Doug Bacon Joins Kirkland & Ellis as Corporate Partner

HOUSTON, Oct. 24, 2016 — Kirkland & Ellis LLP is pleased to announce that Doug Bacon has joined the Firm as a corporate partner in the Houston office.

“Doug is a talented attorney who has a deep understanding of complex private equity and M&A transactions. He is a strong fit for our Firm and will be another great addition to the rapidly growing Houston office,” said Jeffrey C. Hammes, Chairman of Kirkland’s Global Management Executive Committee. 

Mr. Bacon advises private equity firms, companies and corporations on complex multinational mergers and acquisitions, many of which involve carve-out acquisitions and sales. He has recently represented clients such as Novartis and Honeywell International, and has previously advised many of the largest private equity firms including The Blackstone Group, KKR, TPG, Apax Partners, MSD Capital and First Reserve Corp.

Kirkland’s Houston office currently comprises 93 attorneys focused on corporate, litigation, restructuring, tax and environmental work.

“I’m excited to add Doug’s talent and energy to our team in Houston. He is a proud Texan, born and educated in the Houston area and will be a great cultural fit with our local client base. With his skill set, Doug will be an important addition to our deep bench of experienced M&A partners in Houston,” said Andrew Calder, a partner in Kirkland’s Houston office and a member of the Firm’s Global Management Executive Committee.

Mr. Bacon joins Kirkland from the New York office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, where he was a partner. Prior to Freshfields, he was an associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.

“I have greatly enjoyed my time at Freshfields. I hold my former colleagues, and the New York office, in the absolute highest regard,” said Mr. Bacon. “It was a tough decision, but when the opportunity arose to return to my hometown with a firm of the caliber of Kirkland & Ellis, I was thrilled to join. I have admired the progress that Kirkland has made in Houston from afar, and now I am excited about driving forward on the Kirkland platform with an exciting group of partners at the top of their game.”

Mr. Bacon holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Baylor University. In 2016, he was named a “Rising Star” by the New York Law Journal and an “Emerging Leader” by the M&A Advisor. In 2015, Law360 named him a “Rising Star.”

About Kirkland & Ellis

Kirkland & Ellis LLP (www.kirkland.com) is a 1,700-attorney law firm representing global clients in complex corporate, restructuring and tax, litigation and dispute resolution/arbitration, 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.

About the Houston Office

Kirkland opened the Houston office in 2014 to complement and enhance the service provided to existing and prospective clients in Texas, the United States and abroad. Today, the office has more than 90 lawyers. The Firm’s Houston-based attorneys have experience in sophisticated transactions, and are particularly active in the energy industry. They handle a wide array of matters involving investment funds, mergers and acquisitions, securities, private equity, leveraged buyouts, litigation, debt finance, restructuring, corporate governance and general counseling. Visit www.kirkland.com/houston to learn more.