Kirkland & Ellis International LLP's ‘top-notch’ China private equity practice has an enviable market reputation for high-end private equity transactions. The practice acts across the full spectrum of private equity work, including buyouts, SPAC transactions and take-privates. It also fields experts in growth capital, joint ventures and disposals. The team is co-led from Hong Kong by Jesse Sheley, an expert in major investments, acquisitions, LBOs and SPACs; and Peng Yu, who ’has a great problem-solving mindset’ and is experienced in LBOs, take-privates, PIPEs, and growth capital investments. The group further includes high-regarded private equity specialist Gary Li; and Pierre-Luc Arsenault, an adviser on LBOs, minority investments, joint ventures, and special situations-related private equity deals.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Kirkland's team is top-notch.’

  • ‘They know the market well and are very responsive and technical, yet very commercial when there is a tight timeline to finish a deal.’

  • ‘Clients like the fact that they work well across different practices and collaborate with each other.’

  • ‘Peng Yu has a great problem-solving mindset and tries to strike a balance between getting the best deal for clients and getting the deal over the finish line to tight timelines.’

Key clients

  • L Catterton Asia
  • The Carlyle Group
  • Advantage Partners
  • Cartesian Capital Group
  • Bain Capital
  • Crescent Point Capital
  • Boyu Capital
  • CITIC Capital
  • Blackstone
  • Nexus Point Capital
  • Warburg Pincus

Work highlights

  • Advised L Catterton Asia Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company formed by affiliates of L Catterton, on its business combination with Lotus Technology.
  • Acted, as US legal counsel, for a buyer consortium (including certain affiliates of Bain Capital) on the proposed $3.16bn take-private of Chindata Group Holdings.
  • Advised an investor consortium on its acquisition and development of Subway’s China business.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Jesse Sheley, Peng Yu

Other key lawyers

Gary Li, Pierre-Luc Arsenault