Kirkland & Ellis LLP’s dominant offerings in private equity and large-scale M&A positions it as a first port of call for many corporate clients seeking cross-border investment clearance. With a ‘unique ability to communicate effectively with financial professionals’, the team’s experience spans the full scope of issues before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)—from regulatory counselling and the preparation of filings, through to the negotiation of mitigation agreements. Department co-head Ivan Schlager is widely recognized as a foremost authority on CFIUS matters and his broad industry expertise encompasses the defense, TMT, energy, and private equity spheres. Schlager recently advised Blackstone Infrastructure Partners (BIP) on CFIUS matters connected to the acquisition by IRG Acquisition Holdings (a joint venture between Invenergy Renewables, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, and funds managed by BIP) of a renewables portfolio from American Electric Power. Fellow group co-head Mario Mancuso is also highly regarded for his comprehensive national security practice, which takes in CFIUS, economic sanctions, export controls, and other international risk issues. Mancuso recently teamed up with Lucille Hague, ’a technical expert on the CFIUS rules’, to lead the CFIUS process for Brookfield Infrastructure’s 49% investment in expanding Intel’s semiconductor operations in Arizona. The Washington DC-based group also draws on government, regulatory and internal investigations partners Daniel Gerkin and Michelle Weinbaum.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The practice is unique because of the breadth and depth of Ivan Schlager's team's domain expertise on CFIUS and other national security-related matters. We value its ability to quickly prepare the appropriate submissions to government regulatory bodies.’
‘In addition to the trust and confidence Ivan Schlager and his team has with the staff at the various agencies, they also have an ability to connect with and provide advice related to political appointees who are the ultimate decision makers.’
‘Ivan Schlager’s team is commercial and understands transaction dynamics, giving it a unique ability to communicate effectively with financial professionals on regulatory matters. It is also incredibly creative in developing mitigation plans and solutions.’
‘We appreciate its presence both in Washington DC and Europe, where we are based, and its strong views on what is, and what is not, acceptable from US Department of Defense's point of view.’
‘Ivan Schlager has an incredible amount of experience and a very strong regular dialogue with US authorities. Provides very good insights and measured and constructive advice.’
- ‘Lucille Hague is amazing. She a technical expert on the CFIUS rules, she is thoughtful and responsive, and she works extremely hard. I'm a CFIUS lawyer too, and I very much value her judgment.’
Key clients
- Blackstone Infrastructure Partners
- Brookfield Corporation
- Cerberus Capital Management
- Investindustrial Industries
- JP Morgan
- Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
- Leonardo DRS
- Lone Star Funds
- NewSpring Capital
- NortonLifeLock
- Oaktree Capital Group
- Patient Square Capital
- Permira
- Royal Caribbean
- Thales SA
- Thoma Bravo
- Toshiba
- Triton Partners
- Voyager Digital
Lawyers
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Practice head
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Mario Mancuso, Ivan Schlager