STEPHEN VOLK Obituary

VOLK--Stephen R., the legendary New York mergers and acquisitions lawyer, law firm leader and senior banking executive died on January 20 in Manhattan and was buried in a private ceremony on January 22 in Valhalla, NY. He was 87. A public memorial ceremony is being planned for the Spring. Steve was one of the most accomplished M&A lawyers and corporate advisors in history. In his four decades at the now 150-year-old law firm of Shearman & Sterling, which included 10 years as its leader and Senior Partner, Steve was at the center of a stunning array of industry-transformative M&A transactions and the forefront of the global expansion of major Wall Street- founded law firms. Trusted advisor to the CEOs of the world's leading businesses, Businessweek dubbed him the "Master of the M&A Universe" in 1997 for his work on groundbreaking deals such as the merger of Morgan Stanley and Dean Witter, Viacom's contested acquisition of Paramount, Georgia-Paci- fic's contested acquisition of Great Northern Nekoosa, DuPont's acquisition of a controlling stake of Conoco, and numerous others. Upon retiring from Shearman & Sterling in 2001 at age 65, Steve embarked on an equally remarkable career as a banking executive, serving as Chairman of Credit Suisse First Boston and then, from 2004 to 2021, as Vice Chairman of Citigroup, where he helped the bank navigate the global financial crisis and was a trusted advisor to scores of senior executives and institutional clients. Steve was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and served on many corporate boards, including the boards of Con Edison and Continental Grain along with numerous non-profit boards. Steve graduated from Dartmouth College in 1957 and Harvard Law School in 1960. He had a boundless work ethic, a quick wit and a singular ability to solve complicated problems. Steve cherished his family above all and mentored and influenced generations of professionals with sage advice and keen interest in their lives and development. Steve is survived by his wife, Diane, as well as his children Jeffrey Volk (Charlotte), Andrew Volk (Jessica), Michael Volk (Andrea) and Anne Volk Sherman (Benjamin) in addition to nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.