Christopher M. Gandia

Since joining Kirkland, Christopher has represented clients in many significant U.S. and cross-border transactions, including:

• Blue Owl (NYSE: OWL) in its pending acquisition of Prima Capital Advisors, to create Blue Owl’s Real Estate Finance Strategy
• Global Infrastructure Partners in the pending sale of its business to BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK)
• KKR & Co Inc (NYSE: KKR) in its acquisition of a minority interest in Catalio Capital Management
• Crescent Point in the sale of its business to Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES)
• Synova in its sale of a minority interest to Bonaccord Capital Partners
• Martis Capital in its sale of a minority interest to Kudu Investment Management
• Fortress senior management in the pending acquisition (to be made with co-acquirer, Mubadala Capital) of Fortress Investment Group from Softbank
• Iron Park in the sale of its business to General Atlantic
• Thrive Capital on the sale of a minority interest in its business to a syndicate consisting of a group of U.S. and international investors
• MSD Partners in its business combination with BDT & Company
• Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE: JEF) in a sale of its minority investment in Oak Hill Capital Partners to Wafra
• 17Capital in its sale of a majority stake in its business to Oaktree Capital Group
• Blue Owl (NYSE: OWL) in its acquisition of Wellfleet Credit Partners from Littlejohn & Co. 
• Spring Bridge in the sale of its secondaries business to Ares (NYSE: ARES)
• Basalt Infrastructure Partners in the sale of its business to Colliers International (NASDAQ, TSX: CIGI)
• Iron Park Capital in its sale of a minority interest to Hunter Point Capital
• Trivest Partners in its sale of a minority interest to Bonaccord Capital Partners
• Park Square Capital in its sale of a minority interest to Bonaccord Capital Partners
• Penfund in its sale of a minority interest to Bonaccord Capital Partners
• MidOcean Partners in its sale of a minority interest to Hunter Point Capital
• Blue Owl (NYSE: OWL) in its acquisition of Oak Street Real Estate Capital
• Gauge Capital in its sale of a minority interest to RidgeLake Partners
• TripleTree in the sale of its healthcare M&A advisory business to Capital One (NYSE: COF)
• Sentinel Capital Partners in its sale of a minority interest to Blackstone and RidgeLake Partners
• Owl Rock Capital Group in its business combination with Dyal Capital Partners to form Blue Owl Capital and Blue Owl's subsequent $12.15 billion business combination with Altimar Acquisition Corp. 
• NewQuest Capital Partners in its sale of a majority control interest in its business to TPG in connection with TPG’s expansion of its global secondaries business 
• CC Capital and Motive Partners in the acquisition of Wilshire Associates
• TSG Consumer Partners in its sale of a minority interest to Dyal Capital Partners 
• Spring Bridge Partners as lead investor in a complex GP-led Secondaries transaction involving the spin-out of a new asset manager and the acquisition of five portfolio companies
• Goldman Sachs’ Petershill unit in the acquisition of a minority interest in Permira
• Avista Capital in its sale of a minority interest in its business to Capital Constellation (a Wafra affiliate)
• Various asset managers in the sale of GP Stakes and Structured Equity Transactions

Before joining Kirkland, Christopher has represented clients in many significant U.S. and cross-border transactions, including:

• Stonyrock Partners in its minority investment in Oak Hill Capital Partners
• Colony Capital (NYSE: CLNY) in its $5.9 Billion sale of its industrial real estate platform to Blackstone (NYSE: BX)
• Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (NYSE: FIS) in its $43 Billion acquisition of Worldpay, Inc.
• Founders of Stonyrock Partners in formation of new investment firm targeting alternative managers focused on private equity, credit, hedge fund, and venture capital investments
• Formation of energy asset management firm Pickering Energy Partners LP via a spin-out from Perella Weinberg Partners Capital Management
• Dock Square Capital in its strategic partnership with Investcorp’s Strategic Capital Group, a new investment firm targeting alternative managers focused on private equity, credit, hedge fund, and venture capital investments
• Benefit Street Partners, an alternative credit manager, in the sale of its business to Franklin Templeton Investments (NYSE: BEN)
• E*TRADE Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: ETFC) in its acquisitions of:
  
  • Capital One’s (NYSE: COF) Self-Directed Brokerage Business;
  • Trust Company of America; and
  • OptionsHouse
• Eurazeo (Euronext: RF) in its minority investment in the business of Rhone Group
• Center Coast Capital in the sale of its business to Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE: BAM)
• Fortress Investment Group LLC (NYSE: FIG) in its:
  
  • Merger with SoftBank Group Corp;
  • Sale of Logan Circle to MetLife, Inc.; and
  • Strategic alliance with Mount Kellett Capital Management
• Janus Capital Group Inc. in a merger-of-equals with Henderson Group plc, resulting in Janus Henderson Group Plc (NYSE: JHG)
• Old Mutual plc in its sale of a 24.95% shareholding in BrightSphere Investment Group plc (f/k/a OM Asset Management plc) to HNA Capital
• American Capital, Ltd. in:
  
  • Its merger with Ares Capital Corporation (NYSE: ARES); and
  • Its sale of American Capital Mortgage Management to AGNC Investment Corp (NASDAQ: AGNC)
• First Eagle in its sale of a controlling interesting of First Eagle Investment Management to funds sponsored by Blackstone and Corsair
• Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE: RJF) in its acquisition of the legacy Alex. Brown, Inc. business from Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. (NYSE: DB)
• BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) in its acquisition of a Mexican infrastructure fund manager
• Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (post-bankruptcy estate) in a sale of its minority interest in D.E. Shaw & Co.
• GAM Holding AG in its acquisition of the assets of Singleterry Mansley Asset Management Co. LLC

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, 2018–2019

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, 2013–2018

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2005–2010