Monica J. Shilling, P.C.

Kirkland & Ellis counseled The Promise Homes Co., a Black-led manager of institutional-quality, single-family residential rental homes in the United States on its recapitalization in connection with a $200 million institutional debt facility from Barings, the global investment management firm. According to Black Enterprise, this transaction represents one of the 10 largest capital raises for a Black-owned company over the last decade. Read Promise Homes’ press release The Kirkland team includes corporate partners Monica Shilling and Michele Cumpston; real estate partners Al Stemp and Katie Roddy and associate Phil Kim; and tax partners Anne Kim and Bruce Gelman.

Jan 19

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis represented affiliates of Ares Management Corporation in connection with an approximately $500 million Series C-1 financing round for X-Energy Reactor Company, LLC, a nuclear reactor and fuel technology developer. The financing round was anchored by Amazon.com, Inc. and included Citadel Founder and CEO Ken Griffin, affiliates of Ares, NGP and the University of Michigan. The investment will help meet growing energy demands by funding the completion of X-energy's reactor design and licensing as well as the first phase of its TRISO-X fuel fabrication facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Additionally, the funding will support future carbon-free projects that will use X-energy’s Xe-100 advanced small modular nuclear reactors. Read X-energy’s press release The Kirkland team included corporate lawyers Monica Shilling, Dov Kogen and Allison Azarloza and capital markets lawyers Pippa Bond and Tommy Felix.

Oct 18

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a leading entertainment and sports agency, on its strategic partnership with Primary Wave Music. As part of the agreement, CAA will become minority shareholder in Primary Wave. The partnership was announced in conjunction with a strategic partnership between Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (Brookfield) and Primary Wave Music, whereby Brookfield will buy a significant minority interest in Primary Wave and provide an additional $1.7 billion capital funding commitment, in a deal valued in excess of $2 billion. Brookfield and CAA, with the continued involvement of funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (Oaktree), will provide unique financial, creative, and global relationships to the music powerhouse. Read the Primary Wave Music press release The Kirkland team was led by corporate partners Monica Shilling and John Kaercher and associate Spencer Topham, with assistance from corporate associate Rob McCarthy, tax partners Anne Kim and David Morris and investment funds partners Richard Shamos and Steve Yoo.

Oct 14

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised LiveVox (NASDAQ: LVOX), a leading AI-driven proactive outreach provider, in connection with its definitive agreement to be acquired by NICE (NASDAQ: NICE), a global market leader in customer experience (CX) with a robust AI-driven cloud platform for managing customer interactions of all types. Together, NICE and LiveVox will help organizations accelerate their CX operations into the digital era with smart, conversational AI at scale. Under the terms of the merger agreement, at the closing of the transaction LiveVox stockholders will receive $3.74 in cash for each share of LiveVox common stock. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2024, subject to certain regulatory clearances and other customary closing conditions. Read the transaction press release The Kirkland team was led by corporate partners Monica Shilling, Dov Kogen, Eric Cohen and Garett Morin, and capital markets partner Henry Pruitt.

Oct 5

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised Blue Owl Credit Advisors LLC, the investment adviser of Blue Owl Capital Corporation (NYSE: OBDC), and Blue Owl Diversified Credit Advisors LLC, the investment adviser of Blue Owl Capital Corporation III (NYSE: OBDE), on a definitive merger agreement between two business development companies, Blue Owl Capital Corporation and Blue Owl Capital Corporation III. Blue Owl Capital Corporation will be the surviving company. The combined BDC will be externally managed by Blue Owl Credit Advisors LLC. Following the recommendation of each of their special committees, the boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction, which is subject to certain shareholder approvals and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025. Read the Blue Owl press release The Kirkland team was led by corporate partners Monica Shilling and Dov Kogen; investment funds partners Nicole Runyan and Robert Blaustein and associate Nick Tarnowski; tax partners Meredith Levy and Woong Jae Jung; and capital markets partners Philippa Bond and Thomas Felix.

Aug 7

1 min