Sara B. Zablotney, P.C.

Partner Tax

New York +1 212 446 4772

Sara B. Zablotney, P.C.

Overview

Sara Zablotney is a tax partner in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Her practice is broad-based and encompasses all manner of complex transactions, focusing on the tax aspects of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and spin-offs, both domestic and cross-border. She also advises clients on the tax aspects of securities issuances, bankruptcy and restructuring. Chambers USA has praised her as “extraordinary with clients,” “practical, quick on her feet and proactive” and “extremely knowledgeable with good judgment.” Sara has been recognized by Chambers USA for Tax [NY] from 2017–2025, as a “Rising Star” and “MVP” by Law360 for Tax Law in 2014 and 2017, respectively, is recommended by The Legal 500 U.S., and has been listed as a “Bankruptcy Tax Specialist in the Nation’s Major Law Firms” as a senior practitioner by Turnarounds & Workouts.

Sara serves as Chair of Kirkland’s Audit Committee and Co-Chair of Kirkland’s Firmwide Finance Committee; she is a member of Kirkland’s Income Partner Review Committee and Operations Committee.

Private Equity Matters

  • Altaris Partners in numerous matters, including acquisitions and dispositions.
  • Apax Partners and Apax Digital in numerous matters, including acquisitions and dispositions.
  • Arlington Capital Partners in its $185 million acquisition of L3 Electron Devices and Narda Microwave-West from L3Harris Technologies to create Stellant Systems.
  • Authentic Brands Group on the formation of Authentic Luxury Group, a joint venture between Authentic and Saks Global, to elevate the potential of their luxury brands.
  • Brookfield Business Partners L.P., and certain of its affiliates and institutional partners in numerous matters, including acquisitions, dispositions, financings and joint ventures.
  • Cerberus Capital Management in numerous matters including its acquisitions, dispositions and “continuation vehicle” transactions.
  • Cinven in numerous matters including acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures.
  • Gen II Fund Services, LLC in its strategic investment from General Atlantic, Hg and IHS Markit.
  • Greenbriar Equity Group in numerous matters, including acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures.
  • Lone Star Funds, Hudson Partners and related entities and affiliates in numerous transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions and financings.
  • Media Rights Capital in several transactions, including its separation from Valence Media.
  • New Mountain Capital in numerous matters, including acquisitions and dispositions.
  • ONCAP in its sale of Precision Concepts to The Sterling Group.
  • Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe in numerous matters, including acquisitions, dispositions and public offerings.

Public Company and Strategic Matters

  • AbbVie in its $63 billion acquisition of Allergan and in the issuance of $30 billion of debt to finance its acquisition of Allergan.
  • Accenture in numerous matters, including its acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures.
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb in numerous matters, including acquisitions, dispositions and joint development agreements.
  • Clearwater Analytics in several transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions and investments.
  • Corning Inc. in connection with the exchange of its 50% ownership interest in Dow Corning Corp. for 100% of the stock of a corporation that will hold an approximately 40% ownership interest in Hemlock Semiconductor Group and other assets including approximately $4.8 billion in cash.
  • EQT Corporation in several transactions including acquisitions and joint ventures.
  • Express, Inc. in several transactions, including its Chapter 11 cases and joint ventures.
  • Honeywell in its $2.16 billion acquisition of Sundyne from Warburg Pincus and in the $1.325 billion sale of its Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) business to Protective Industrial Products.
  • J.M. Huber Corporation in its $1.8 billion sale of CP Kelco to Tate & Lyle.
  • Kimberly-Clark in its pending $48.7 billion acquisition of Kenvue and its pending $3.4 billion strategic partnership with Suzano.
  • Palo Alto Networks in its acquisition of the QRadar Software as a Service (SaaS) business from IBM.
  • Paycor HCM in its $4.1 billion sale to Paychex.
  • Sinclair Broadcast Group in a nineteen-count adversary proceeding filed by Diamond Sports Group and affiliated debtors alleging constructive and intentional fraudulent conveyance, breach of fiduciary duty and alter ego claims.
  • Travel + Leisure in its acquisition of the Travel + Leisure brand and related assets from Meredith Corporation.
  • Uber Technologies in its pending acquisition of SpotHero, a provider of a parking reservation app.
  • United Airlines in its $6.8 billion financing comprising of $3.8 billion of bonds and $3 billion of term loans secured by the airline’s MileagePlus loyalty program and its $5 billion funding from the U.S. Treasury under the CARES Act Payroll Support Program.
  • Victoria’s Secret in its $400 million acquisition of Adore Me.
  • Virgin Music Group in its pending $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings.
  • WeWork Inc. on its Chapter 11 filing and in related litigation proceedings.
  • Wyndham Worldwide in several transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions and a tax-free spin-off.

More

Thought Leadership

Publications 

“Consolidated Tax Sharing is a Jabberwock,” Tax Notes, March 2023

“A Rose by Any Other Name Will Cost You More,” Taxes, March 2020

“Sticking to Your Resolutions: Acting Under a Plan of Reorganization,” Tax Notes, April 2019 

"Debt Instruments Subject to Timing Contingencies: A Discussion and Proposal," Bloomberg BNA Tax Management Memorandum, August 2013

"Taxing Thoughts on Outsourcing," Managing Offshore, September 2005

Speaking Engagements (Recent)

“‘Double or Nothing’ and the Economic Substance Doctrine,” Federal Tax Conference, November 6, 2025

“Why Do We Roll This Way?: Tax Deferred Transactions in the Private Context,” 60th Annual Southern Federal Tax Institute, October 28, 2025

“Pillar 2 in Practice: Key Challenges and Strategic Responses in the First Year of Implementation (Lesson Learned and Best Practices),” International Bar Association, The New Era of Taxation, September 11, 2025

“Understanding the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (CAMT),” Practising Law Institute, March 5, 2025

“Corporate Tax - It Will Never Be Perfect, but Let’s Make It Work Better: Recent Guidance on Spin-Offs and CAMT,” NYSBA Tax Section Annual Meeting, January 14, 2025

Memberships & Affiliations

Member, Tax Forum

New York State Bar Association, Tax Section Executive Committee; Secretary

Duke University, Trinity College Board of Visitors

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 2003New York

Education

  • New York University School of LawJ.D.cum laude2002

    Leonard J. Schreier Memorial Prize in Ethics

    Norma Z. Paige Award 

    Articles Editor, Annual Survey of American Law

  • Duke UniversityB.A., Economics & Historymagna cum laude1999