Biography
Derek Zaba is a partner in the Palo Alto and New York offices and co-chairs Sidley’s #1 ranked Shareholder Activism & Corporate Defense practice. He spends 100% of his time on shareholder activism, contested M&A and related matters. During Derek’s tenure, Sidley has risen to the top of all shareholder activism defense league tables, including its No. 1 rankings by Bloomberg, FactSet, Refinitiv and Activist Insight for North America. In 2022, The American Lawyer named Derek Zaba as a Trailblazer in the Western Region of the United States for his work in shareholder activism and contested M&A. Derek was also recognized in the 2021–2023 editions of Chambers USA as one of the leading lawyers in Takeover Defense with clients noting that “he is deeply knowledgeable, very easy to work with and is able to bring defense expertise with multiple perspectives,” and, “his client advice is consistently excellent and nuanced, and he delivers it with a calmness that is often important in tense activist situations.”
