2017 Practice Group of the Year

Kirkland & Ellis LLP continued its private equity reign in 2017 by advising longtime client , along with , in its $6.3 billion public takeover offer for Stada Arzneimittel AG while also aiding flourishing clients such as Blackstone in its $6.1 billion acquisition of TeamHealth Holdings, landing the firm a spot among Law360’s Private Equity Groups of the Year for the seventh year in a row.

What do you say about a firm that’s years. Last year, it represented have grown and therefore we have won this award every year of the on eight grown with them, as well as working current decade? Kirkland’s story over announced transactions, including its with and for new clients. And those the past year is one of sustaining buy of Aon PLC’s human resources could be brand new clients, or clients and expanding: It represented a platform for cash consideration of up that we have gotten to know over the slew of clients one would have to $4.8 billion. last few years and were developing seen in its award write-up five years relationships and now have become ago. It advised Bain Capital Private Corporate partner Jon Ballis, much more substantial.” Equity, for instance, on more than a member of the firm’s global 10 announced transactions over a management executive committee, Kirkland in 2017 had another big 12-month period. said growth has been the theme of win advising Sycamore Partners’ Kirkland’s past year. acquisition of office supply giant The team’s continued growth has Staples Inc. for $6.7 billion. strengthened relationships with “Where did the growth come from?” companies that have come to he said. “It came from continued The firm said it regularly represents rely more consistently on the firm excellent relationships from long- eight of the 10 largest firms on the for private equity work in recent standing clients, who themselves PEI 300 list of the world’s largest private equity firms. Since the start of the decade, it has advised on The team’s continued growth has strengthened publicly disclosed transactions relationships with companies that have come to valued at over $350 billion.

rely more consistently on the firm for private equity The prolonged success has led to a work in recent years. resource that will help the firm moving forward: a new office in Boston.

Attorney Advertising “The opening of our Boston office was “At the end of the day, legal services are about both about further penetration into the Boston private equity community talent, and the private equity community are that we’ve long played in,” Ballis extremely sophisticated consumers of legal said, “but also, just as important, to services.” facilitate the recruitment of top-tier legal talent that resides in Boston.” Meanwhile, the firm’s Houston have been able to continue to attract The firm added a 20-attorney office office, which opened in 2014, has more and more top-tier legal talent in in Beantown over the summer, swelled to 125 lawyers and become the private equity space, it’s enabled including some who relocated from a top firm for energy and us to both maintain our excellent other Kirkland offices and lateral a top legal adviser for Texas-area historical relationships with clients that partner hires in Boston from firms like . Last year, have grown together with the overall Proskauer Rose, Ropes & Gray and Kirkland represented KKR in five industry, but also facilitated us to Weil Gotshal. announced transactions, including capture new client relationships who are the acquisition, alongside Texas- seeking out that top-tier legal talent.” “Boston has a very vibrant private based affiliate Venado Oil & Gas LLC, equity community, but previously of $800 million worth of assets in the we weren’t able to attract those Eagle Ford Shale area in south Texas. people unless they were able to move cities,” Ballis said. “And so “At the end of the day, legal services REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION opening up Boston has enabled are about talent, and the private FROM THE JANUARY 26, 2018, us to hire excellent private equity equity community are extremely EDITION OF LAW360 talent, whether they get deployed for sophisticated consumers of legal © 2018 PORTFOLIO MEDIA INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. FURTHER DUPLICATION Boston-based clients or throughout services,” Ballis said. “They know WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. our global network.” where the talent resides, and as we WWW.LAW360.COM

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