Jeffrey Kaplan > Kirkland & Ellis LLP > Chicago, United States > Lawyer Profile

Kirkland & Ellis LLP
300 NORTH LASALLE
CHICAGO, IL 60654
ILLINOIS
United States
Jeffrey Kaplan photo

Position

Jeffrey Kaplan is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading private equity attorneys, advising private equity firms for over 20 years in all aspects of their business and operations, with a particular emphasis on the formation and operation of investment funds, as well as the organization, structuring, and operation of their management companies.

As one of the leaders of Kirkland’s market leading global investment funds practice, Jeffrey has played a key role in the development of Kirkland’s innovative platform serving the industry.

Clients routinely turn to Jeffrey for his legal advice, commercial judgement and creative solutions in connection with their most important complex matters, including with respect to the formation of private equity funds and SPVs, product and strategy expansion, fund restructurings, continuation fund transactions, co-investment programs, investment warehousing, seed capital and anchor investor arrangements, cross-fund transactions, investor defaults, strategic GP-level transactions, succession planning and personnel management, investor relations and PR/crisis-management issues, mergers and acquisitions, debt financings, regulatory compliance, conflicts issues and general corporate counseling.

Jeffrey is a frequent speaker, panel moderator and market commentator, and has been recognized year after year in numerous publications as a leading private equity attorney. He is described by clients in Chambers Global as “an impressive person; commercially savvy, strategic and he has high integrity. Those are just standout qualities of his.”

In addition to his practice representing some of the world’s leading established private equity firms, Jeffrey runs Kirkland’s market leading private equity emerging manager program, advising emerging managers in all aspects of their business, from the initial start-up phase through a successful fund launch and beyond.

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)

Characterized by an ‘incredible depth of knowledge and expertise’, Kirkland & Ellis LLP is one of the foremost names in the private equity and closed-end funds market. Its team acts in some of the most innovative and lucrative fundraises and deals internationally, as well as in the domestic market. John O’Neil heads the firm’s wider funds department from the New York office, alongside several of the firm’s key practitioners, including Andrew WrightErica Berthou, Daniel Lavon-Krein, Nicole Washington and Katrina Rowe. In Chicago, Kelly Ryan is the name to note for real estate funds work, Jeffrey Kaplan has long-standing experience acting for private equity firms, and Katie St. Peters stands out for her work with women-led private equity sponsors. Sean Hill is a key contact in Boston, and the team is also well represented in California and Texas. David Sherman rejoined the firm from Latham & Watkins LLP in November 2023.