Katie Dorinson
Director
Katie supports companies across industries on a range of event-driven and corporate communications matters, including mergers and acquisitions, shareholder activism defense, executive leadership transitions, and crisis management. She also assists clients with ongoing reputation management, investor relations, media relations, and executive media training.
Recent Highlights
Select Experience
M&A
Katie partners closely with management teams and outside financial and legal advisors to support clients through a variety of transaction types, including contested, go-private and IPO transactions ranging in size and complexity. Select experience includes Amcor in its acquisition of Berry Global; James Hardie in its acquisition of The AZEK Company; Juniper Networks in its sale to Hewlett Packard Enterprise; DigitalBridge in its sale to SoftBank Group; Hawaiian Airlines in its sale to Alaska Airlines; Qualtrics in its sale to Silver Lake and CPP Investments; Herc Holdings in its acquisition of H&E Equipment Services; Endeavor Energy in its sale to Diamondback Energy; Joseph Phelps Vineyards in its sale to LVMH; and Navan in its initial public offering. Following announcements, she has also guided several clients through complex regulatory review and integration processes.
Shareholder Activism Defense
She works with companies through every stage of engagement with activist investors, from early-stage preparedness to public proxy contests. Katie collaborates closely with clients to develop effective defense communications in situations opposite some of the most notable activist investors, including Elliott Management, Starboard Value, Third Point, ValueAct Capital, Irenic Capital, Ancora Advisors, and Engine Capital.
Crisis and Issues Management
She assists management teams and boards of directors with sensitive and highly nuanced matters, including reputational attacks, leadership transitions, cybersecurity incidents, misconduct issues, litigation, regulatory inquiries, financial restatements, short seller campaigns, and media scrutiny, among other special situations.
Investor Relations, Digital Strategy and Media Training
Katie works with clients to shape a clear, compelling narrative for key audiences, spanning corporate positioning, profile-raising, thought leadership, executive compensation matters, quarterly earnings preparation, analyst days, and annual shareholder meetings. She also partners with JF’s design and digital teams to develop cross-platform content, including websites, social media assets, investor reports, and digital campaigns that support clients’ ongoing event-driven communications needs. In addition, she has experience leading media training sessions for C-suite executives and board members, preparing them for high-visibility interviews and public engagements.
In Conversation
Personal Side
In the News
Credentials
Katie joined Joele Frank in 2021. She received a BA in Media Studies with a minor in Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley.