Kirkland & Ellis LLP remains very active in the market advising an impressive roster of fund managers, including Ares Management and Forebright Capital, on their Asia-based fund raisings – regularly drawing additional strength from the firm’s huge private equity offering throughout the US. The ‘very rigorous and professional’ Carol Liu has excellent traction among PRC and regional asset managers which she advises on the establishment of funds traversing a range of strategies including buyout, growth capital, venture capital, and private credit. Liu has also been very active of late advising on liquidity solutions for clients in the sector, both on the GP front (in terms of continuation funds) and for LPs, including Cathay Life Insurance which she advised on the $1.2bn sale of limited partner interests in 21 private funds. The vastly experienced Justin Dolling provides very strategic advice to international sponsors and regional fund managers establishing private funds in the region, as well as advising on carried interest and co-investment plans. Jennifer Feng co-heads the team with Dolling and Liu.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Carol Liu is response, very rigorous and professional.'

Key clients

  • Actera
  • Adamantem
  • Ares Management
  • Ark & Partners
  • BGH Capital
  • Azalea
  • Cathay Life Insurance Co., Ltd.
  • CBC
  • Creador
  • Edelweiss
  • Forebright Capital
  • GCP
  • GLP
  • HarbourVest
  • Hosen Capital
  • Integral Corporation
  • L Catterton
  • Japan Growth Investments Alliance
  • PAG
  • Tower Capital Asia
  • TPG NewQuest
  • Vertex Ventures China
  • VIG
  • Yuanbio Venture Capital
  • 5Y Capital

Work highlights

  • Represented Ares Management on the successful final closing of Ares SSG Capital Partners VI, L.P., securing commitments of $2.4bn billion in aggregate across the fund and co-investment vehicles.
  • Advised Cathay Life Insurance Co. on the sale of limited partner interests in 21 private funds, with the total amount of the portfolio of around $1.2bn.
  • Advised Forebright Capital, a leading private equity firm focused on enterprise technology investments, on the successful closing of Forebright New Opportunities Fund III, L.P. with aggregate commitments of over $500m.

Lawyers

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Leading partners
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Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Justin Dolling, Carol Liu, Jennifer Feng

Other key lawyers

Jamie Hill, Michelle Cheh