Firm Profile > Kirkland & Ellis International LLP > London, England

‘Intellectual horsepower, tenacity and willingness to push the market.‘

‘The speed of execution is as fast and as surefooted as I’ve seen from any law firm.‘

‘Second to none in negotiation strategy.‘

‘The team sees everything and has very impressive market knowledge, enabling it to provide the most educated market views out there.‘

‘You get the gold-plated technology plus the judgement that comes with every point and overall outcome.‘

‘Stephen Lucas and Michael Steele’s ability to deliver in tough situations, to read the market and to negotiate market leading terms is highly valued and they deserve entirely their reputations.‘

‘Neel Sachdev’s IQ and feeling for situations makes him stand out head and shoulders above the rest.‘

‘Chris Shield is extraordinarily competent and can not only draft flawlessly but can provide valuable advice on negotiating tactics to make sure we get the best terms.‘

‘The outstanding Evgeny Zborovsky provides stellar legal work.‘

‘Kirsteen Nicol understands client demands and helps achieve end goals.‘

‘The team is senior and has a lot of experience in deal negotiation and market practice.’

‘The team has excellent strategic and tactical instincts, coupled with strong black letter law skills.’

‘The firm’s commercial acumen, speed and innovation is second-to-none.’

‘Partha Kar is very good at streamlining negotiations.’

‘The responsive, attentive, commercial and pragmatic Partha Kar is a great lawyer to have on your side.’

‘Kon Asimacopoulos is a tremendous business and relationship builder and oversees multiple matters with great skill and minimum fuss.’

‘Kon Asimacopoulos is very experienced across a range of situations and  geographies.’

‘Elaine Nolan is an outstanding adviser who excels at navigating complex issues with multiple and often awkward parties.’

‘Sean Lacey totally understands what the client is trying to achieve and will go into bat for it.’

“The team is very business-oriented, very educational for first-time issuers. They know very well the market and the best practices.”

“Cedric Van den Borren is pragmatic and very involved.”

“Cedric Van den Borren’s team is super-responsive, very quick to respond to any question no matter the time of day. It is very client focused – with the primary aim of always negotiating the best possible deal for their clients.”

“Cedric Van den Borren is a very focused, highly attentive and an astute high yield lawyer. He always aims to find a solution to complex issues and problems which has allowed a deal to proceed to the finish line which in other circumstances would not have got done.”

‘Probably the best firm I have worked with in the past five years across Europe and US. They are extremely commercial and quick to find creative solutions to all types of problems. Very capable individuals across the board‘.

‘Kirkland & Ellis is very strong when it comes to complex PE transactions that involve multi-party negotiations and cross-border dialogues. They are very strong at getting to the bottom of diligence issues and help the client gauge the risk. They are also excellent at deal negotiation‘.

‘An extremely hard working team who are highly personable and skilled at personality management. They have a strong market awareness which gives the client comfort that their advice reflects the latest practices‘.

‘David Higgins and Stuart Boyd are excellent; I have worked with David on multiple transactions since 2014 and he really stands out from the rest of the industry in terms of breadth and depth of knowledge, quality of advice and calmness under pressure‘.

‘Stuart Boyd always focuses on what really matters and keeps the client’s best interests at heart‘.

‘Rory Mullarkey is very knowledgeable, detail-oriented and strong in communication. He always keeps his calm in the face of difficult negotiations‘.

‘Matt Elliott is resolute, driven, very commercial and definitely a force in pushing a transaction through to completion‘.

‘Rory Mullarkey is a skilled manager of difficult personalities who can subtly guide both clients and counterparties towards to the appropriate commercial outcome’

‘Matt Elliott is a strong and experienced partner who brings a lot of experience to transactions he advises on, as well as good commercial sense. He is not afraid to state opinions and give clear and decisive advice in order to better serve his clients‘.

‘The team gets to the crux of the matter quickly and provides pragmatic and commercial guidance on potentially sensitive matters’.‘

‘A sound City practice with bright, solid practitioners and good client care’.

‘Satnam Tumani has a huge wealth of experience and knowledge of serious corporate fraud and corruption in national and multi-jurisdictional cases, and an intimate knowledge of the workings of the main prosecuting and investigating authorities’.

‘The team has a wealth and breadth of experience and proven ability to provide global coverage for a global asset manager’.

‘Marcus Thompson is absolutely brilliant; straight talking, commercial and pragmatic’.

‘Mike Casey is highly responsive; he delivers commercial and clear but thorough advice’.           

‘A leader amongst others and particularly suitable for the larger, thornier cases involving the Serious Fraud Office’.

‘Satnam Tumani is exceptional; he is hugely intelligent and able to use his vast experience as a former prosecutor to excellent effect’.              

‘They are a very market focused and commercial team of professionals‘

‘They are very thorough, take time to understand our business and what we are trying to achieve and invariably go the extra mile to ensure we get the right result‘

‘They are very open and transparent and will tell you if something is not possible‘

‘The team provides excellent technical advice with a commercial overlay, which is grounded in its deep market knowledge‘.

‘The team boasts long-term experience of the market and is always available, proactive and commercially-driven. Having worked with us for a long time, the team knows what is important to us and what is not, and tailors its advice accordingly‘.

‘Unmatchable expertise in merger control matters’

‘A strong team that does exceptional work’

‘Besides its full dedication to providing high-quality services, Kirkland & Ellis’ team is also committed to understanding the client’s industry’

‘With high-quality work comparable to Magic Circle firms’, the team has achieved a good balance between complex UK and EC merger work’

‘Paula Riedel is very persuasive and strong in legal arguments but at the same time, she also remains calm and understanding’

‘Sarah Jordan has a great strategic mind coupled with good business orientation’

‘Paula Riedel and Sarah Jordan are friendly and experienced’

‘Sally Southwell and Thomas Wilson are emerging talents’

‘Sally Southwell is an outstanding lawyer’

‘Accessible and responsive and can always be relied on to deliver trusted and workable solutions’

‘Strikes a perfect balance between technical knowledge, with a keen sense of what the regulator expects, and finding appropriate commercial outcomes for the client’

‘Great understanding of clients and market’

‘Lisa Cawley can always be counted on for practical advice and solutions’

‘Adam Skinner has the gift of being able to explain complex areas of regulation in a digestible way’

‘The Kirkland team always has an eye on the big picture strategy and is really good at coming up with novel and creative approaches for achieving the ultimate commercial and strategic aims.‘

‘This is the team that you want running your most complex and strategic cases.‘

‘The group always takes a very strategic and commercial approach — including in finding the right leverage for settlement along the way.‘

‘Backed by Kirkland & Ellis’ considerable resources and ambition from the US side, Nicola is already building a sizeable team.‘

‘Nicola Dagg is extremely strategic and laser-focused on getting the right result for her client.‘

‘Nicola Dagg drives the technically strong and client-focused approach.‘

‘Jin Ooi is renowed for his ability to master knotty issues and has famed round-the-clock responsiveness.‘

‘Nicola Dagg is a phenomenal client handler and strategist and gets the best out of the team below her.‘

‘Jin Ooi is brilliant on detail and in plotting out the future stages of litigation.‘

‘Katie Coltart has experience way beyond her years, and is likely to be a star partner of the future.‘

‘Steve Baldwin is superb, with particular expertise in SPC matters.‘

‘Nicola Dagg is highly experienced in life sciences IP litigation at the highest levels, and excellent at managing large multi-disciplinary and multinational teams of experts.‘

‘Katie Coltart will be a star in the next generation of top UK IP litigators.‘

‘The firm has great international arbitration experience‘.

‘Christopher Colbridge has superstar quality and is a leading figure in the field; he is a virtuoso lawyer at the top of his game and an absolutely superb tactician‘.

‘Chiraag Shah is another star in the firm; he is dedicated to his cases, totally unflappable and exudes confidence. He has the energy of three people and is tireless in achieving the best results for clients‘.

‘Rajinder Bassi is an excellent lawyer and good tactician‘.

‘Philipp Kurek is knowledgeable‘.

‘Jonathan Newman is able to think outside the box, which is why clients trust him and take his advice‘.

‘Known for the highest-quality work to achieve the best results.  Top of their game and must be on everyone’s list to consider using when a big matter needs an IP litigator.’

‘They demonstrate a clear ability to excel in high-pressure situations.’

‘Nicola Dagg is a stand-out achiever in the field. She  leaves no stone unturned and is hugely in demand.’

‘The stand out individuals are Nicola Dagg, Jin Ooi and Katie Coltart. Nicola drives the technically strong and client-focused approach.’

‘Jin Ooi is an associate to watch out for.  He has a keen attention to detail and will rapidly deploy his considerable knowledge of the facts and related case law to examine the situation at hand.  He has a natural curiosity and strong intellect which lends well to valuable insights and contributions. He is also calm and meticulously organised which ensures the smooth and quick development of a case, no matter how many moving and complex parts there are.’

‘Daniel Lim has an excellent knowledge and understanding of biotech, as well as impressive knowledge of regulatory law.‘

‘Rajinder Bassi is well known and highly respected; she is a smart, robust international litigator who is brilliant with clients and opponents alike‘.

‘Richard Boynton is a truly outstanding, young partner who will undoubtedly be one of the top commercial litigation superstars within five years‘.

‘The team is an incredibly strong collection of individuals who excel at teamwork and thus produce a consistent and seamless experience for the client.‘

‘Jonathan Birks deserves special mention for his perseverance, willingness to discuss and negotiate at all hours, excellent professionalism and subject matter knowledge.‘

‘The team stands out for its ability to put the commercial consideration at the forefront of its analysis.‘

‘What makes Kirkland & Ellis unique is the extraordinary consistency of the individuals who work for it. No matter the project, you can always expect that the full team, from partner to juniors, will be of outstanding quality and commitment.‘

‘Richard Semple and James Esterkin were impressive for their availability, strong commitment, attention to detail and, most importantly, an incredible ability to grasp commercial issues and solve them in advance for the client.‘

‘The team is professional, easy to collaborate with and has excellent sector-specific knowledge. It is very commercial, experienced and – most importantly – able to explain complicated legal issues and structures in straightforward ways, avoiding legal jargon.‘

‘Richard Semple and James Esterkin are a very supportive and knowledgeable duo; they are highly responsive and very hardworking, and did their best to ensure the timely completion of the transaction.‘