David Higgins Joins Kirkland in London

Kirkland & Ellis announced today that leading private equity lawyer David Higgins will join the Firm’s London office as London office co-Managing Partner. He will also join the Global Management Executive Committee of the Firm.

Mr. Higgins works for a wide range of leading financial sponsors and financial investors across Europe.

“Continued investment in our European business is a key strategic focus for the Firm. David brings a combination of business leadership, commercial awareness and experience on top tier transactions which will enable us to continue to develop our European private equity platform. We are delighted to welcome him to Kirkland,” said Jeffrey C. Hammes, Chairman of Kirkland’s Global Management Executive Committee.

Mr. Higgins is “one of the leading lights of the private equity market, with a long track record of excellence in high-end deals,” according to Chambers UK (2018), which ranked him a Band 1 lawyer for UK-wide Private Equity: Buyouts. The Legal 500 UK (2017) recognized him as one of 30 “Leading Individuals” for private equity transactions.

Mr. Higgins will join Kirkland from the London office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. He was a partner in Freshfields’ global transactions practice since 2001, and served as co-head of the firm’s global financial investors sector group from 2010 to 2016.