What D. F. King & Co. does

D.F. King & Co., Inc. (operating as D.F. King, an AST Company) is a New York-headquartered professional services firm that has provided proxy solicitation, corporate governance advisory, and information agent services to public companies and institutional investors since 1942. The firm is organized around three core service lines: Proxy Solicitation (covering proxy contests, shareholder proposal analysis, bank and thrift conversions, targeted director campaigns, and annual and special meetings), Corporate Governance (institutional profile and policy review, equity plan evaluation, third-party advisory impact analysis, targeted investor communication campaigns, and vote projections), and Information Agent Services for capital markets transactions (tender offers, Dutch auctions, debt-related services, and rights offerings). It additionally provides M&A advisory, shareholder activism advisory, and investor relations consulting.

The firm operates with 501-1,000 employees and runs a second office in Toronto, Canada, serving clients across North America. Following a 2017 corporate restructuring, D.F. King now operates as a subsidiary of American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (AST), integrating its proxy and governance capabilities with AST's broader shareholder services platform. There are no proprietary technology products or AI/ML capabilities described in the source material; service delivery is human-advisory-driven.

D.F. King generates revenue through professional services fees negotiated on a per-engagement basis, depending on transaction complexity, issuer size, and scope. Revenue streams are tied to discrete corporate events (annual meetings, proxy contests, tender offers, M&A transactions, consent solicitations) rather than recurring subscriptions. The firm reaches clients through direct business relationships, law firm and financial advisor referrals, and cross-referrals from within the AST network, targeting public companies, institutional and activist shareholders, and M&A participants.

Name

D. F. King & Co.

Legal name

D.F. King & Co., Inc.

Website

https://main.dfking.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

D.F. King & Co. is a New York-based professional services firm, founded in 1942 and now operating as a subsidiary of AST, that provides proxy solicitation, corporate governance advisory, and information agent services to public companies, institutional investors, and M&A participants across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Governance & Proxy Solicitation Services

NAICS

Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

akta.pro primary industry

Proxy Voting & Governance Services (FSAAAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA)

Keywords

• Proxy solicitation services
• Corporate governance consulting
• Information agent services
• Shareholder communications
• M&A advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Proxy Solicitation Services: Fees for proxy solicitation services including proxy contests, shareholder proposal analysis, annual and special meeting services, and targeted director campaigns for public companies.
2. Information Agent Services: Fees for serving as information agent in tender offers, Dutch auctions, debt-related services, and rights offerings. The company acts as third-party administrator managing communications and documentation for corporate transactions.
3. Corporate Governance Consulting: Ongoing advisory services for institutional profile and policy review, equity plan evaluation, third-party advisory impact analysis, targeted investor communication campaigns, and vote projections.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

D.F. King & Co., Inc. is a specialized professional services firm providing proxy solicitation, corporate governance consulting, and information agent services to public companies, institutional investors, and entities involved in M&A activity. The firm acts as an independent third-party administrator managing shareholder communications, proxy contests, tender offers, Dutch auctions, rights offerings, and consent solicitations. It delivers fee-based advisory and execution services on a per-engagement basis rather than selling any software or technology product.

Product overview

D.F. King & Co. (now known as D.F. King, an AST Company) provides professional proxy solicitation and corporate governance advisory services. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services organized into three core product areas: Proxy Solicitation (including proxy contests, shareholder proposals, director campaigns, and meeting services), Corporate Governance (including institutional advisory, equity plan evaluation, and vote projections), and Information Agent services (including tender offers, Dutch auctions, debt services, and rights offerings). The company also provides M&A advisory and shareholder activism consulting services, positioning itself as a full-service proxy and governance solutions provider for corporate and shareholder clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Proxy Solicitation Full-service proxy solicitation services for public companies, including proxy contests, shareholder proposal analysis, bank and thrift conversions, targeted director campaigns, annual meetings, and special meetings.
• Corporate Governance Consulting Year-round corporate governance advisory services including institutional profile and policy review, equity plan evaluation, third-party advisory impact analysis, targeted investor communication campaigns, and vote projections for public companies.
• Information Agent Services Independent information agent services for capital markets transactions including tender offers, Dutch auctions, debt-related services, and rights offerings. D.F. King acts as third-party administrator managing communications and documentation for corporate transactions.
• Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory Full M&A services including merger solicitations, proxy contests related to M&A, exchange offers, and bond consents for corporate transactions.
• Shareholder Activism Advisory Advisory services for shareholder activism campaigns and engagements, including proxy solicitation, vote solicitation, and shareholder proposal submission on behalf of activist investors.
• Investor Relations Consulting Investor relations consulting services supporting corporate communication and shareholder engagement for public companies.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (AST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerD.F. King operates as D.F. King, an AST Company following a partnership/integration. AST is a leading transfer agent and shareholder services provider, and D.F. King serves as its proxy solicitation and corporate governance division. The relationship provides cross-referrals and integrated service offerings for shareholder communications, proxy solicitation, and corporate actions.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Computershare: Global transfer agent and shareholder services provider that owns Georgeson; competes with the AST/D.F. King platform through Georgeson plus transfer agency, employee plan services, and corporate trust offerings.
• Broadridge Financial Solutions: Large-cap public company providing proxy processing, investor communications, and governance technology infrastructure; a broader incumbent whose technology and communication services overlap with D.F. King's solicitation workflow.
• Equiniti (EQ): Transfer agent and shareholder services provider offering proxy solicitation-adjacent services, corporate trust, and equity compensation administration; competes with the broader AST/D.F. King platform for public company issuer relationships.

Others

• American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (AST): Parent company of D.F. King and a leading transfer agent; provides shareholder recordkeeping, employee plan services, and corporate trust offerings that complement D.F. King's solicitation and governance advisory.

Direct peers

• Morrow Sodali: Global proxy solicitation, governance advisory, and shareholder communications firm; the most direct competitor to D.F. King in proxy contests, information agent services, and M&A-related solicitations across North America and Europe.
• Georgeson: Proxy solicitation and corporate governance services firm, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Computershare; directly competes with D.F. King on proxy contests, annual meeting services, and information agent mandates.
• MacKenzie Partners: Proxy solicitation and investor communications firm specializing in proxy contests, M&A transactions, and shareholder activism campaigns; a long-standing direct competitor to D.F. King in the US market.
• Okapi Partners: Proxy solicitation and shareholder activism advisory firm serving public companies, hedge funds, and M&A participants; directly comparable to D.F. King's proxy contest, activism, and information agent service lines.
• Innisfree M&A: Proxy solicitation and shareholder advisory firm serving public companies, activists, and M&A participants; closely comparable in service mix and target client base to D.F. King's information agent and proxy solicitation practices.
• Alliance Advisors: Proxy solicitation, governance advisory, and information agent firm serving public companies and M&A participants; closely comparable service mix and target client base to D.F. King.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about D. F. King & Co.