Jesse Sheley

Kirkland & Ellis represented The Carlyle Group in connection with its proposed acquisition of KFC Holdings Japan, Ltd. (9873.T), the operator of the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fast-food franchise in Japan, together with the related long term franchise arrangements with brand owner, Yum! Brands. Mitsubishi Corporation (8058.T), the largest shareholder of KFC Holdings Japan, Ltd., announced separately that it would tender all of its shares in connection with the launched offer. The Kirkland team was led by corporate partner Jesse Sheley and technology & IP transactions partner Jeffery Norman; together with support from corporate partners Pierre-Luc Arsenault and Maurice Conway; and technology & IP transactions partner Min Wang. Additional transaction support was provided by corporate registered foreign lawyer Jiayi Wang and technology & IP transactions associate Rob Patrignani. The broader team for the transaction also included debt finance partners Manas Chandrashekar and Karen Ho; tax partner Mike Carew; government, regulatory & internal investigations partner Jodi Wu; and litigation partner Fergus Saurin.

May 24

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised MoneyHero Group, a market leader in the online personal finance aggregation and comparison sector in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines and Malaysia, on its business combination with Bridgetown Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: BTWN), a special purpose acquisition company formed as a collaboration between Pacific Century Group and Thiel Capital. The transaction values MoneyHero Group at a pre-money enterprise value of $200 million, and the combined company will have a post-transaction enterprise value of approximately $342 million (assuming no redemptions by Bridgetown’s public shareholders). Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will be publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbols “MNY” and “MNYWW.” The transaction, estimated to close in the third or fourth quarter of 2023, is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. The Kirkland team was led by corporate partners Joey Chau, Jesse Sheley, Steve Lin and Joseph Raymond Casey.

May 26

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis is advising Webull Corporation, a leading digital investment platform, on its business combination with SK Growth Opportunities Corporation (NASDAQ: SKGR), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company. The transaction values the combined business at a pro forma enterprise value of approximately $7.3 billion, assuming no further redemptions by SK Growth shareholders. Webull’s shareholders are expected to maintain 100% of their existing equity holdings in the combined company and, assuming gross proceeds of approximately $100 million to Webull from funds held in the SPAC trust account, are expected to own approximately 98% of the combined company immediately following the closing. The transaction was signed on February 28, 2024, and is expected to close in the second half of 2024, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals and other customary closing conditions. The Kirkland team was led by corporate partner Jesse Sheley, capital markets partners Christian Nagler, Steve Lin and Justin You Zhou.

Feb 29

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised TH International Limited (“Tims China”; Nasdaq: THCH) on its acquisition of PLKC International (“Popeyes China”) in an all share transaction to become the exclusive operator and developer of the Popeyes® brand in mainland China and Macau. Popeyes®’ 50-year history, distinctive menu, and passion for flavorful authentic food has made it one of the world’s leading chicken quick-service restaurant brands with over 4,100 locations globally. The transaction closed on March 30, 2023. Tims China is the parent company of the exclusive master franchisees of Tim Hortons coffee shops in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, and Popeyes restaurants in mainland China and Macau. It is founded by global private equity firm Cartesian Capital Group and Tim Hortons Restaurants International, a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International (TSX: QSR; NYSE: QSR). Read Tims China’s press release The Kirkland team was led by transactional partners Jesse Sheley, Joseph Raymond Casey, Min Lu and Steve Lin, with assistance of transactional partner Armand Della Monica and associates Jiayi Wang and Olivia Wang.

Mar 31

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised AP Acquisition Corp (NYSE: APCA), a special purpose acquisition company, on its business combination with JEPLAN, Inc., a global leader in chemically recycled PET technology. The transaction values the combined company at an estimated equity value of approximately $480 million on a post-money basis, including up to approximately $180 million (gross) of cash held in AP Acquisition’s trust account and assuming no redemptions by AP Acquisition’s public shareholders. Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company, which will be domiciled and headquartered in Japan, will be named “JEPLAN Holdings, Inc.” and expects to list its common shares in the form of ADSs and warrants to purchase common shares in the form of ADSs on the NYSE under the ticker symbols “JPL” and “JPL WS,” respectively. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the third or fourth quarter of 2023. Read AP Acquisition’s press release The Kirkland team was led by corporate partners Jesse Sheley, Steve Lin and Joseph Raymond Casey.

Jun 16

1 min