisitions and Spin Offs

He helps prepare clients to effectively communicate the strategic rationale and financial benefits of transactions, and tailors communications to anticipate issues that may be raised by key stakeholders (e.g., shareholders, analysts, employees, customers) to ensure continued support.

Recent friendly and unsolicited situations include: Allergan in its successful defense against Valeant Pharmaceuticals/Pershing Square and its merger with Actavis; CSRA with its unsolicited offer from CACI and its successful acquisition by General Dynamics; Emerson with its combination of its industrial software businesses with AspenTech; HARMAN in its sale to Samsung Electronics; Jacobs with its intention to separate its Critical Mission Solutions business; MoneyGram in its sale to Madison Dearborn Partners; Mylan in its combination with Upjohn, a division of Pfizer; Noble Energy in its acquisition by Chevron; Norfolk Southern in its defense against Canadian Pacific/Pershing Square; Univar Solutions in its sale to Apollo Funds; Zynga in its sale to Take-Two Interactive; and numerous transactions for Lone Star Funds, Nucor Steel and Ventas.

Shareholder Activism and Defense Preparedness

His recent experience defending companies against activist investors includes: Berry Global (Ancora, Eminence Capital); Bristol-Myers Squibb (Starboard, JANA Partners); Citrix (Elliott Management); CST Brands (Engine Capital, JCP); FIS (D.E. Shaw, JANA); Merit Medical (Starboard); Semtech (Lion Point); Univar (Engine Capital); and Ventas (Land & Buildings). He also advises clients in situations where an activist agitates privately and helps develop preparedness plans around escalating scenarios, including public attack. He leverages his knowledge of the temperament, tactics and capabilities of the opposition to help clients develop winning strategies. His priority in any activist situation is to minimize business disruption and build the largest base possible of support.

Investor Relations, Public Relations and ESG

He is not just a special situations expert; he also works closely with senior management and independent financial and legal advisors to develop and enhance clients’ IR and PR materials to ensure they resonate with stakeholders. His roles include helping executives prepare for quarterly earnings calls by practicing responses to anticipated questions, executing corporate profile-raising strategies, and ongoing environmental, social and governance (ESG) support.

Crisis Preparedness and Communications

He develops crisis preparedness plans for U.S. and international companies and has provided communications guidance in connection with a variety of situations, including earnings surprises, workforce reductions, management succession and unplanned leadership changes. When a client is in the spotlight, he helps determine how best to control the dialogue, stabilize a difficult situation and protect and enhance corporate reputation.

In 2017, Joe received a “Rising PR Star” award from PR News, which recognizes the top professionals in the public relations field for their contributions to the industry and accomplishments in helping organizations achieve their communications goals. He is also a member of the Arthur W. Page Society’s ‘Page Up’ program and National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI).

Joe joined Joele Frank in 2010. He began his career at MacKenzie Partners, a leading proxy solicitation, investor relations and corporate governance consulting firm. He received a BS in Business and Economics from Lehigh University.