The Legal 500

Within Corporate tax, tier 4

Kirkland & Ellis International LLP is notable for its expertise in private equity and corporate acquisitions, restructurings, fund formation and other fund-related issues. It acted for Bain Capital and Hellman & Friedman in their acquisition of Securitas Direct from Swedish private equity firm EQT. Ian Taplin and Jane Scobie are recommended.

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Within Financial services, tier 5

Kirkland & Ellis International LLP’s ‘commercial and thoughtful’ team is known for its work with alternative asset managers. The team advised on the AIFMD and the Bribery Act, and assisted US and European clients on the application of the US Dodd-Frank Act. Lisa Cawley has an ‘excellent understanding of the UK regulatory regime’.

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Within M&A: premium deals, £250m+, tier 6

Kirkland & Ellis International LLP is notable for its private equity strength, and recently advised Bain Capital and Hellman and Friedman LLC on their €2.3bn acquisition of Securitas Direct. Graham White is recommended.

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Within Private equity: transactions, Kirkland & Ellis International LLP is a third tier firm,

Kirkland & Ellis International LLP continues on its ‘upward trajectory’ in the London market; as well as handling work for a number of the firm’s core US clients, such as Bain Capital, the team has developed a strong standalone practice. Recent highlights include advising Bain Capital and Hellman & Friedman on the €2.3bn acquisition of Securitas Direct from EQT. The team has also been involved in a number of exits, including advising TowerBrook Capital Partners on the €443m sale of PolymerLatex. Daniel Oates is a ‘strong up-and-coming lawyer with good commercial awareness’. Gavin Gordon, David Arnold and Graham White are also recommended.

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Within Fraud: corporate crime, Kirkland & Ellis International LLP is a third tier firm,

Kirkland & Ellis International LLP has recently advised on several high-profile cross-border bribery and corruption investigations, including representing a pharmaceuticals company in relation to the alleged supply of counterfeit drugs. Chris Colbridge is a key contact.

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Within International arbitration, tier 5

Kirkland & Ellis International LLP’s notable partners include Chris Colbridge and Rajinder Bassi, who together established the firm’s London arbitration practice; Ulrich Payne, who acts for financial institutions and multinationals; Ben Sanderson, who is a BIT specialist; and Chiraag Shah.

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Within Acquisition finance, Kirkland & Ellis International LLP is a third tier firm,

Praised for its ‘supreme commercial acumen’, Kirkland & Ellis International LLP maintains a thriving practice both in terms of new-money financings and restructurings of LBO deals. Neel Sachdev advised Bain Capital on the senior and mezzanine financing of its €900m acquisition of IMCD. ‘One of the finest finance lawyers in London’, Stephen Gillespie is in a ‘class by himself’, and heads a team that also includes the ‘incredibly solid, thoughtful and commercial’ Philip Crump. Other clients include Oaktree, Apollo and Towerbrook.

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Within Corporate restructuring and insolvency, Kirkland & Ellis International LLP is a second tier firm,

Under the guidance of ‘ultimate client man’ Kon Asimacopoulos and Partha Kar, Kirkland & Ellis International LLP’s ten-strong team has developed a ‘very influential and dynamic practice in recent years’ and is noted for its ‘commercial’ approach. Particularly accomplished on the debtor side, the team excels at handling complex pan-European cross-border mandates, recently assisting Greek casino business Regency Entertainment on its €1.1bn restructuring. The team also advised in relation to HIG’s €54m loan-to-own acquisition and restructuring of Bezier. Other clients include Fitness First, European Directories, Oaktree Capital and Centerbridge Capital.

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Within High yield, Kirkland & Ellis International LLP is a third tier firm,

Kirkland & Ellis International LLP’s highly regarded Ward McKimm continues to represent issuers, underwriters and sponsors in international securities transactions, with a particular focus on high yield offerings. William Burke has advised Securitas, Evonic Carbon Black and Ideal Standard International.

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Within Investment funds, Kirkland & Ellis International LLP is a first tier firm,

Kirkland & Ellis International LLP’s private funds practice is ‘technically excellent and responsive’. The team recently advised LaSalle Investment Management and Jones Lang LaSalle Inc on Plaza Global Real Estate Partners LP. Other clients include CVC Capital, Danske Private Equity, Mid Europa Partners, and Terra Firma. Practice head Mark Mifsud shows ‘keen awareness’ of the market; Kate Downey is ‘strong technically and analytically, and is commercial and practical’; and Richard Watkins is also recommended.

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Within Overview,

US firms also feature prominently in the rankings, in particular for acquisition finance, corporate restructuring and high yield. White & Case LLP, one of the best-established firms in the London market, continues to have the broadest capability, while other firms featuring highly in multiple rankings include Weil, Gotshal & Manges; Shearman & Sterling LLP; Kirkland & Ellis International LLP; and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP. Other strong performers include Bingham McCutchen (London) LLP, which has a top-tier showing for corporate restructuring thanks to its market-leading bondholder practice; Ropes & Gray LLP has made significant strides in a number of finance areas since it set up in London in January 2010; and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, which excels at leveraged finance and has strong ties with some of the market’s most significant sponsors, including KKR and Blackstone.

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