Ruth's Chris Steak House IPO Sizzles

Kirkland & Ellis LLP represented Ruth's Chris Steak House in its very successful IPO debut on the Nasdaq Stock Market.  Shares of Ruth's Chris (RUTH) rose to double-digit percentage gains to close at $20.70.  The restaurant chain had priced 13 million shares at $18 million a share, above the expected $15 to $17 range.

According to Thomson Financial, Ruth's Chris is the largest restaurant IPO since Domino's Pizza Inc. went public in July 2004, and the first restaurant IPO to price above its expected range since last October's Texas Roadhouse.

The Kirkland team of partner James S. Rowe and associates Gregory C. Vogelsperger, William R. Burke and Michael J. Mano represented the issuer in the IPO, as well its controlling stockholder, Madison Dearborn Partners (MDP), which was a selling stockholder in the offering.  Kirkland partner Edward T. Swan  represented MDP in the leveraged buyout of Ruth's Chris back in 1999.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a 1,000-attorney law firm representing global clients in complex corporate, restructuring, tax, litigation, dispute resolution and arbitration, and intellectual property and technology matters.  The Firm has offices in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.