David Higgins > Kirkland & Ellis International LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Kirkland & Ellis International LLP continues to play a dominant role in the London private equity market, with its work in 2021 including some of the sector’s largest take-privates, investments, acquisitions and disposals. The team’s client base encompasses some of the most prominent names in US and European private equity, working across mainstream PE and real estate PE, as well as acting for sovereign wealth funds and pension funds. David Higgins leads the team and is one of the most respected figures in London PE, with longstanding connections to a host of buyout houses. Matthew Elliott focuses on the real estate sector, while Adrian Maguire continues to play a key role on a steady stream of deals in both the public and private markets. Elsewhere, Stuart Boyd ‘displays real expertise’ and has a particular focus on public market transactions such as SPACs and take-privates, while Roger Johnson recently handled a number of large deals for EQT. David Holdsworth is highly active on public and private acquisitions, including cross-border transactions. The firm continues to grow its roster of PE partners, bringing on Vincent Bergin and Keir MacLennan from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in late 2021.