Jon Ballis is Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. He has long been recognized as one of the leading private equity attorneys in the United States, with Chambers USA recognizing him in every edition since 2004 and The Best Lawyers in America listing him in every edition since 2006. Private Equity Manager named him one of the top 10 private equity lawyers in the country and The Legal 500 U.S. selected Jon as one of only 10 private equity lawyers for its elite “Leading Lawyers” list. Clients describe Jon as a “go-to guy in the marketplace,” a lawyer with “stellar legal judgement,” and someone with the ability “to take a big picture, strategic perspective on transactions.” During his career, Jon has handled matters on behalf of many of the leading private equity firms in the country, including Bain, Blackstone, Centerbridge, Cerberus, Hellman & Friedman, KKR, Madison Dearborn, Pritzker Group, Silver Lake, TPG, and Thomas H. Lee.
Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+)
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
His practice focuses on advising private equity firms, public companies, boards of directors and special committees in connection with mergers & acquisitions and other significant corporate matters, including cross-border transactions, leveraged buyouts, spin-offs and takeover defense. He also regularly counsels corporations and their directors on corporate governance and fiduciary duty matters. A former member of the firm’s Management Committee, Mr. Bird was Co-Chair of the firm’s Corporate Department from 2010 to 2016 and Co-Head of the firms’ Mergers & Acquisitions Practice from 2001 to 2010.
Co-Head of Simpson Thacher's Private Equity M&A Group. Represents a mix of private equity and corporate clients, including family and founder-owned companies, in mergers and acquisitions, public and private divestitures, strategic investments and securities law matters. Representations include KKR and its portfolio companies on transactions including Ensono, Neighborly, Teaching Strategies, OverDrive Holdings, Envision Healthcare, BMC, Nature's Bounty, Del Monte Foods, and Internet Brands. Has also advised AEA Investors, Gardner Denver, and Global Payments. Has significant experience in retail, consumer, healthcare and TMT industries.
Howard Sobel is a partner in the New York office of Latham & Watkins. Mr. Sobel is former Co-chair of the US Private Equity Practice and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Public Company Representation Practices.
Partner, global head of M&A and private equity practice. Diverse transactional practice focused on private equity and M&A. Clients include Goldman, Sachs & Co.; Permira Advisors LLP; KKR; RedBird Capital Partners; Appaloosa Management LP; and Citadel Investment Group. Also represents various infrastructure funds, private equity portfolio companies and private equity sponsors in "club" transactions.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
He has worked extensively on acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures for both private equity and corporate clients.
Naveed Anwar is a Partner based in the Firm’s Corporate Department. Naveed’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, where he represents private equity firms and public and private companies in a variety of domestic and cross-border transactions. He has experience in a broad range of transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, carve-outs, leveraged buyouts, de-SPAC transactions, recapitalizations, venture financings, joint ventures and other complex transactions across a wide variety of sectors. Naveed’s private equity representations have included Hellman & Friedman, EQT, KKR, Silver Lake, Blackstone, Francisco Partners, Centerbridge, True Wind, TCV, Carlyle, Riverwood Capital, among others. His corporate representations have included Airbnb, Applied Systems, Dell, PPD, McKesson and UKG, among others.
Ms. Lally has significant experience in private equity transactions and mergers and acquisitions, having represented private equity firms and public and private companies in mergers, stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures, carve-out transactions, recapitalizations, and other corporate and governance matters. She also regularly advises the Firm's investment management clients on acquisitions and dispositions of interests in hedge fund and private equity fund managers and frequently counsels industry leading public and private companies as well as private equity firms and their portfolio companies. She regularly advises clients such as AEA Investors, Dyal Capital Partners, Genesys, Goldman Sachs, Permira Advisers, among others.
Leading lawyers
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Richie Birns is a global co-chair of Gibson Dunn’s Private Equity Group and is co-chair of the firm’s Sports Law Practice Group. He regularly represents private equity firms and companies on domestic and cross-border leveraged buyouts, strategic mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, minority investments and joint ventures. Richie Birns focuses his practice on a wide range of merger and acquisition-related matters, including domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, and joint ventures for both corporations and leading private equity firms. He also handles related corporate governance and takeover work. He has extensive experience advising clients on significant transactional matters across a number of practice areas and industry sectors, with significant depth in technology, media, sports and entertainment. He regularly serves as a personal advisor to owners of sports franchises and sports industry leaders on “bet the company” matters.
Mr. Herzberg has a broad-based transactional practice with extensive experience advising private equity firms and multinational corporations in structuring and negotiating mergers, acquisitions, investments, divestitures, joint ventures and other corporate transactions.
Peter is one of the leading members of Kirkland's corporate practice and a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. Focusing on mergers and acquisitions, Peter regularly represents private equity firms and public companies in their most complex transactions. Peter’s experience spans the entire range of M&A activity, including many significant leveraged buyouts, minority investments, strategic mergers, joint ventures and cross-border transactions. He also counsels public company clients on governance, securities and other corporate matters.
Co-Head of Weil’s Private Equity practice and Managing Partner of the Boston office
Jennifer Perkins is a private equity partner in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Jennifer represents clients in complex domestic and cross-border acquisitions and dispositions and has extensive experience representing private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in leveraged buyouts and other private equity investment transactions in a broad range of industries. Jennifer also advises clients on structuring, negotiating and executing minority investments in private equity and other asset management firms. Jennifer serves on the board of DOROT, a nonprofit social service organization providing a wide range of services for seniors, the board of directors of New Alternatives for Children, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance for children with special healthcare needs and their families, and is a Trustee of Larchmont Temple.
Please see https://www.willkie.com/professionals/p/poss%20jeffrey%20r
He has worked extensively on acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and strategic investments, including cross-border transactions for both private equity and corporate clients.
Kevin J. Sullivan focuses his practice on representing private equity sponsors and other investment funds, private and public companies, and family offices in a wide variety of transactional matters. He has a broad range of experience negotiating and closing leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, carve-outs and growth equity investments in the United States and abroad. Kevin represents private equity investors and their portfolio companies on key transactions across a variety of industries, including media, software/technology, sports and entertainment, professional services, and consumer goods and retail. He also has significant experience counseling founder-owned companies on general corporate matters and liquidity transactions. Kevin has more than 25 years of experience representing leading private equity firms, including Apax Digital Fund, CVC Growth, Francisco Partners, GSV, Guidepost Growth Equity, Providence Equity Partners, PSG Equity, Susquehanna Growth Equity, TA Associates, Thomas H. Lee Partners, Thompson Street Capital and TCV. He has also represented a variety of corporate clients, such as Ascend Learning, Blackboard, EverCommerce, CAC Specialty, Learfield Sports, Ministry Brands, Paycor, Signode and World Endurance Holdings (Ironman Triathlon). Recognized for the quality of his counsel and commercial approach, Kevin has been ranked as a leading practitioner by Chambers USA, IFLR1000, The Best Lawyers in America, The Legal 500 US and numerous other legal ratings agencies and publications.
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Anthony Vernace represents private equity firms and public companies in mergers and acquisitions, investments, joint ventures and other corporate transactions. He also regularly counsels clients on corporate governance, shareholder activism and securities law matters. His clients span a wide range of industries and include leading technology, transportation, healthcare, industrial, financial services and consumer products companies. Anthony consistently receives recognition for his work on numerous marquee M&A transactions for both public companies and private equity firms. Anthony’s experience includes representing Microsoft in its $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard and Cisco Systems in its $28 billion acquisition of Splunk. In addition to his legal practice, Anthony regularly serves as a panelist and guest lecturer on corporate and M&A-related topics, including at Harvard, Duke and University of Pennsylvania law schools. Anthony currently serves as a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee, and he was formerly Co-Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Recruiting Committee.
David Leinwand is a partner based in the New York office. Mr. Leinwand's practice focuses on merger and acquisition transactions. David has represented a broad array of buyers and sellers, as well as their financial advisors, in a wide variety of public and private deals. In particular, he has significant experience advising private equity firms in their acquisitions and dispositions. He also provides advice regarding governance matters and the fiduciary duties of officers and directors to corporations and their boards.
Matthew P. Salerno is a partner based in the New York office. Mr. Salerno’s practice focuses on corporate and financial transactions, particularly public and private mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, and contests for corporate control.
Paul J. Shim is a partner based in the New York office. Mr. Shim's practice focuses on public and private merger and acquisition transactions for corporate, private equity, sovereign wealth fund and principal investor clients. He also provides advice regarding governance matters and the fiduciary duties of officers and directors to corporations and their boards, including advice related to shareholder activism preparation and response. Paul has been recognized multiple times as a “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer, and is ranked among leading M&A lawyers in all major directories.
Mr. Steinman is a partner and co-head of Fried Frank's private equity transactions group. Mr. Steinman has a diverse transactional corporate practice concentrating in private equity transactions and mergers and acquisitions.