Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Bob Hayward — named a 2025 “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer — helps lead the global team that has been awarded “Capital Markets Practice Group of the Year” numerous times by Law 360. Bob was also named a “Notable Gen X Leader” by Crain’s Chicago Business in 2021 and a “Trailblazer in the Midwest” by The American Lawyer in 2022.

Bob provides direct, thoughtful and practical advice to publicly-traded corporations — across all industries — and private equity funds and their portfolio companies in all aspects of securities, M&A, spin-offs, SEC compliance / disclosure, corporate governance, stockholder activism, executive compensation, crisis management and general corporate matters. He has extensive experience representing companies in IPOs, high-yield and investment grade debt offerings, private financings, joint ventures and public and private M&A transactions.

Some of the publicly-traded corporations that Bob regularly advises include: The Boeing Company, Deere & Co., Kellanova, Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), WK Kellogg, Cushman & Wakefield, Ryan Specialty Group, PowerSchool, JAMF Software, R1 RCM, Inc., Whirlpool Corporation, Sylvamo Corp., Victoria’s Secret, Wynn Resorts, Carvana Co., Maravai LifeSciences, Express, Inc., Flutter Entertainment, U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc., Innovage, Integrated Ad Science, Champion Homes and Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. After representing Kellogg Company for over 20 years, Bob led its separation into two independent, publicly traded companies — Kellanova and WK Kellogg Co.

Northwestern University School of Law (J.D., 1997, cum laude; B.S., 1994).