Kirkland & Ellis LLP’s non-contentious tax group advises on a broad range of high-value matters, including domestic and international M&A, buyouts, real estate investments, fund formations, restructurings, and bankruptcy reorganizations. Dean Shulman in New York, with considerable experience handling tax-free spin-offs, leveraged buyouts, IPOs, and fund formations, leads the team alongside Chicago’s Todd Maynes, who focuses on tax issues in debt restructurings as well as bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings. Chicago-based Rachel Cantor has a strong track record handling acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures, recapitalizations, and debt and equity restructurings. David Wheat, operating from Dallas and Houston, offers expertise in M&A transactions and divestitures involving large public and private corporations and partnerships, while Vin Thorn in Boston is well known for advising on the tax aspects of private equity transactions. Los Angeles-based Anne Kim counts private equity funds, public and private companies, and publicly traded partnerships among her client roster. Mike Carew in Chicago is also a key contact, advising on the tax aspects of securities issuances, recapitalizations, joint ventures, and debt and equity restructurings, among other issues. New York’s Sara Zablotney focuses on the tax aspects of M&A, spin-offs, divestitures, and joint ventures. Chicago-based Gregory Gallagher‘s domestic practice covers M&A, spin-offs, IPOs, and debt restructuring, while Mark Schwed in New York is noted for his experience advising on SPAC IPOs, financings, and business combinations. New York-based Joseph Tootle advises on the tax aspects of REITs and real estate transactions, among others. In 2023, David Foster and Sam Kamyans joined the firm’s Washington DC office from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Allen & Overy LLP, respectively.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Key clients

  • Alpine Investors
  • BAE Systems
  • Bain Capital
  • Blackstone
  • Civitas Resources
  • Eli Lilly and Company
  • GTCR
  • Kellogg Company
  • Madison Dearborn Partners
  • Patient Square Capital
  • Thoma Bravo
  • Vista Equity Partners
  • Voyager Digital Holdings
  • WeWork
  • World Wrestling Entertainment

Lawyers

Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Hall of fameKirkland & Ellis LLP
Todd Maynes focuses his practice on the tax aspects of bankruptcy and tax litigation. He was the lead tax lawyer on many of the most significant restructurings in recent history, including EFH, United Airlines, Conseco, Calpine, and Charter Communications, and is the only active tax attorney elected to the National Bankruptcy Conference and to be inducted to the American College of Bankruptcy. He is former chairman of the University of Chicago Federal Tax Conference and the Chicago-Kent Federal Tax Institute.
Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Joseph Tootle is a tax partner in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Joseph advises clients on the tax aspects of a range of matters, including international and domestic mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, REITs and real estate transactions. He also advises private equity clients on the tax aspects of forming and operating investment funds.
Leading lawyers
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Mark Schwed is a tax partner in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Mark advises public companies and private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies on their domestic and international acquisitions, investments, divestitures, joint ventures, financings and restructurings. He also has significant experience advising on SPAC initial public offerings, financings and business combinations. Additionally, Mark regularly advises on the structuring and negotiating of complex real estate transactions, including the formation of REITs. Mark is a member of the executive committee of the New York State Bar Association Tax section. He is recognized as a leading lawyer for Tax in New York by Chambers USA, where clients note “he's super practical, very commercial and has the industry experience to advise across a broad range of matters.” Mark is also recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” for both US Taxes: Non-Contentious and International Tax by The Legal 500 United States and as a “Bankruptcy Tax Specialist” by Turnarounds & Workouts magazine.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
David’s practice focuses on corporate tax, mergers and acquisition tax, workouts and restructuring, transactions involving partnerships and LLCs, and tax controversies. He provides clients with transactional planning and advice, document preparation, and preparation of tax opinions on federal and state tax implications of business transactions.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Sara Zablotney advises clients on the U.S. and cross-border tax aspects of a wide range of complex transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and spin-offs. Sara also advises clients on the tax aspects of securities issuances (including debt offerings and IPOs), as well as with respect to bankruptcy and restructuring matters.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Greg’s practice focuses primarily on domestic and international transactional tax matters. In the domestic area, Greg has advised clients on a wide variety of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, IPOs, joint ventures, debt restructurings, bankruptcy and general tax planning. He also regularly advises clients on tax aspects of complex cross-border transactions.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Mike focuses his practice on the tax aspects of mergers, acquisitions, buyouts and private equity investing, with a special emphasis on cross-border and international transactions. He also advises clients on the tax aspects of securities issuances, recapitalizations, joint ventures, and debt and equity restructurings. Mike has worked on numerous private equity and M&A transactions for clients including: Ares Capital, Bain Capital, CVC Credit, Huntsman Corporation, the Softbank Vision Fund and Summit Partners. He is an adjunct professor of law at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law where he teaches a class on the tax aspects of private equity transactions. Mike is also a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, where he teaches “Structuring Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Entrepreneurial Transactions.”

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Todd Maynes, Dean Shulman

Other key lawyers

Sara Zablotney, Rachel Cantor, Mike Carew, Anthony Sexton, David Grenker, Adam Kool, Anne Kim, David Wheat, David Kung, Douglas Gessner, Mark Schwed, Gregory Gallagher, Joseph Tootle, Vin Thorn, David Foster