David M. Silk
Education
- State University of New York at Albany, B.S. 1985, magna cum laude
- University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D. 1988, cum laude, Order of the Coif (Member of the Editorial Board, University of Pennsylvania Law Review)
David M. Silk
David M. Silk is Of Counsel in Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz’s Corporate Department. His practice focuses on hostile and negotiated merger and acquisition transactions, private equity transactions, corporate governance including sustainability and ESG matters, proxy contests, restructurings, joint ventures and securities laws. He represents public and private companies in a wide variety of industries.
Mr. Silk is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, where he was a member of the editorial board of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and the Order of the Coif. He has lectured frequently on governance and transactional topics and has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania Law School teaching a course on mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Silk is a member of the Corporate Laws Committee of the of the American Bar Association, a past chairman of the Corporation Law Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and co-chair of the Board of Advisors of the Institute for Law and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.
Select Publications
- Facing the Energy Transition Challenge: Navigating Complexity, Uncertainty and Opportunity (and USA chapter),
in The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Environmental, Social & Governance Law, Global Legal Group Ltd., Fourth ed. 2024 (Second ed. 2022 & First ed. 2021).
- Risk Management and the Board of Directors,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, September 30, 2023.
- Preparing for the 2023 Proxy Season in the Era of Universal Proxy,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, November 14, 2022.
- Risk Management and the Board of Directors,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, September 17, 2022.
- Combatting Racial Inequity: A Two-Year Retrospective,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, July 8, 2022.
- Stakeholder Capitalism and ESG as Tools for Sustainable Long-Term Value Creation,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, June 11, 2022 and Columbia Law School’s Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets, June 16 2022.
- The SEC’s Proposed Climate-Related Disclosure Rules: Thoughts for Audit Committees,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, April 6, 2022 and Columbia Law School’s Blog on Corporations and Capital Markets, April 11, 2022.
- Board Oversight of ESG: Preparing for the 2022 Proxy Season and Beyond,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, March 28, 2022, Columbia Law School’s Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets, April 4, 2022 and Boardspan, April 14, 2022.
- War in Ukraine: Is ESG at a Crossroads?,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, March 24, 2022.
- ESG and M&A in 2022: From Risk Mitigation to Value Creation,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, January 24, 2022.
- SEC Staff Limits Exclusion of “Social Policy” Shareholder Proposals,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, November 8, 2021 and Columbia Law School’s Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets, November 9, 2021.
- Carbon Zero and the Board,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance , October 29, 2021.
- Vermont’s Fossil Fuel Suit Underscores Climate-Change Pressures Faced by U.S. Companies,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, September 17, 2021.
- Mandatory Climate Change Disclosure Rules – A Preview From the SEC Chair?,
in Columbia Law School’s Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets, August 3, 2021.
- Global Climate and Sustainability Reporting Continues to Grow with Proposed New International and Domestic Regulatory Initiatives,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, July 22, 2021.
- Using ESG Tools to Help Combat Racial Inequity: One Year Retrospective,
in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, July 21, 2021.
