Avinash Mehrotra returns to the group he led after the departure of William Anderson in 2015.

The Goldman Sachs activist defense team has a new leader after the departure of partner Steven Barg.

Goldman has announced that Avinash Mehrotra would lead the company’s activist defense group. The firm released details in an internal memo, according to Reuters and Bloomberg.

The announcement comes after partner Steven Barg announced plans to leave the investment bank for activist hedge fund Elliott Management.

A new Goldman Sachs activist defense leader

Mehrotra returns to lead the firm’s Activism and Shareholder Advisory. He previously served global co-head of the division with Barg for two years after William Anderson departed for EvercorePartners.

“As one of our most experienced M&A bankers dealing with contested situations, his leadership will be critical amidst the recent uptick in hostile M&A activity,” the memo said, according to Reuters.

Mehrotra will also work beside Pete Michelsen, who runs Goldman’s defense business, in the Americas, and Nimesh Khiroya, who runs activist defense in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

Meanwhile, Barg joined Goldman in 2010 from UBS Group. He previously worked as co-head of Asian Equity Capital Markets at Goldman Sachs. He recently advised Sony Corp, which has faced increasing pressure from Daniel Loeb’s Third Point. The hedge fund has recently pushed Sony to sell its semiconductor division.

Elliott Management has been busy in 2019

Barg joins an activist hedge fund that has been very busy since Paul Singer founded it in 1977.

The activist group has pushed for major changes at firms like Samsung Electronics, eBay, and Hyundai Motors. According to reports, the hedge fund also committed roughly $3.4 billion over the first six months of 2019  in new investments in firms like SAP and Bayer AG.

In June, Elliott Management also took Barnes & Noble private.