Kirkland & Ellis is well-known for its private equity and credit fund work. The debt finance team offers advice on the full spectrum of financing products, catering to sponsors, credit funds and corporate investors. Jacqueline Zheng handles cross-border acquisition financing, structured financing, direct lending and special situation transactions. She heads up the team alongside Manas Chandrashekar, who acts for sponsors and borrowers in acquisition and leveraged financings. Karen Ho also undertakes acquisition and leveraged financings, often with a cross-border element. Dominic McNeil joined the team from Linklaters in June 2025.
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Mentions
Profile
Work Department
Debt Finance
Position
Partner
Career
Jacqueline Zheng is the co-head of the Asia debt finance practice of Kirkland & Ellis. Jacqueline has over 15 years of experience in advising private equity sponsors, strategic investors and credit funds on complex cross-border acquisition financing, back leverage, margin loans, structured financing, direct lending and special situations transactions across the Asia Pacific region. Jacqueline has been named a “Leading Individual” in Banking & Finance by Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2020–2024. She has been recognized by Chambers Greater China and Chambers Global in 2023 and 2024 as a “Leading Lawyer” in Leveraged & Acquisition Finance, and by IFLR1000 as a “Highly Regarded” and “Women Leaders” in Leveraged Finance in 2024 and Banking in 2023. She was also named as “Banking & Finance Lawyer of the Year” by 2022 Euromoney APAC Women in Business Law Awards.
Languages
English, Mandarin, Shanghai Dialect
Education
City University of Hong Kong, PCLL, 2007
University of New South Wales, LL.B.; B.Com., Finance, 2006
Content supplied by Kirkland & Ellis
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The banking and finance team stands out from their peer firms in the region for the proactive way in which they run their deals and provide actionable advice to their clients to reduce costs and delay.'
‘Karen Ho is not only always available to provide actionable advice but also runs her team on deals in an efficient manner.'
'Manas Chandrashekar remains the solid performer in the background building out the successful banking and finance practice in Asia with a enviable portfolio of clients.’
Key clients
- Bain Capital-controlled Bridge Data Centres
- J.P. Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Limited
- EQT
- Bain Capital Private Equity
- Advent International
- Victory III Co. Ltd., wholly-owned subsidiary of the founders and management of Vesync
- PAG
- Platinum Equity
- Management Reports International
- Apax
- The Carlyle Group
- GL Capital
Work highlights
Advising Bain Capital-controlled Bridge Data Centres, a hyperscale data centre platform, on the jumbo leveraged financing for its Malaysian hyperscale data centre assets.
Advising J.P. Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Limited as financial adviser to the offeror, L’Occitane Groupe S.A., on the debt financing aspects of the high-profile EUR 1.7 billion (USD 1.9 billion) privatisation and delisting of L’Occitane International S.A. from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Advising EQT Partners Asia Pte. Limited on the USD 1.14 billion syndicated debt financing and hedging for Houting UK Limited’s recommended cash acquisition of the entire issued and to-be-issued ordinary share capital of Keywords Studios Plc.