Kirkland & Ellis to Add Damien Coles to Global Restructuring Practice in Hong Kong

Kirkland & Ellis is pleased to announce Damien Coles will join the Firm as a partner in the Hong Kong office. Mr. Coles will join Kirkland’s Restructuring Practice Group, which includes more than 100 lawyers around the world.

The recruitment of Mr. Coles follows the recent announcement that Neil McDonald, previously the head of the Business Restructuring and Insolvency practice in the Hong Kong office of Hogan Lovells, will also be joining Kirkland in Hong Kong as a partner. More information on Mr. McDonald is available here.

“Damien has established a reputation as one of the region’s rising stars in restructuring,” said Jeffrey C. Hammes, Chairman of Kirkland’s Global Management Executive Committee. “We are delighted to add Neil’s and Damien’s outstanding experience, capabilities and energy to our premier restructuring platform and top-tier Hong Kong team.”

Mr. Coles is one of the leading young restructuring lawyers practicing in Asia and focuses on cross-border transactions involving Indonesia, India, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. He has worked on virtually every major Indonesian restructuring in recent years, including advising creditor groups in connection with the restructurings of Arpeni Pratama Ocean Line, Blue Ocean Resources, Berlian Laju Tanker and Bumi Resources. His clients include credit and private equity funds, banks, insolvency practitioners and turnaround professionals. Mr. Coles joins Kirkland from the Hong Kong office of Hogan Lovells.

“Damien’s arrival is further evidence of our commitment to providing clients in Asia with a full spectrum of legal services delivered by the best lawyers in the region,” said Nicholas Norris, partner in Kirkland’s Corporate Practice Group in the Hong Kong office. “We are excited that a lawyer of Damien’s quality and ability has agreed to join our Hong Kong office to help us achieve this goal.”

Mr. Coles has been identified as a leading restructuring lawyer by Chambers Asia-Pacific and IFLR1000, with IFLR noting that “Damien is an outstanding restructuring lawyer.” Mr. Coles holds a B.A. from Oxford University.

“Damien’s joining is a further boost to Kirkland’s worldwide Restructuring Practice Group,” said James H.M. Sprayregen, a restructuring partner and member of the Firm’s Global Management Executive Committee. “He and Neil will be important contributors to our global restructuring practice as we continue to provide clients with seamless advice on complex restructuring matters.”

Kirkland & Ellis’ Restructuring Practice Group utilizes its offices in the United States, Europe and Asia to provide integrated services to clients worldwide. Kirkland’s restructuring lawyers have advised on some of the most complex, multijurisdictional restructurings in recent history and have a broad range of business advisory and crisis management skills to navigate clients through situations involving financially troubled companies. Kirkland lawyers have handled matters across industries including media, entertainment, transportation, manufacturing, energy and real estate.

Kirkland & Ellis is a 1,600-attorney law firm representing global clients in complex restructuring, corporate and tax, litigation, dispute resolution and arbitration, and intellectual property matters. The Firm has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Chicago, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Shanghai and Washington, D.C.