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 Co-Chair of the Global Diversity 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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Sustainability & ESG Quarterly Webinar Series – ESG-Related Enforcement and Greenwashing Litigation: US and UK Perspectives
Speaker(s):
Lyuba Goltser,
Adé Heyliger,
Hayley Lund,
Robert Stern and
Drew Tulumello
June 10, 2024 — Weil Public Company Advisory Group Co-Head Lyuba Goltser and partner Adé Heyliger, Disputes and Investigations partner Hayley Lund, Securities Litigation partner Robert Stern and Complex Commercial Litigation Co-Head Drew Tulumello spoke on the panel “ESG-Related Enforcement and Greenwashing Litigation: US and UK Perspectives” as part of the Sustainability & ESG Quarterly Webinar Series.
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ABA International Law Section 2024 Annual Conference
Speaker(s):
Adé Heyliger
May 9, 2024 — Washington, DC — Weil Public Company Advisory Group partner Adé Heyliger is speaking on a panel titled "Preparing for the Unexpected: Understanding the Divisive Issues Framework" as part of the ABA International Law Section 2024 Annual Conference.
Latest Thinking
- Federal Court Blocks Enforcement of Corporate Transparency Act Alert — By Howard B. Dicker, Adé Heyliger, Chris Mulligan, Chris Scully, Timothy C. Welch, David E. Wohl and John H. Bradshaw — PDF — December 04, 2024
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Nasdaq Governance Requirements Update: Rule Changes Clarify Phase-In Schedules and Cure Periods for Key Board Requirements
Blog Post — Weil Governance & Securities Watch
— By
Kaitlin Descovich,
Lyuba Goltser,
Adé Heyliger and
Amanda Zoda
— October 09, 2024
The Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) recently issued an order approving Nasdaq’s proposed rule changes amending Rules 5605, 5615 and 5810 to clarify and modify phase-in schedules and cure periods for certain independent director and board committee corporate governance requirements. We have updated our Requirements for Public Company Boards Including IPO Transition Rules guide here […]
The post Nasdaq Governance Requirements Update: Rule Changes Clarify Phase-In Schedules and Cure Periods for Key Board Requirements appeared first on Governance & Securities Watch.
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New Deadlines for Schedule 13G Filers Take Effect on September 30, 2024
Blog Post — Weil Governance & Securities Watch
— By
Kaitlin Descovich,
Adé Heyliger and
Steven Bentsianov
— September 27, 2024
Beginning September 30, 2024, Schedule 13G filers will need to comply with new accelerated filing deadlines previously adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As we discussed in greater detail in a previous Alert (available here), the SEC approved amendments to the rules governing Schedule 13D and Schedule 13G beneficial ownership reporting, which generally became effective on February 5, 2024. However, the SEC deferred compliance with the revised Schedule 13G deadlines until September 30, 2024. This Alert highlights certain aspects of the new Schedule 13G rules and deadlines. A summary chart of updates to the filing deadlines is included in an Appendix to this Alert. ...
- Trends in ESG Related Enforcement Greenwashing Litigation Alert — Webinar — By Lyuba Goltser, Adé Heyliger, Hayley Lund, Robert Stern and Drew Tulumello — June 10, 2024
- SEC Division Director Provides Guidance on Form 8-K Cyber Incident Disclosure Blog Post — Governance & Securities — By Howard B. Dicker, Adé Heyliger, Kaitlin Descovich and Amanda Zoda — May 23, 2024
Firm News & Announcements
- Weil Guides Ad Hoc Group of Noteholders in 2U’s Successful $1 Billion Strategic Restructuring Deal Brief — October 11, 2024
- Adé Heyliger Named to 2024 NACD Directorship 100 Firm Announcement — October 08, 2024
- Weil Lawyers Named to 2023 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll Firm Announcement — June 03, 2024
- Weil Shortlisted for Private Equity Law Firm of the Year and Top Deal and Individual Awards at 2024 Thomson Reuters ALB China Law Awards Firm Announcement — April 23, 2024