Adam Shapiro, P.C.

Kirkland & Ellis advised KKR and Corel Corporation on a definitive agreement that will separate the Corel business into two independent companies. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Vector Capital Management, L.P., will acquire Corel’s portfolio of creativity and productivity software and related brands. The Parallels business will remain under ownership of funds managed by KKR. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in May 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Corel provides professional software for graphics, productivity and digital workflow management, with a broad portfolio of desktop and digital tools, including trusted brands CorelDRAW, MindManager, and WinZip. The Parallels business offers cross-platform and virtualization software, including the well-known Parallels Desktop, enabling businesses and individuals to run Windows applications on Mac computers, and Parallels Workspace Solutions, delivering secure virtual applications and desktops across hybrid and cloud environments. Read the transaction press release The Kirkland team included corporate lawyers Ravi Agarwal, Oliver Yee, Leo Greenberg, Robert Hausen and Scarlet Sprung; debt finance lawyers Adam Shapiro and Taylor Andrews; tax lawyers Michael Beinus, Vivek Ratnam and Jeremy Miller; and technology & IP transactions lawyers Shellie Freedman, Joanna Schlingbuam and Molly Mahowald.

Feb 26

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised private investment firm BayPine LP on its definitive agreement to acquire Relation Insurance Services, one of the largest independent insurance brokers in the United States, from Aquiline Capital Partners LP. Financial terms were not disclosed. Relation’s management team, including Chief Executive Officer Tim Hall, will continue to lead the Company. Read the transaction press release The Kirkland team included corporate lawyers Ravi Agarwal, Aseda Ghartey-Tagoe, Kimberly Snyder, Nils Remole, Guy Green, Michael Scheinthal and Peter Martelli; debt finance lawyers Adam Shapiro and Paul Rezvani; and tax lawyers Mike Beinus and Vivek Ratnam.

Feb 18

1 min

Sports data, technology and broadcast partner Genius Sports Ltd. unveiled plans Thursday to acquire digital sports and gaming network Legend in a $1.2 billion deal that was built by four law firms. The purchase price includes $900 million payable at closing, made up of $800 million in cash and $100 million in stock consideration, and an earnout of up to $300 million split evenly across two years post-closing based on certain profitability achievements, according to a Thursday statement. Macfarlanes LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP advised Genius Sports, while Latham & Watkins LLP and Herzog Fox & Ne'eman advised Legend. The acquisition is intended to bring a large, "engaged" sports and gaming audience to Genius Sports' media ecosystem, the statement said. Through FANHub, the company will be able to connect its global audience and marketing technology with its range of over 2,000 combined sports, media and betting partners through one integrated platform, the statement added. "This deal accelerates our strategic and financial objectives, supercharges fan monetization, and builds a fully integrated sports and gaming media network," said Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke. "For Genius Sports and our global partners, it delivers more data, more audience, more inventory and greater monetization of sports fans. The acquisition of Legend will drive higher margins and stronger free cash flow, positioning Genius Sports to immediately transform the market and grow the size and scale of our business." Legend monetizes sports audiences through a media network, and it syndicates sports and betting content across major publications such as Sports Illustrated and Yahoo Sports, the statement said. In 2025, the company generated 320 million annual visits from 118 million unique visitors, with over two-thirds returning on a regular basis, according to the statement. "Joining forces with Genius Sports brings together two world-class teams, unlocks unparalleled growth opportunities for our partners and products and gives us an even stronger platform to scale," said Legend founder Nick Kisberg. "I am immensely proud of what we have built and the decades of hard work that have brought us here today." Genius Sports said it plans to fund its acquisition with a $850 million Term Loan B issuance, with its revolving credit facility staying undrawn. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. The Kirkland team advising Genius Sports included corporate partner Edward Lee, capital markets partners Ross Leff and Asher Qazi, debt finance partners Adam Shapiro and Edward McCartney, and antitrust and competition partner Andrea Murino. Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP acted as gaming regulatory counsel to Genius Sports, with a team including Behnam Dayanim and Bradley Fischer. The Latham team advising Legend was led by partners Ed Barnett, Hector Sants and Harriet Stephenson. Full legal counsel information for the other law firms advising the parties was not immediately available Thursday.

Feb 5

2 min

Am Law 100 firm Akerman announced a new partner class of 15 lawyers on Tuesday, with more than half of the group working in the firm's Florida offices. The new partner class, which became effective Nov. 1, is slightly smaller than last year, when the firm promoted 20 attorneys. “These promotions reflect our values in action,” said Scott Meyers, chairman and CEO, in a statement. “Each of these lawyers has earned partnership not just through outstanding legal skill and deep industry knowledge, but also through their integrity, collaborative spirit, and genuine commitment to client success. They strengthen our high-trust culture and represent the kind of lawyer-leaders our clients deserve. We’re proud to welcome them to the partnership and are confident in the impact they’ll have on our clients, our teams, and our firm’s continued momentum.” Eight of the new partners are based in Florida, with three in the firm's Miami office, two in West Palm Beach and one each in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville. Two of the promoted partners are at the firm's Texas offices, two are in Chicago, one is in Las Vegas and one is in Atlanta. The firm did not promote any new partners in New York City, which—according to ALM data—is its largest office. Six of the new partners are in the firm's litigation practice, and real estate is also well represented, with three new partners. The current promoted partners are: Matthew L. Allee, Chicago, Real Estate Kelly E. Almeter, Dallas, Litigation Mojan Anari, Los Angeles, Labor and Employment Nicholas Belay, Las Vegas, CFS+ Brittanie Browning, Atlanta, Litigation Lauren Goddard, Chicago, Litigation William C. Handle, Orlando, Litigation Tara A. Jackson, Fort Lauderdale, Corporate Mario O. Marin, West Palm Beach, Litigation Paige S. Newman, West Palm Beach, Labor and Employment Rachel L. Perez, Miami, Real Estate Alexander Prieto, Miami, Real Estate Adam C. Remillard, Jacksonville, Litigation Daniel Andres Silva, Miami, Corporate R. Adam Swick, Austin, Bankruptcy and Reorganization

Nov 26

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised ContourGlobal in connection with its offering of €675 million senior secured notes. The proceeds from the offering were used to refinance existing debt. Kirkland also advised ContourGlobal in connection with upsizing its senior secured revolving credit facility. ContourGlobal is a developer and operator of wholesale electricity generation, with a diversified portfolio of 155 operating plants, transitioning into a predominantly renewable power producer. The Kirkland team included capital markets lawyers Marwa Elborai, AJ Brown, Patrick Wieser and Younes Mahmoudieh; and debt finance lawyers Adam Shapiro, Taylor Andrews, Chiara Song, Samantha Balanevsky and Joe McGuinness.

Feb 2

1 min