Diligent Recognizes Top 17 Proxy Advisory and Top 49 Law Firms, Highlighting the Global Scale of Activism in 2025

Diligent, the AI leader in governance, risk and compliance (GRC) SaaS solutions, today reveals its 11^th annual Advisor Awards 2025 rankings, recognizing the most prolific proxy advisory and law firms in the shareholder activism space. This year’s rankings feature 17 proxy solicitation firms and 49 law firms and are based on shareholder activism data from Diligent Market Intelligence, the market-leading solution for shareholder activism, investor voting, and corporate governance data.

Sodali & Co and Olshan Frome Wolosky secured the top spots globally among proxy solicitors and law firms, respectively. The rankings recognize advisors whose tactical expertise proves critical as companies and activists navigate increasingly complex proxy fights. Criteria include total number of representations, total representations for activists and issuers, and average market capitalization.

“Advisors today must be both flexible and strategic, keeping sight of the shareholder ownership and engagement picture. As votes become increasingly fragmented and contested situations intensify, navigating these challenges requires expertise and strategic agility from both investors and issuers. To our award winners: congratulations on rising to meet this moment,” said Josh Black, Editor-in-Chief of Diligent Market Intelligence.

The top proxy advisory firms in the 2025 Diligent Advisor Awards are:

1. Sodali & Co
2. Georgeson
3. Innisfree M&A
4. Okapi Partners
5. MacKenzie Partners

“2025 was a very global year for us at Sodali. Not even half our campaigns were in the U.S. this year, with activity across multiple markets which is tremendous,” said Harry van Dyke, Global Head of M&A and Activism at Sodali & Co. “We were very pleased to see that in all the campaigns that ran their course in the U.S., our clients came out victorious in each of them, which is not something that happens every year.”

The top law firms in the 2025 Diligent Advisor Awards are:

1. Olshan Frome Wolosky
2. Sidley Austin
3. Joint third: White & Case and McDermott Will & Schulte
4. Sullivan & Cromwell
5. Latham & Watkins

“The need for experienced, real‑time advice has never been greater,” said Andrew Freedman, Co‑Managing Partner and Chair of Olshan’s Shareholder Activism Practice. “We are proud that the Diligent Advisor Awards once again recognize our role at the forefront of this market, guiding clients through more than a hundred campaigns while helping them adapt tactically to an unpredictable policy environment.”

Rankings are based on an evaluation of 17 proxy solicitation firms and 49 law firms that submitted representations or were identified from regulatory filings, between October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, using Diligent Market Intelligence Activism data. The evaluation and ranking process was conducted impartially, without consideration of any relationship the firms may have or have had with Diligent. View the full rankings here.

About Diligent Market Intelligence

Diligent Market Intelligence (DMI) is a market-leading provider of shareholder activism, investor voting, and corporate governance data. Through its web application and data feeds, clients can access the most complete solution for listed company intelligence on the market, with broader and deeper insights than ever before.

About Diligent

Diligent is the AI leader in governance, risk and compliance (GRC) SaaS solutions, helping more than 1 million users and 700,000 board members to clarify risk and elevate governance. The Diligent One Platform gives practitioners, the C-Suite and the board a consolidated view of their entire GRC practice so they can more effectively manage risk, build greater resilience and make better decisions, faster. Learn more at diligent.com.

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