John P. Kabealo, P.C.
Overview
John Kabealo is a partner in the International Trade and National Security Practice Group in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. John’s practice focuses on U.S. national security regulatory processes, including with respect to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), among others.
Prior to joining Kirkland, John founded a globally recognized boutique law firm concentrating on U.S. national security regulatory processes, with clients including multinational asset managers, public and private companies, defense contractors and startups. He was previously a corporate attorney at a major U.S. law firm where he gained a strong foundation in corporate and transactional matters. After four years, John joined the firm’s recently formed national security group, where he spent the next seven years exclusively focusing on national security and regulatory reviews.
John has frequently been recognized by Chambers USA and Chambers Global as one of the top CFIUS attorneys in the world, having received a Band 2 ranking in 2024. He is also regularly quoted in leading publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Marketplace and MLex.
He has also spoken at American Conference Institute conferences on export controls and classified information requirements. His articles have appeared in leading industry publications such as The M&A Lawyer, Transaction Advisors and Law360, and he is a senior advisor, U.S./Transatlantic to the CELIS Institute.
Experience
Representative Matters
Representations by John’s firm included:
- A leading, highly diversified global investment manager with multiple multibillion dollar acquisitions of its general partner, ongoing CFIUS compliance obligations and regular filings before the Committee;
- A Czech acquirer in its $4 billion purchase of a publicly traded, multinational logistics business;
- A UK acquirer of a defense contractor with software used in the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent nuclear program;
- An educational technology company in connection with its $875 million sale to a European acquirer;
- A Czech acquirer in its $341 million acquisition of a software and services firm that contracts with the U.S. government;
- A semiconductor company in a multistage Series B equity financing and subsequent acquisition by a global semiconductor manufacturer;
- A farming operation in a $1 billion sale to a Brazilian acquirer;
- A “new satellite” company in connection with an equity financing triggering a mandatory CFIUS filing as well as ongoing compliance obligations;
- A defense contractor in connection with CFIUS national security agreement and Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency FOCI mitigation instrument compliance obligations;
- A UK communications and artificial intelligence company in connection with an acquisition triggering CFIUS and DCSA approval and ongoing FOCI mitigation compliance;
- A video game development studio in connection with its $250 million sale to a Chinese acquirer and ongoing compliance with a national security agreement;
- An advanced chemical engineering firm in connection with multiple CFIUS filings;
- A publicly traded Chinese company in a successful acquisition of a startup with technology based on U.S. government-developed R&D;
- A venture-stage investor in a startup technology company that was subsequently publicly traded and valued at more than $2 billion. The investor engaged Kabealo after being ordered to divest its holdings by CFIUS. John guided the investor through a new CFIUS process, which resulted in full CFIUS approval with no conditions;
- An early round investor in a space technology firm undergoing a CFIUS enforcement action, including the negotiation of preferential rights in relevant transaction documents and successful navigation of the national security agreement negotiation process;
- Multiple targets and investors undergoing the CFIUS “non-notified” process, including successful defense against jurisdiction and negotiation of national security agreements with the Committee.
Representations by John while at Skadden included:
- Nokia, in its $16.6 billion acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent;
- Intel Corporation in its $4.2 billion joint venture with TPG Capital, L.P. to form an in dependent cybersecurity company called McAfee;
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company in its $8.8 billion sale of its software business to Micro Focus International plc;
- Apex Technology Co., Ltd. as a member of a buyer consortium in its $4 billion acquisition of Lexmark International Inc. This was the second-largest outbound acquisition in the technology sector ever completed by a Chinese investor and the third-largest U.S. public takeover ever completed by a Chinese investor. This transaction was named one of China Business Law Journal’s 2016 Deals of the Year;
- Sprint Nextel Corporation in its:
- $21.6 billion sale to SoftBank Corporation (recognized as the “Global M&A Deal of the Year: Grand Prize” by The American Lawyer and in the Corporate & Commercial category in the Financial Times’ 2013 U.S. “Innovative Lawyers” report); and
- $2.2 billion acquisition of the 50% stake in Clearwire Corporation.
- Bain Capital and Golden Gate Capital as co-lead investors in their $7 billion take-private of BMC Software, Inc;
- China Three Gorges Corporation in its acquisition of a 21.35% stake in Energias de Portugal S.A. for €2.69 billion;
- An affiliate of Veritas Capital in its $690 million acquisition of the government IT services business of Harris Corporation;
- The AES Corporation and Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCO) in their $853 million acquisition of FTP Power LLC (sPower);
- A123 Systems, Inc., a maker of advanced lithium ion batteries, in its sale to Wanxiang Group Companies;
- L-1 Identity Solutions, a manufacturer and provider of biometrics capture hardware and software, in its sale to Safran SA;
- EMC Corporation in the contribution of its Iomega Network Attached Storage Device division to a joint venture with Lenovo;
- Emcore Corporation in the divestiture of its Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser division to Sumitomo.
Prior Experience
Founder, Kabealo PLLC
Associate, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
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Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- District of Columbia
- New York
Education
- University of Virginia School of LawJ.D.2007Editor-in-Chief, Virginia Law Weekly
- Princeton UniversityA.B., Politics2003Varsity Football