Erica Berthou, P.C.
Overview
Erica is a force of nature. In baseball they talk about the five-tool athlete and she’s the five-tool athlete — all the skills in abundance that it takes to be a leading private equity fund formation lawyer. - Lawdragon Insights: Private Funds
Erica Berthou is a partner in the Investment Funds Group at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and serves on the Firm’s global Executive Committee. She has counseled U.S. and international investment fund sponsors on hundreds of billions of dollars of private fund formations across a wide variety of strategies. In addition to U.S.- and European-focused funds, Erica has significant experience with emerging markets fund formation, covering all major emerging markets, and the establishment of offices and other firm infrastructure in such markets. Erica has advised both sponsors and institutional buyers in connection with strategic investments in private investment firms and on structuring aspects in preparation of liquidity events for a firm’s owners. Erica regularly gives strategic advice to senior management of private equity firms.
Year after year, Erica is widely recognized as one of the country’s leading attorneys in the field of private investment fund formation. She is ranked Band 1 in both Chambers Global (2024) and Chambers USA (2024). In Chambers Global she is described by clients as “one of the premier fund formation lawyers.” In Chambers USA, one source described her as “very smart, hard-working, very commercial and willing to go the extra mile for client service,” and a client remarked “I’m told she has other clients, but I find it hard to believe because she’s so dedicated to us! It’s like we’re her only client.” Erica was named to Crain’s New York list of Notable Woman in Law for 2021 and was selected as a “2018 Distinguished Leader” by the New York Law Journal as part of their Professional Excellence Awards—Erica was the only fund formation attorney to be so recognized. In 2017, Erica was named a “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer for her role in advising Blackstone Alternative Credit Advisors (fka GSO Capital Partners) in connection with the formation of its third mezzanine fund, one of the world’s largest funds of its type. In addition, Erica is recognized as a Hall of Fame Lawyer (2021 & 2023–2024) and as a Leading Lawyer (2009–2022) by The Legal 500 US, which describes her as a “true star.” Erica was also was named a “2016 MVP” in asset management by Law360 and is featured in IFLR1000’s Women Leaders 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 issues, a directory of the 300 most highly-regarded female attorneys in financial law.
Select Representative Clients
Antin Infrastructure, ArcLight, Bain, BayPine, Blackstone, Bridgepoint, Carlyle, Centerbridge, Dynasty Equity, EQT, FFL, Glendon, GreyLion, H.I.G., Hunter Point, I Squared, JP Morgan, KPS, Macquarie, NewVest, Oaktree, Orix, Quantum, Permira, TPG