Robert Blaustein, P.C.
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.
Robert has been recognized by several leading industry publications for his work in investment funds. He was named a Law360 “MVP” for Fund Formation in 2024 and has been ranked by Chambers Global and Chambers USA for Private Equity: Fund Formation (USA) for several years. Robert was also honored by Who's Who Legal as a “Global Leader” in Private Funds Formation in 2023 and recognized as a “Rising Star” by Law360 in 2019.
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
Experience
Representative Matters
Representative Fund Transactions
Advising multibillion dollar U.S. and Global funds, including:
- Multiple one and done closings on $10 billion-plus funds
- Represented digital infrastructure on $1.3 billion fund
- Represented U.S. middle market sponsor on simultaneous closings for multiple products totaling nearly $5 billion
- Represented U.S. sponsor on sale of interests in “pre-seeded” fund with 10 exiting portfolio companies
- Worked with numerous buyout sponsors on launch of credit platform
- Advised numerous sponsors on launch of additional equity strategies, including sector and geographic-specific funds and funds targeting smaller transactions
- U.S. and European-based hedge funds with various investment strategies
- Advised asset managers on acquisition and integration of separate investment manager, launch of new fund product and subsequent spin-out
Representative GP Stakes and Asset Management Transactions
- MSD Partners in its strategic business combination with BDT & Company
- Owl Rock Capital Group in its business combination agreement with Dyal Capital Partners and Altimar Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company, to form Blue Owl Capital Inc., an alternative asset management firm
- Siris on the sale of a minority interest to Wafra and a structured financing from Landmark
- Owl Rock on sales of minority interest to Dyal and a management company financing from Dyal’s credit fund, along with prior sale to a family office-led consortium
- U.S. sponsor on the sale of a minority interest to Dyal
- MidOcean Partners in a strategic minority investment in its business by Hunter Point Capital
- Comvest Partners on the sale of a minority interest to Affiliated Managers Group
- Warburg Pincus on the sale of a minority interest to Groupe Marc de Lacharrière (GML)
- Represented U.S. sponsor in connection with launch of BDC business and issuance of stake in credit platform
- Represented U.S. middle middle market sponsor on the sale of preferred equity interests in management company to a prominent secondary buyer
- Represented U.S. middle market sponsor on the issuance of a preferred equity financing arrangement to 17Capital
Representative GP Led and Large Scale Secondary Transactions
- Represented Warburg Pincus on sale of interests in Duravant to a newly formed continuation fund
- Represented Warburg Pincus on sale of interests in Allied Universal to a newly formed continuation fund, Buyouts’ 2019 secondaries deal of the year
- Represented ZMC on sale of business to newly formed continuation fund
- Represented Warburg Pincus on strip sale of 30 portfolio companies to continuation fund led by Lexington and Goldman Sachs
- General Motors pension funds in a nearly $2 billion sale of private equity assets to Lexington Partners and a sovereign wealth fund
- Represented selling sponsor in acquisition of real estate management business
- Represented seller in connection with disposition of $250 million portfolio of limited partnership interests in private equity funds
- Represented sponsor in complex stapled secondary transaction resulting in lead commitment to new fund
Prior Experience
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Associate, Asset Management Group (2005–2007)
More
Thought Leadership
Seminars
Moderator, “At the forefront of co-investments,” PEI Nexus, March 2025
Moderator, “Value Creation Panel,” Columbia Business School Private Equity Conference, February 2025
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), 2023–2025
Recognized by Law360 as an “MVP” for Fund Formation, 2024
Recognized by Chambers USA for Private Equity: Fund Formation (USA - Nationwide), 2023–2024
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
Recognized by Law360 as a “Rising Star” for Fund Formation, 2019
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- 2006New York
Education
- University of Pennsylvania Carey Law SchoolJ.D.2005
Associate Editor, Journal of Constitutional Law
- Yale UniversityB.A., Psychology2002