Ele Klein, Schulte’s Chair of the Global Shareholder Activism Group, contributed to an article which details the escalating conflict between Harley-Davidson and activist investor H Partners Management.

Ele highlighted that while boards must manage the risks of activism, they should also recognize the benefits — especially when those directors push for accountability and performance improvements.

He noted that activist-nominated directors have access to analytics not typically available to most directors. These activists have “deep resources and a significant financial stake” and are “incentivized to maximize shareholder returns,” Ele stated.