Valentine Bleicher

Since joining Kirkland, Valentine has represented several private equity firms and their portfolio companies, including:

• KKR in connection with its agreement to acquire, as part of a consortium of institutional investors led by Sixth Street, home improvement lending platform GreenSky and associated loan assets from The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS)
• Bain Capital Private Equity and US LBM in the sale of a stake in US LBM to Platinum Equity
• Summit Partners and its portfolio companies in several transactions in the healthcare industry
• GTCR on its significant growth investment in Lexipol, a leader in policy, training and wellness support software for first responders and public servants
• Ridgemont Equity Partners in its investment in Crete Mechanical Group, a provider of HVAC, electrical, plumbing and building automation services

Prior to joining Kirkland, Valentine was involved in the following matters:

• Represented La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) in its $1 billion commitment to Invenergy Renewables LLC, the largest private developer, owner and operator of wind and solar projects in North America, to further support the company in its expanded development activities and continued growth
• Represented Dutch pension fund manager PGGM in several transactions, including in its $601 million acquisition of a 20% minority stake in SUEZ Water Resources Inc., a subsidiary of French public company SUEZ S.A. (Euronext: SEV, CAC Next 20 Component), specializing in the water and waste cycle management business in the Northeast region of the US
• Represented the senior creditors' committee in the lender-led €1.8 billion debt restructuring of the French utilities group SAUR
• Represented TC Energy (f/k/a TransCanada) (TSX, NYSE and S&P/TSX 60 component: TRP) in several transactions, including in the divestiture of its U.S. retail power marketing business to EDF Energy Services, LLC, a subsidiary of the French public company EDF S.A. (Euronext: EDF, CAC Next 20 Component)
• Represented Assured Guaranty Ltd. (NYSE: AGO) in several transactions, including:
  • in its $347 million acquisition of MBIA UK Insurance Limited, the European operating subsidiary of the US financial services company MBIA Corp.
  • in its $450 million acquisition of CIFG Hold ng Inc., the parent of financial guaranty insurer CIFG Assurance North America, Inc.

Mayer Brown, Chicago, 2015–2021

Clifford Chance, Paris, 2012–2015

Represented inmates in negotiation for the settlement of Civil Rights lawsuits against the Cook County Sheriff and the Cook County Department of Corrections.

Represented ARZU Studio Hope, a women empowerment not-for-profit organization in the US and an international NGO in Afghanistan operating as a "for-benefit" corporation creating jobs for women in rural villages in Afghanistan and producing ethically hand-knotted rugs, in its asset divestiture to Turquoise.