Francesca A. Harris

Since joining Kirkland, Francesca has worked on various matters including: 

• Hipgnosis Song Management on the acquisition of Justin Bieber’s catalog
• Sani/Ikos Group on its recapitalization and strategic partnership agreement with GIC
• GBL on the acquisition of Affidea 
• Brookfield on various matters, including:
  • the €1.089 billion recommended cash offer for Hibernia REIT
  • the all-cash voluntary public takeover offer for Befimmo SA
• Kofax on the recommended all cash acquisition of Tungsten Corporation plc  
• Blackstone on various matters, including:
  • Blackstone-backed Hipgnosis Song Management on the acquisition of Justin Timberlake’s entire catalogue of more than 200 songs
  • its $1 billion partnership with Hipgnosis Song Management
  • the acquisition of a majority stake in VFS Global
  • the consortium consisting of Scape Living and iQSA on the £969 million recommended cash offer for GCP Student Living plc
• GIC on various matters
• Gazit Hercules 2020 Limited (Newco) on the definitive merger agreement for a recommended cash acquisition of Atrium European Real Estate Limited
• SK Capital on the approximately $2 billion sale of Perimeter Solutions to EverArc Holdings Ltd.

Prior to joining Kirkland, Francesca worked on various matters including:

• Signature Aviation plc on various matters, including:
  • its recommended cash acquisition by a consortium comprising Blackstone, Global Infrastructure Partners and Cascade
  • as BBA Aviation plc on its $2.065 billion Class 1 acquisition of Landmark Aviation from The Carlyle Group
  • as BBA Aviation plc on its fully underwritten £748 million rights issue
• Cineworld Group plc on its issue of c. 153 million equity warrants in connection with its $450 million term loan facility
• DS Smith plc on various matters, including:
  • its $585 million disposal of its plastics division
  • its EUR 1.667 billion acquisition of Europac
  • its £1 billion fully underwritten rights issue
• FirstGroup plc on various matters, including:
  • its $4.6 billion Class 1 disposal of First Student and First Transit to EQT Infrastructure
  • the potential disposal of its UK bus division
• Non-Standard Finance plc on various matters
• Bloomsbury Publishing Plc on its £8.4 million placing
• IWG plc on various matters relating to its strategic franchising partnerships
• Allianz on its £242 million acquisition of Legal & General Insurance Limited
• Reliance Brands Limited on its approximately £68 million acquisition of Hamleys Global Holdings Limited
• OakNorth Holdings Ltd on its $440 million equity raise led by Softbank Vision Fund
• BHP Billiton on its disposal of interests in the Bruce and Keith North Sea oil and gas fields to Serica Energy
• The independent directors of Arsenal Holdings plc on the all cash offer by KSE, UK Inc. for the outstanding shares
• Direct Line Insurance Group on various matters, including:
  • its issue of RT1 notes and cash tender offer
  • its disposal of its Italian and German operations for EUR 550 million
• INEOS on various matters, including:
  • its acquisition of DONG Energy’s oil and gas business
  • its acquisition of the Forties Pipeline System from BP
• Prime Security Services Borrower, LLC (Protection1) and funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC on the acquisition of ADT Corporation
• General Electric on its $16 billion acquisition of the power and grid business of Alstom Group
• Shire plc on its proposed combination with AbbVie, Inc.
• RSA Insurance Group on:
  • possible all cash offer received from Zurich Insurance Group
  • its fully underwritten rights issue to raise approximately £773 million
• Noble Group on its investment in X2 resources to finance a diversified mining and metals group with $2.5 billion committed funding and up to a further $1.25 billion conditional funding

Slaughter and May, London

• Associate, 2013–2021
• Secondment to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, New York, 2016–2017
• Secondment to Fortress Investment Group, New York, 2016
• Secondment to Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York, 2015–2016
• Secondment to Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, New York, 2013
• Trainee Solicitor, 2011–2013