Bruce I. Ettelson, P.C. 
Professional Profile
Bruce I. Ettelson leads Kirkland's Private Funds Group. His practice focuses on structuring and forming premier private equity funds and their management companies, including billion dollar plus funds for firms such as AEA, American Capital Strategies, Bear Stearns, Energy Capital Partners, Golden Gate Capital, Madison Dearborn Partners, Nautic Partners, Paul Capital Partners, Summit Partners and Vestar Capital Partners. Mr. Ettelson has represented over 75 private equity firms in the formation of more than 200 private equity funds. He is also involved in the structuring and formation of private equity funds associated with commercial and investment banks; representing investors in making and monitoring investments in private equity funds; representing buyers, sellers, management teams and fund sponsors in their investments in the secondary market; and acting for private equity clients in general corporate counseling.
Mr. Ettelson was selected as one of "40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch" by The Law Bulletin Publishing Company and named as one of "The International Who’s Who of Private Funds Lawyers" by Law Business Research Ltd. every year it has been published. The Legal 500 U.S., in its 2009 edition, recognized Mr. Ettelson as one of eight leading lawyers in the Private Equity Funds category and noted that "clients describe him as 'incredibly bright with lots of energy,' but at the same time, 'extremely careful and very thoughtful,' with an 'almost encyclopedic knowledge of private equity.'" Additionally, Chambers & Partners, the international legal publisher, ranked Mr. Ettelson first in Private Equity: Fund Formation in its 2009 Chambers USA guide, calling him an "absolutely top-notch, dynamite attorney" who "always has his finger on the pulse of the market."
Mr. Ettelson is a frequent lecturer, speaker, and panel moderator and has also published numerous articles on private equity and fund formation matters.
Representative Matters
Emphasis in structuring and forming premier private equity funds and their management companies and on secondaries, including billion dollar plus funds for AEA, American Capital Strategies, Bear Stearns, Golden Gate Capital, Madison Dearborn Partners, Nautic Partners, Paul Capital Partners, Summit Partners and Vestar Capital Partners. Structure and form private equity funds associated with commercial and investment banks. Represented over 75 private equity firms in the formation of more than 150 private equity funds.
Represent investors in making and monitoring investments in private equity funds.
Represent private equity clients in general corporate counseling.
Mr. Ettelson is a frequent lecturer, speaker, and panel moderator and has also published numerous articles on private equity and fund formation matters.Memberships & Affiliations
Member of the United Jewish Communities Finance Committee for the Chicago Metropolitan area.
Member of the Midwest Regional Advisory Board of the University of Pennsylvania.
Executive Committee member of Illinois chapter of AIPAC.
Former Member of finance committees of U.S. Senators Barack Obama and Richard Durbin.
Former Senior Vice Chairman of the United Jewish Communities Cardoza Society.
Former Secretary, Treasurer and Director of the Kirkland & Ellis Foundation.
Former Chicago area chairperson of the national United Jewish Communities Young Leadership Cabinet.
Former Chairman of Mount Sinai Medical Institute Council.Other Distinctions
Listed In:
The Legal 500 U.S. (2009).
IFLR's Guide to the World's Leading Private Equity Lawyers, 3rd Edition (2008).
"The Best Lawyers in America," Woodward & White (2007 - 2010).
"Chambers Global, The World's Leading Lawyers for Business," Chambers & Partners (2006 - 2009).
"Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business," Chambers & Partners (2005 - 2009).
"Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Private Funds Lawyers," Law Business Research Ltd. (2000 - 2008).
"Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers," Law Business Research Ltd. (2002 - 2008).
"40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch," a supplement to Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Chicago Lawyer, published by Law Bulletin Publishing Company (2001).
Publications
"The Offering Memorandum," by Bruce I. Ettelson, Mark Mifsud and Karen Sodke, published in The Definitive Guide to Private Equity Fundraising, a Private Equity International publication (May 2009).
"Defying the Odds," published in Legal Week Global (April 2003).
Moderated panel "Secondaries Pros Discuss Market's Evolution," published in Buyouts Newsletter (December 2002).
"Three Important Fund Formation Developments," published in Directory of Private Equity Investors (2000 Edition).
"Important Fund Formation Developments - Or Five Things Every Private Equity Fund Sponsor Must Know," by Jack S. Levin, Bruce I. Ettelson and Donald E. Rocap, published in The Venture Capital Review (1997).
"Fund Formation Trends," published in Directory of Private Equity Investors (1996 - 1999 Editions).Seminars
Speaker, "Issues in Current Fund Raising Environment," October, 2009, at the 9th Annual CFO Summit sponsored by the Illinois Venture Capital Association.
Speaker, "Private Equity Fund Issues in the Current Market: Defaulting LPs, Carried Interest Renegotiation and Taxation of Carried Interest," August, 2009, at the ABA Section of Business Law Annual Meeting.
Speaker, "The State of the Fund Raising Market," at the 8th annual CFO summit sponsored by the Illinois Venture Capital Association.
Moderator, "From the Front - Successful Management for Private Equity Firms," sponsored by the Association for Corporate Growth's Chicago chapter, September, 2008.
Moderator, "Fund Leverage," March, 2008 at the IBA's 9th Annual International Conference on Private Investment Funds.
Moderator, "Senior Partner Transition," March, 2007 at the Transitioning Fund Management Event sponsored by the Illinois Venture Capital Association.
Speaker, "Current Fund Trends," October, 2006 at the 6th Annual CFO Summit sponsored by the Illinois Venture Capital Association.
Speaker, "Management Fees and Expenses," May, 2006 at the Midwest CFO Association.
Speaker, Private Equity and its Role in the Economy - A Conference "Current Issues and Friction points in the GP/LP Relationship," April, 2006 sponsored by the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and the University of Illinois.
Moderator and Speaker, "Illinois Sudan Act Certification Requirements and Legislation," alongside Senator Don Harmon and representatives from the Illinois Treasurer's Office for the Illinois Venture Capital Association, January 9, 2006.
Moderator and Speaker, "Current Fund Terms," October, 2005 at the 5th Annual CFO Summit sponsored by the Illinois Venture Capital Association.
Speaker, "The Evaluation of Fund Structure and Terms," July, 2005 at the 5th Annual Private Equity Conference Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Speaker, "Challenge of Fundraising in Today's Market - Strategies for Differentiating Yourself as a Mainstream Player," May, 2005 at the US Private Equity & Venture Capital Summit in New York City, sponsored by The Institute for International Research.
Moderator and Speaker, "LP and GP Perspectives on Partnership Terms and Conditions," at the 2004 Super Return USA Conference, April 28, 2004.
Moderator and Speaker, "Private Equity Fund Formation Issues," sponsored by the Chicago Association for Corporate Growth, April 2, 2004.
Moderator and Speaker, "Investment Banking for Women/Minority Owned Business Enterprises - - First Annual National Forum: Strategies for Growth," March 4, 2004.
Chairman and Moderator, "Private Equity Advanced Strategies for Private Investment Funds," sponsored by Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Ernst & Young LLP, November, 2003.
Speaker, "Raising Capital in the Current Market Environment," September, 2003 at the 2003 Texas Private Equity Conference in Austin, Texas, sponsored by the Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Center for Private Equity Finance.
Speaker, "Structuring a New Fund in the Current Venture Capital Market," March, 2001 at the Venture Capital Institute Graduate Program in Atlanta, Georgia, co-sponsored by: The Venture Capital Institute, the National Venture Capital Association and the National Association of Small Business Investment Companies.
Speaker, "Private Equity Fund Management Fee Issues," April, 2001, August, 2000, and November, 2000 at the Private Equity Fund Formation Seminars in New York City and December, 2000 at the Private Equity Fund Formation Seminar in San Francisco, sponsored by The Institute for International Research.
Speaker annually at Kirkland & Ellis LLP VC/LBO conferences and Kirkland Institute of Corporate Practice on structuring private equity fund formations. Frequent speaker at Kirkland & Ellis LLP Corporate meetings.
