Mr John O'Neil > Kirkland & Ellis LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Kirkland & Ellis LLP
601 LEXINGTON AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10022
NEW YORK
United States
John O'Neil photo

Position

John is a globally recognized leader in the private equity field. He heads Kirkland & Ellis’ Investment Funds Group, the firm’s leading-edge global platform that provides innovative and bespoke legal strategies to sponsors and funds of all kinds. John is also a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. John is a founding member of the firm’s Private Funds Crisis Management Group, which guides investment fund sponsors, advisory boards, and other market participants through some of their most challenging situations. As the go-to advisor to some of the world’s most dynamic funds, John leverages more than two decades of industry knowledge to achieve optimal results for his clients in day-to-day operations and extraordinary events and transactions, including “key person” events, investor defaults, and spin-outs. John is a global thought leader on private equity market trends, firm leadership and culture, and community engagement. John also serves on the boards of the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation, and the Constellation Fund, an organization that fights poverty in the Twin Cities community.

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.