Leading M&A Lawyers Graham Robinson, Laura Knoll and Chadé Severin Join Kirkland & Ellis

Kirkland & Ellis announced today that leading M&A attorneys Graham Robinson, Laura Knoll and Chadé Severin have joined the Firm as partners. The three partners focus on public company M&A transactions, with a particular emphasis in the biotechnology space.

“Graham, Laura and Chadé are among the nation’s leading M&A lawyers and the market-leaders for biotech M&A,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland & Ellis. “We’re thrilled that they are joining Kirkland and adding more strength to our leading M&A practice.”

Mr. Robinson has led transactions for some of the largest pharmaceutical, medical device and technology companies in the U.S. and globally. He is ranked first by deal value and number of deals among U.S. attorneys for public biotechnology M&A transactions since January 2016, according to Deal Point Data. He brings significant experience within the shareholder activism space, as well. He has helped companies prepare for and respond to unsolicited acquisition proposals, as well as dealing with activist investors. He also provides counsel to boards of directors and special committees on corporate governance matters and internal investigations. He has been recognized in the most recent rankings of Chambers Global, Chambers USA and The Best Lawyers in America, which named him its 2023 Boston Mergers and Acquisitions Law Lawyer of the Year. He also was named a 2024 Law360 MVP in the Life Sciences category.

“I could not be more excited for this next chapter of my career,” said Mr. Robinson. “The Kirkland M&A platform is a great fit for our practice, and I look forward to contributing to the continued success of the Firm’s M&A team and the Boston office.”

Ms. Knoll focuses on mergers and acquisitions and related corporate advice, guiding both public and private companies through transformative events and critical governance matters. Her clients have included companies across biopharmaceutical, technology and adjacent sectors. Ms. Knoll has been recognized in Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America and The Legal 500 U.S. She was also named a Rising Star in Life Sciences by Law360 in 2020.

Ms. Severin’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions for public and private companies primarily in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and technology industries. She has advised boards of directors on many transactions involving controlling stockholders, both on behalf of the controlled company and the controller. She was named as a winner in the New Leaders in the Law category of the 2024 New England Legal Awards, and also as a Rising Star in Life Sciences in 2021 by Law360.