Biography

In his practice, Adé routinely advises boards of directors and board committees on various governance matters, including internal investigations, leadership structures, self-assessments, independence determinations, executive compensation and succession planning, and ESG and sustainability matters. Adé counsels companies on sensitive matters, including crisis management, internal controls, accounting irregularities, and shareholder activism related matters such as proxy contests and shareholder proposals and engagement. Adé also provides day-to-day guidance on a variety of regulatory and rulemaking developments.
At Weil, Adé serves as Chair of the Global Inclusion Committee. He also has an active not-for-profit practice governance practice and has worked with many of the Firm’s pro bono clients, including the Innocence Project.
Prior to joining Weil, Adé served in the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance, providing interpretive advice on domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, going-private transactions, proxy contests and shareholder proposals, and disclosure guidance concerning various SEC filings. Before the SEC, Adé worked in the investment banking division at Merrill Lynch, focusing on transactions in the Telecom, Media and Technology sectors.
Adé has been recognized by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) as part of its Directorship 100, a list of the most influential people in the boardroom, and elected as a fellow of the American College of Governance Counsel. He has lectured extensively on corporate governance, SEC disclosure requirements, regulatory and rulemaking developments and is a regular contributor to Weil’s Governance & Securities Watch (blog). Adé is an active member of the NACD Climate Advisory Council and Compensation Committee Advisory Council, as well as The Conference Board’s Human Capital Management Committee. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, where more than 100 members of the SEC Staff via the SEC University Program attended his class. Adé is a former Chair of the Federal Regulation of Securities: Proxy Statements and Business Combinations Subcommittee of the American Bar Association and a former Co-Chair of the DC Bar Association Mergers & Acquisitions Committee.
Adé is widely recognized for his work, including as a “leading lawyer” for Securities: Regulation: Advisory by Chambers USA, where clients note he is “an expert” who is “plugged in and has broad experience”; a “Leading Lawyer” for Corporate Governance and Shareholder Activism: Advice to Boards by Legal 500 US, where he is described as a “standout practitioner, one of the most well regarded securities and corporate governance lawyers in the industry”; for M&A and Governance by Who’s Who Legal; as a “Best Lawyer” for Securities Regulation in Washington, D.C. by Best Lawyers in America; named among Savoy Magazine’s “Most Influential Black Lawyers”; and shortlisted as “Diversity & Inclusion: Lawyer of the Year” for Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards: North America.
Adé holds a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, and a M.B.A. in Finance from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He received his B.S. in Finance, cum laude, from the University of Maryland.
* Best Lawyers (in America) is by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners
Awards and Recognition, Speaking Engagements, Guides and Resources, Latest Thinking, Firm News & Announcements
Awards and Recognition
- Adé Heyliger Recognized for Securities Regulation Award Brief — Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2024 (Best Lawyers (in America) is by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners)
- Adé Heyliger Named a “Leading” Lawyer for Securities: Regulation: Advisory in the U.S. Award Brief — Chambers USA
- Adé Heyliger Named a “Leading Lawyer” for Corporate Governance Award Brief — Legal 500 US
- Adé Heyliger Named Among “2022 Most Influential Black Lawyers” Award Brief — Savoy Magazine
- Adé Heyliger Shortlisted as “Diversity & Inclusion: Lawyer of the Year” Award Brief — Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards: North America 2022
- Adé Heyliger Recognized for M&A and Governance Award Brief — Who's Who Legal
Speaking Engagements
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Navigating Risk Oversight in the New Administration: Key Considerations for Boards of Directors
Speaker(s):
Kaitlin Descovich and
Adé Heyliger
May 7, 2025 — Weil Public Company Advisory Group partners Kaitlin Descovich and Ade Heyliger served as panelist on a webcast during the ACC National Capital Region First 100 Days Conference discussing the current risk landscape and board oversight of risk and related matters in a dynamic and uncertain environment, including navigating regulatory uncertainty, extreme political divisions, stakeholder demands and crisis preparedness.
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Navigating Risks of AI Regulation, Governance and Disclosure
Speaker(s):
Howard B. Dicker,
Barry Fishley,
Olivia J. Greer and
Adé Heyliger
April 23, 2025 — Weil Public Company Advisory Group Co-Head Howard Dicker and partner Adé Heyliger, Head of Weil’s London Technology & IP Transactions practice Barry Fishley, and U.S. Privacy and Cybersecurity Head Olivia Greer spoke at the Navigating Risks of AI Regulation, Governance and Disclosure webinar.
Latest Thinking
- Recent SEC and DOJ Enforcement Actions and Charges Signal that AI-Washing is Firmly Within the Crosshairs of the Trump Administration Alert — Governance and Securities Enforcement — By Andrew B Dean, Olivia J. Greer, Adé Heyliger, Chris Mulligan, Robert Stern and Sanjay Wadhwa — PDF — May 12, 2025
- SEC Staff Issues New Guidance for Rule 14a-8 No-Action Review: Reinstates Need for “Nexus” between Social Policy Issues and the Company’s Business Publication — The Corporate Governance Advisor — By Lyuba Goltser, Adé Heyliger and Julie Rong — PDF — May/June 2025
- What the SEC’s Revocation of Delegated Authority Means for Investigations: Key Takeaways Alert — Securities Litigation — By Sanjay Wadhwa, Robert Stern, Andrew B Dean, Howard B. Dicker and Adé Heyliger — PDF — March 12, 2025
- Further Update: Treasury Department Limits Enforcement Of Corporate Transparency Act To Foreign Reporting Companies Alert — By Howard B. Dicker, Adé Heyliger, Chris Mulligan, Chris Scully, Zack Tripp, Timothy C. Welch, David E. Wohl and John H. Bradshaw — PDF — March 05, 2025
- Further Update On Corporate Transparency Act: Reporting Deadlines To Be Extended; Enforcement Paused Alert — By Howard B. Dicker, Adé Heyliger, Chris Mulligan, Chris Scully, Zack Tripp, Timothy C. Welch, David E. Wohl and John H. Bradshaw — PDF — March 03, 2025
Firm News & Announcements
- Weil Advises WhiteHawk in Acquisition of PHX Minerals Deal Brief — May 08, 2025
- Weil Lawyers Named to 2024 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll Firm Announcement — May 08, 2025
- Weil Advises The Gores Group on $312 Million Upsized IPO of Gores Holdings X, Inc. Deal Brief — May 07, 2025
- Weil Advises Sunoco LP in its $9.1B Acquisition of Parkland Corporation Deal Brief — May 05, 2025