JPMorgan Chase Hires Veteran Activist Defense Expert Amy Lissauer

JPMorgan Chase has hired Amy Lissauer, a veteran adviser on activist defense, to bolster its global shareholder engagement practice. Lissauer will join JPMorgan later this year as the global head of Shareholder Engagement and M&A Capital Markets (SEAMAC). She was previously the global head of Activism & Raid Defense at Bank of America.

Lissauer has advised companies under attack from prominent hedge funds, including Southwest Airlines in its defense against Elliott Investment Management. At Evercore, she worked with Bill Anderson, a well-known defense banker.

JPMorgan is expanding its team that works with corporate clients facing pressure from activist investors. Activism defense has become a lucrative business for major investment banks and boutiques. In the first half of 2026, activist investors stepped up campaigns against global companies, with calls for businesses to sell themselves emerging as the most common demand.

Lissauer will report to Filippo Gori and John Simmons, co-heads of Global Banking. This move comes as Bank of America announced that technology banker Ed Liu has resigned and plans to join a competitor.