Atty. Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood is a partner in and chair-elect of Goodwin’s Shareholder Activism and Takeover Defense practice, effective October 1, 2025. Leonard devotes his practice entirely to shareholder activism campaigns, proxy fights, shareholder activism preparedness, strategic investor relations, and contested M&A.
Profile Summary
About Leonard Wood at a glance
Leonard Wood is a business and m&a attorney based in New York, New York, practicing at Goodwin. Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Corporate Governance and Compliance Law (2026) and Best Lawyers in America — Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2026). Serands clients in New York, NY and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Leonard Wood is a partner in and chair-elect of Goodwin’s Shareholder Activism and Takeover Defense practice, effective October 1, 2025
- Leonard devotes his practice entirely to shareholder activism campaigns, proxy fights, shareholder activism preparedness, strategic investor relations, and contested M&A
- He has advised hundreds of public companies across all industries and sizes in shareholder activism defense, proxy contests, strategic investor relations and hostile takeover defense
- Additionally, Leonard has advised several of the world’s largest corporations on corporate governance and sustainability matters
- Prior to joining Goodwin, Leonard was a partner at another global law firm where he played a central role in the development of a prominently ranked shareholder activism and corporate defense practice which achieved recognition across all significant rankings
- Leonard publishes widely on shareholder activism and corporate governance, with articles appearing in the Harvard Law School Corporate Governance Forum, The M&A Journal, Lexology’s “Getting the Deal Through” series, Law360, Insights, Agenda and The Review of Securities & Commodities Regulation
- Leonard holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a Ph.D from Harvard University and is a former editor-in-chief of the Harvard Business Law Review
- He was named to the Legal 500 “Next Generation Partners” list for both Commercial Shareholder Activism: Advice to Boards and M&A/Corporate (2026) and was named to The Best Lawyers in America’s “Ones to Watch” list for his work in both Corporate Governance and Compliance and M&A (2026)
- Leonard is a member of the State Bars of New York, Massachusetts and Texas
Practice Areas Explained
Leonard Wood's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Leonard Wood handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
Leonard Wood is one of 501,317 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in New York →
Leonard Wood is one of 49,731 m&a attorneys indexed nationally. Browse m&a attorneys in New York →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in New York
Practicing law in New York. Legal matters in New York are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in New York are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate New York state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in New York brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in New York courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional New York attorneys? Browse all attorneys in New York or all attorneys in New York.
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