Kevin R. Evanich, P.C. 
Professional Profile
Mr. Evanich is a senior member of Kirkland's Corporate Group, concentrating in mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts and private equity fund formations. He is responsible for structuring, supervising and closing numerous leveraged buyouts and a variety of buyout, venture capital and mezzanine funds. He represents gatekeepers and other major investors in fund investments. He has served as lead counsel in the representation of numerous portfolio companies of private equity funds.
In June 2006, Mr. Evanich was recognized by legal publisher Chambers & Partners with an award for excellence in private equity. He is the first to be honored in this category at Chambers & Partners' U.S.-based awards event. In every year since 2002, he has been listed as a leading practitioner in Chambers' USA and Global guides to the "Leading Lawyers for Business." He has been endorsed by clients as a "current leading light in the private equity world" who is "at the top of his game." Mr. Evanich was also named a leading practitioner in numerous other legal publications.
In 2008, Mr. Evanich received the Stanley C. Golder Medal from the Illinois Venture Capital Association in recognition of his long term contributions to the field of private equity law.
Mr. Evanich commented on Kirkland's plans for global expansion in the articles, Chicago: An Open Window, Sun Never Sets on the Legal Empire as 22 Chicago Law Firms Go Global and Outgrowing The Windy City.Representative Matters
Leveraged Acquisitions
- Responsible for leveraged acquisition of major southeastern health maintenance organization, including complex multi-party equity and debt structuring. Supervised specialized regulatory counsel and a team of specialists to complete highly regulated transaction requiring numerous negotiations with doctors and other providers.
- Principal counsel for acquisition of worlds largest chain of bowling centers.. Negotiated and structured acquisition of bowling center operator and producer of automated bowling equipment. Transaction included multiple layers of equity and debt financing and complex sale leaseback of worldwide real property. Post transaction, lead team that sold several foreign operations and combined a portion of the business with a European partner in a complex joint venture.
- Structured, negotiated and closed acquisition of major consumer products marketing company. Initial acquisition was negotiated in a four day period, allowing client to purchase the company before competitors could react. Acted as principal negotiator, and then lead a team that completed several follow on acquisitions and the company's initial public offering within one year of the initial purchase.
Fund Formations
- Structured and negotiated several multibillion dollar leveraged acquisition funds with major limited partners, including large ERISA funds, state sponsored funds, foreign investors and foundations. Funds often consisted of main fund plus specialized sister funds designed to meet the unique regulatory needs of tax exempt, foreign and other regulated investors.
- Structured and negotiated novel private equity investment fund consisting of side by side partnerships to provide separate investment vehicles for UBTI sensitive and non-UBTI sensitive investors. Included acquisition at initial closing of five flow through portfolio companies from prior employer of fund principals and structuring of UBTI protective blocker entities with embedded mechanisms allowing ultimate sale on tax advantageous terms.
- Structured and negotiated captive mezzanine investment fund with complex equity sharing arrangements. Lead negotiations with major limited partners leading to novel solutions to conflict of interest and other issues.
- Structured and negotiated complex institutionally sponsored venture capital program. Fund required substantial restructuring after acquisition of sponsor by bank holding company, and resulted in numerous meetings and discussions with Federal Reserve staff. Regulatory concerns required inserting independent general partner, special limited partner and complex advisory arrangement in order to meet FED requirements.
Memberships & Affiliations
Member, Firmwide LGBT Subcommittee
