Melissa D. Kalka, P.C.

Since joining Kirkland, Melissa has been involved in the following matters:

• Consortium of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) in the $6.2 billion acquisition of ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE: ALE).
• Global Infrastructure Partners in its $12.5 billion acquisition by BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK), creating a leading infrastructure private markets investment platform with over $150 billion in AUM.
• Global Infrastructure Partners in its investment in Rio Grande LNG’s $18.4 billion Phase I development and project financing.
• CyrusOne in its formation of a joint venture with KEPCO, a leading Japanese energy provider, for the purpose of building, operating and scaling data centers in Japan.
• A private company in the issuance of over $700 million of asset-backed securities secured by data centers across the United States.
• Incline Equity Partners in its investment in RKD Group, North America’s largest provider of omni-channel fundraising and marketing solutions to the nonprofit sector.
• Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLAY) in its $835 million acquisition of Main Event.
• KKR and Atlantic Aviation in its acquisition of the Lynx FBO Network.
• Solera Holdings Inc. in its acquisition of Spireon, a device-independent telematics and connected vehicle intelligence company. 
• AEA-Bridges Impact Corp. (NYSE: IMPX), a special purpose acquisition company, on its merger with LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s (NYSE: HOG) electric motorcycle division. 
• Consortium and KKR in the $15 billion all-cash acquisition of CyrusOne Inc. (NASDAQ: CONE). 
• KKR in the $1.9 billion acquisition of the Thermal business of Clearway Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CWEN, CWEN.A). 
• Solera Holdings Inc. in its acquisition of eDriving, a digital driver risk management provider. 
• GPI Capital in its $175 million growth equity investment in Hopper Inc., a leading travel fintech company.
• Alta Resources in the $2.925 billion sale of its upstream and midstream subsidiaries for cash and public stock consideration to EQT Corp.
• The Carlyle Group in the acquisition of a controlling interest in a marine terminal joint venture.
• Lead Edge Growth Opportunities Ltd, a special purpose acquisition company, in its $300 million initial public offering. 
• Incline Equity Partners in the acquisition of Jon-Don, a national value-added distributor of commercial supplies, equipment and consumables to specialty contractors and in-house services providers. 
• Penn Virginia Corporation (NASDAQ: PVAC) in Juniper Capital Advisors, L.P.’s $188 million strategic investment in the company, including $150 million of cash and certain oil and gas assets, in exchange for 59 percent of Penn Virginia’s equity.
• WPX Energy, Inc. (NYSE: WPX) in its $12 billion all-stock merger of equals with Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE: DVN).
• Bruin E&P Partners, LLC and its subsidiaries in connection with their prepackaged Chapter 11 cases.
• GPI Capital, a stockholder of Postmates Inc., in the proposed $2.65 billion all-stock acquisition of Postmates by Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Norwegian Cruise Line in its $2.4 billion transaction involving four different capital markets products, the first-ever four-tranched marketed financing.
• J. C. Penney Company, Inc. and 17 of its affiliates in their pre-arranged Chapter 11 cases. JCPenney, an iconic American retail staple tracing its roots back to 1902, includes private brands such as Liz Claiborne, St. John’s Bay, Stafford, and Arizona Jean Co. JCPenney employs more than 85,000 people, manages a massive supply chain with nearly 3,000 vendors and eleven domestic shipping facilities, and operates approximately 850 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, in addition to a substantial e-commerce business. With approximately $4.9 billion in debt, JCPenney entered bankruptcy with a Restructuring Support Agreement that carries broad first lien stakeholder support and is expected to substantially de-lever the company’s balance sheet.

Prior to joining Kirkland, Melissa was involved in the following matters:

• A digital infrastructure firm in connection with numerous acquisitions of data centers. 
• The Procter & Gamble Company in the sale of its Duracell personal power business to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. for $2.9 billion in a private split-off transaction and the sale of beauty brands to Coty Inc. for $12.5 billion in a private split-off transaction.
• Provista, a subsidiary of Vizient, Inc., in the sale of The Cooperative Purchasing Network Management Company, LLC (TCPN) in the form of a management buyback with the support of TA Associates.
• Motorola Solutions, Inc. in the transfer balance sheet liabilities attributable to outstanding pension obligations to third party insurance companies, valued at $4.3 billion.
• Turnbridge Capital in connection with the acquisition and related financing by portfolio company Cimarron Energy Inc. of substantially all of the assets of Diverse Energy Systems, LLC and its affiliates pursuant to a Section 363 sale in bankruptcy.
• Pitney Bowes Inc. in the formation of a joint venture with Broadridge Financial Solutions and the launch of a new technology platform named Inlet™.
• NYSE and TSXV listed real estate investment trusts in numerous acquisitions and public equity raises.
• A private real estate investment trust in a $1 billion private placement.
• A private equity firm in numerous acquisitions (including portfolio company add-ons) and divestitures in the food and beverage industry.
• A private equity firm in numerous acquisitions (including portfolio company add-ons) and divestitures in the energy industry, including energy-related infrastructure.
• A NASDAQ listed company in its $1.3 billion take private transaction.
• A pet food ingredient provider in connection with its $900 million sales transaction to a OTCMKTS listed company.
• A NYSE listed company in its acquisition of a distributor of generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter medications, and related products to retail, institutional, and alternate care customers from a private equity fund for $1.115 billion.
• A NYSE listed SPAC in connection with its potential acquisition of oilfield service providers.