Leading International Trade & National Security Attorney John Kabealo Joins Kirkland
Kirkland & Ellis announced today that John Kabealo has joined the Firm as a partner in the International Trade & National Security Practice Group. Along with Mr. Kabealo, Evan Sills will also join Kirkland as a partner.
“John is a talented and pragmatic lawyer with unprecedented experience advising on national security regulatory reviews,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “He is a strong complement to our existing market-leading team and will serve as another valuable resource to our clients navigating an increasingly complex national security environment.”
Mr. Kabealo has successfully presided over many of the most complex transactions before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), and the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector (commonly known as “Team Telecom”), and has negotiated national security agreements across a broad range of industries, including telecommunications, defense, semiconductors, cybersecurity and software, infrastructure, energy, technology and financial services.
He joins Kirkland from Kabealo Law, an internationally recognized boutique law firm he founded that specialized in U.S. national security regulatory processes, including with respect to CFIUS, DCSA, Team Telecom, cybersecurity and related matters. Clients of his firm included a variety of multinational investment advisers, public and private companies, defense contractors and startups. He holds degrees from the University of Virginia School of Law and Princeton University.
Mr. Kabealo is recognized by Chambers and Partners as one of the top CFIUS attorneys in the U.S.
“Kirkland has built a best-in-class International Trade & National Security team,” said Mr. Kabealo. “I am thrilled to play a role in its continued success and to support the Firm’s unparalleled transactional practices.”
Mr. Sills is an experienced attorney in CFIUS and Team Telecom matters as well as cybersecurity, data security and regulatory compliance issues. Prior to joining Kabealo Law, he served in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as part of the Foreign Investment Review Section of the National Security Division, where he handled hundreds of transactions as a regulator and represented DOJ in negotiating many national security agreements for high-profile transactions.
Kirkland’s International Trade & National Security Practice Group provides legal, strategic, and regulatory advice to private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, public companies, and financial institutions operating or investing across international borders.
