Carleigh provides strategic communications counsel to companies across a broad range of industries involved in special situations including mergers, acquisitions and unsolicited takeovers, shareholder activism defense, restructurings and bankruptcies, and crisis management. She also assists clients with ongoing investor relations and corporate communications strategies.

Mergers & Acquisitions

She works with clients on both friendly and unsolicited transactions. Notable assignments include: Rio Tinto and its acquisition of Turquoise Hill Resources; Sumitovant Biopharma and its acquisition of Myovant Sciences; Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its acquisition of VectivBio Holding AG; Jacobs intended spin off of its Critical Missions Solutions business, NextGen and its sale to Thoma Bravo, Summit Materials and its combination with Argos USA; Kaman and its acquisition by Arcline Investment Management, Merck and its acquisition of Harpoon Therapeutics, Westrock and its merger with Smurfit Kappa, among others.

Shareholder Activism

She works with companies in public and private activist situations to help defend against some of the most notable activist investors, including Ancora Advisors, Donerail, D.E. Shaw, Elliott Management, and Starboard Value, among others.

Restructuring & Bankruptcy

She advises companies involved in out-of-court financial restructurings and in-court Chapter 11 reorganizations.

Crisis Management

She develops and executes communications strategies to help companies advance their business objectives and protect their reputations in a variety of situations, such as management succession, unplanned leadership changes, government investigations, data breaches, litigation, short attacks, facility closures and workforce reductions.

Public and Investor Relations

She works with clients to enhance their overall corporate communications strategy, including quarterly earnings preparation, investor events, corporate positioning, profile-raising, thought leadership and employee communications.

Prior to joining Joele Frank in 2022, Carleigh worked at Nike, where she helped to build the Company’s financial communications team. She began her career at Edelman, where she worked in the financial communications practice, advising companies involved in mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and supporting ongoing investor relations. Carleigh received a BS from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California with a minor in International Relations.