Kirkland & Ellis LLP Opens Houston Office and Expands Corporate Practice with Hire of M&A Attorney Andrew T. Calder

Kirkland & Ellis LLP announced today that it has expanded its corporate practice with the addition of leading M&A corporate attorney Andrew T. Calder, formerly a partner in Simpson Thacher & Bartlett's Houston office. Mr. Calder joins as a partner in the Firm's new Houston office. The office marks the Firm's seventh in the United States and twelfth worldwide.

Mr. Calder specializes in M&A, corporate and securities law, and corporate governance, with a particular focus on the energy sector. He has advised leading private equity funds such as Blackstone Energy Partners and KKR, and has advised leading companies such as GeoSouthern Eagle Ford Development LLC, Alta Energy Luxembourg S.à.r.l., Arch Coal, Inc., Petrohawk Energy Corporation and PPL Corporation, among others.

"Andrew is a first-class lawyer with an exceptional track record of achieving excellent results for top-tier clients on their most significant energy transactional matters," said Jeffrey C. Hammes, Chairman of Kirkland's Global Management Executive Committee. "We are very pleased to both welcome him to the firm and to enhance the service we provide to all of our clients in the energy industry."

"I have long admired Kirkland's private equity and M&A teams, and look forward to being a part of this exciting new chapter in the Firm's history," said Mr. Calder. "Having been involved in the Houston legal and business community for some time, I'm thrilled to help enhance Kirkland's tremendous deal acumen and client service in the M&A area."

Mr. Calder holds degrees from the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice (LPC Commendation), BPP Law School London (CPE Commendation) and the University of Edinburgh (LLB Law Honors).

Joining Mr. Calder are several leading corporate attorneys. Benjamin Clinger, who is relocating to Houston from Kirkland's Chicago office, represents private equity sponsors in various matters, including M&A, leveraged buyouts and portfolio company operations and exits. Rhett Van Syoc focuses on M&A and private equity matters.

Kirkland has one of the most active and highly regarded international corporate practices, representing many of the world's largest public companies and more than 300 private equity firms on complex multijurisdictional transactions in every major market around the globe. Select recent transactions include representing Zebra Technologies in a $3.45 billion acquisition of the enterprise business of Motorola Solutions; 3G Capital Partners Ltd. on its $28 billion acquisition, along with Berkshire Hathaway Inc., of H. J. Heinz Company; and Clearwire Corporation in Sprint's $14 billion acquisition of the remaining stake in Clearwire and the unsolicited competing offer for the company by DISH Networks.

About Kirkland & Ellis

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a global law firm with approximately 1,600 lawyers representing clients in complex corporate and tax, litigation and dispute resolution/arbitration, restructuring, and intellectual property and technology matters. The Firm has offices in Houston, Beijing, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Shanghai and Washington, D.C.