Kirkland Grows Investment Funds Practice with Addition of Team Led by James Donohue
Kirkland & Ellis is excited to announce that James Donohue, Mirela Hristova, Michelle Kim and Joseph Baron have joined the Firm as partners in the Investment Funds Group. The team has experience with all aspects of fund formation and management, including both domestic and international investment vehicles.
“We are excited to welcome this talented team to Kirkland’s premier Investment Funds Group,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “Our investment funds practice has unmatched breadth and depth, and the fact that lawyers of this caliber continue to join us speaks to the strength of our platform and the confidence in our culture.”
Kirkland also announced the addition of investment funds partner Martín Strauch on March 14 and a retail funds-focused team of partners Paul Delligatti, Chris Palmer, Jason Monfort, Andrew Zutz and Nicole Griffin on February 1.
“Jim, Mirela, Michelle and Joe are outstanding attorneys who, as a team, cover all of the key areas across the diversity of fund sponsors and investors,” said Erica Berthou and Daniel Lavon-Krein, investment funds partners and members of Kirkland's Executive Committee. “This group has tremendous experience in helping some of the world’s largest private equity firms with sophisticated fund formation, operation and management issues, and we are looking forward to integrating them into our best-in-class practice.”
“Kirkland’s Investment Funds Group is where the market looks for leadership, and the Firm presented a really exciting opportunity for our group to work with a highly collaborative and coordinated team on a world-class platform for private equity,” said Mr. Donohue. “We are thrilled to be here.”
Mr. Donohue advises private investment funds, including private equity funds and venture capital funds, and their management companies on the formation of investment vehicles. He has extensive experience in theongoing management and operation of private investment funds, including with establishing carried interest, coinvestment and other compensation programs, structuring co-investment vehicles and fund investments, and advising on regulatory issues. He also has experience advising on management company matters and liquidity solutions within the private markets secondaries sector. He has been recognized by Chambers USA for his work in Private Equity: Fund Formation in Massachusetts and by The Legal 500 U.S. as a “Next Generation Lawyer” in Private Equity Funds.
Ms. Hristova advises private equity clients on the structuring, negotiation and management of a variety of investment vehicles, with a primary focus on large-cap private equity funds. Her practice focuses on supporting clients through every stage of a fund’s lifecycle and advising on a variety of capital-raising strategies as well as legal compliance and investor-facing matters.
Ms. Kim has represented a broad range of real estate and private equity fund sponsors on U.S. and offshore offerings, including fund formation, regulatory compliance and operational matters. Her practice focuses on advising clients on formation and fundraising activities as well as ongoing governance. She also has experience with management company reorganizations.
Mr. Baron advises on private investment funds and private equity secondaries. He focuses on the structuring, formation and ongoing management of various domestic and offshore private investment vehicles, including private equity and real estate funds. In addition, he works with clients on operational, legal and regulatory issues.
Kirkland is a global leader in providing sophisticated advice to investment fund sponsors, institutional investors and other market participants in the alternative investment fund space. With more than 600 dedicated investment funds attorneys, the Firm’s integrated global team across North America, Europe and Asia provides advice on private fund formation, liquidity solutions, investment management and regulatory counsel, and strategic advisory services. Since January 2020, Kirkland has advised more than 1,700 funds closed and in process with total capital commitments in excess of $1.94 trillion.
