Press Release

Kirkland Welcomes Tax Partner Sam Kamyans in Washington, D.C.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is pleased to announce that Sam Kamyans has joined the Firm as a partner in the Tax Practice Group in the Washington, D.C., office. 

“Sam is a talented lawyer with deep experience at the intersection of tax and energy, particularly energy transition and renewables work, where we continue to see increased demand from our client base,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “We’re very excited to welcome him to the Firm.”

Mr. Kamyans’ practice includes partnership tax structuring with a focus on energy transition projects (carbon capture, hydrogen, clean fuels, etc.) and renewable energy infrastructure which he uses to implement sophisticated tax-driven financings and M&A deals in a domestic and cross-border context. Mr. Kamyans also comes with a strong background in oil and gas, enabling him to advise on the full range of energy transition transactions. His experience includes representing energy sponsors, private equity firms and public companies on complex mergers and acquisitions, financings, divestitures, equity extractions, distressed restructurings and public and private offerings. 

Prior to joining private practice, Mr. Kamyans worked at the Internal Revenue Service where he provided national guidance on partnership and energy-related matters. He was also tax counsel at a Fortune 100 energy company where he advised on structuring tax-advantaged solar and wind portfolios, cross-border pipeline deals and a series of mergers and acquisitions and divestitures involving strategic assets and capital recycling programs. 

“Sam’s skill set is valuable for clients across the Firm, especially energy transition investors and companies navigating the evolving landscape of renewable energy transactions,” said Andy Calder, a corporate partner and member of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “We are looking forward to him joining our top-flight tax team and putting his experience to work for clients.”

Mr. Kamyans is ranked in Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and is named a “Next Generation Lawyer” in Project Finance and recognized in Renewable/Alternative Power in the 2023 edition of The Legal 500 US. He was also recognized by The Legal 500 Latin America for Projects and Energy in 2021 and The Legal 500 US for Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power in 2020. He is a frequent speaker and publisher of energy tax articles that clients rely upon to evaluate their transactions.

He earned degrees from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Loyola Marymount University Loyola Law School, as well as his LL.M. in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center. He joins Kirkland from Allen & Overy, where he was a partner in the Projects, Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Practice Group.

“Kirkland has a premier private capital and energy practice that plays a pivotal role in financing energy transition matters. Becoming a part of Kirkland’s team allows me to provide unparalleled support for clients working on sophisticated one-of-a-kind transactions that will achieve ambitious goals,” Mr. Kamyans said. “I’m thrilled to join such a dynamic tax and energy transactions team.”

With approximately 175 attorneys around the globe, Kirkland’s tax practice has an international reputation for sophisticated counseling on multinational tax issues and transactions, as well as successful representation of clients in complex tax disputes, for private equity sponsors and public and private companies. Kirkland also has one of the largest renewable energy platforms with involvement in all areas of energy transition. Since 2019, the Firm has handled 155+ renewable and clean energy transactions worth more than $105 billion.