Lucas provides strategic counsel and communications support to companies involved in a broad range of special situations and high-profile corporate events, including shareholder activism defense and proxy contests, mergers and acquisitions and crisis management. He also assists clients with ongoing investor relations and corporate communications strategies. His areas of expertise include:

Mergers & Acquisitions

He has advised companies on a variety of both friendly and unsolicited M&A transactions. Notable experience includes working with: Kroger in its pending merger with Albertsons Cos.; Ritchie Bros. in its pending acquisition of IAA; South Jersey Industries in its pending acquisition by Infrastructure Investments Fund; CyrusOne in its acquisition by KKR and Global Infrastructure Partners; Umpqua Holdings Corporation in its combination with Columbia Banking System; Scientific Games in the divestitures of its Lottery business to Brookfield Business Partners and its Sports Betting business to Endeavor Group Holdings; Hillrom in its acquisition by Baxter International; QTS Realty Trust in its acquisition by affiliates of Blackstone Infrastructure Partners, Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., and Blackstone Property Partners; Cantel Medical in its acquisition by STERIS; Expro in its combination with Frank’s International; Mylan in its combination with Upjohn; Red Hat in its acquisition by IBM; Husky Energy in its unsolicited offer to acquired MEG Energy; Marriott Vacations Worldwide in its acquisition of ILG; and Harman in its acquisition by Samsung.

Shareholder Activism & Defense Preparedness

He has advised on numerous public and private activist situations, helping companies defend against some of the most notable activist investors, including Carl Icahn, Trian Partners, JANA Partners, Elliott Management, Starboard Value, Third Point, Pershing Square, Land & Buildings, Saba Capital and Bulldog Investors. Lucas has advised clients including: Kroger, Procter & Gamble, American Homes 4 Rent, LXP Industrial Trust, Mack-Cali, QTS, Taubman, and multiple closed-end funds managed by Franklin Templeton among many others.

Crisis Preparedness & Communications

He assists and advises clients on a number of complex crises or special situations, including cyber security incidents, large-scale corporate reorganizations, workforce reductions and facility closures, reputational attacks, litigation, workplace misconduct and sexual harassment and unplanned leadership changes.

Investor Relations & Corporate Communications

He works closely with management teams and outside financial and legal advisors to develop and enhance clients’ IR and PR materials and strategies to ensure key messages resonate with internal and external stakeholders, including around quarterly earnings, planned leadership changes and other corporate events or updates.

Lucas joined Joele Frank in 2015. He received a BS in Marketing from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management and a BA in English from Boston College’s Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences.