Overview

Robert Blaustein is a partner in the Investment Funds Practice Group of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and recognized as a global leader in the field of investment fund advisory work, with a particular emphasis on private equity. Robert focuses his practice on advising investment firms and private equity sponsors on all aspects of their business including the formation, marketing and management of investment products, the launching of new business lines, GP stakes transactions, GP-led secondaries, and other strategic investments and transactions, as well as operational, legal and regulatory issues. He has counseled sponsors on funds raising nearly $100 billion in capital and worked with both sponsors and limited partners on platform expansions, new product launches, spinout transactions, anchor investor negotiations, the purchase and sale of minority interests in management companies, and co-investment transactions. Robert also routinely works with sponsors on key Firm level issues including succession planning, carry plan structuring and corporate governance matters. Client engagements have included fund formations ranging from $100 million to in excess of $15 billion, and have included PE, hedge, real estate and credit funds.

Representative Clients

ACON, Balbec Capital, Caltius Capital, CC Capital, Comvest, Grafine, Greenbriar Equity, MidOcean Partners, Mountaingate Capital, MSD Capital, Owl Rock, SDC Capital, Sentinel Capital, Shorehill Capital, Siris Capital, Two Sigma, TZP Capital, Veritas Capital, Warburg Pincus, Welsh Carson and ZMC

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Thought Leadership

Seminars

Moderator, “Fund Formation and performance deep dive,” PEI Nexus, March 2024

Panelist, “Imposing Order on Chaos: Preparing for and Responding to Crises,” IBA/ABA London Private Funds Conference

Panelist, IMDDA Webinar, “Legal Aspects of Structuring Private Equity Funds” October 2019

Speaker, “Limited Partner & Fundraising Perspective,” Annual Wharton Venture Capital and Private Equity Conference, January 2017 and March 2018

Panelist, "How to Market Private Equity Funds on a Global Basis," PLI's Eighteenth Annual Private Equity Forum, July 2017

Panelist, "Large Cap PE," Wharton Private Equity & Venture Capital Conference (PEVC), January 2016

Panelist, “PEGCC General Counsels Day-Fund Formation,” Private Equity Growth Capital Council, October 2015

Panelist, “Fees Outside the ‘Offset Paradigm,” Privcap, March 2015

Panelist, “The State of Market Terms for Fees,” Privcap, February 2015

Speaker, “Fundraising and LP,” 21st Annual Harvard Venture Capital and Private Equity Conference, January 2015

Recognition

Recognized by Chambers Global for Investment Funds: Private Equity: Fund Formation (USA), 2023–2024

Recognized by Chambers USA for Private Equity: Fund Formation (USA - Nationwide), 2023 

Recognized by Who's Who Legal - The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers for Global Leader: Private Funds Formation, 2023

Recognized by Who's Who Legal - The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers for Private Funds, 2020

“Rising Star” for Fund Formation, Law360, 2019

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 2006New York

Education

  • University of Pennsylvania Law SchoolJ.D.2005

    Associate Editor, Journal of Constitutional Law

  • Yale UniversityB.A., Psychology2002