Activist Darden investor hires Brad Blum as advisor

Starboard Value L.P., a New York-based investor that owns 5.5 percent of outstanding shares in Darden Restaurants Inc., has hired Brad Blum as an advisor in its ongoing efforts to effect major changes at Darden.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Thursday, Starboard said it had retained Blum for a $50,000 fee “in view of Mr. Blum’s unique skill set, broad restaurant industry experience and extensive restaurant industry knowledge.”

Blum, w