Zach Savrick

Kirkland & Ellis advised Blackstone and its portfolio company Legence, North America's leading integrated provider of energy efficiency and sustainability solutions for the built environment, on the acquisition of AMA Group, a New York City-based national engineering services firm. Over the next several months, AMA will integrate into CMTA, Legence’s largest mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering services portfolio company. This deal marks Legence's first acquisition in New York City, a priority market with a growing focus on building decarbonization. Read Legence’s press release The Kirkland team was led by corporate partners Zach Savrick and Kyle Watson and associates Mike Bassi and Haley Steinman; tax partner Mark Dundon; and executive compensation partner Stephen Jacobson.

Aug 15

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised Blackstone on a definitive agreement whereby its funds managed by Blackstone Energy Transition Partners will acquire Arlington Industries, Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of electrical products in the United State whose solutions are used across commercial, industrial and data center facilities. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, subject to customary conditions. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Read Blackstone’s press release The Kirkland team included corporate lawyers Zach Savrick, Evan Chavez, Olga Cosme Toledo, Brittney Fricks, Alfredo Rosales and Rhett Van Syoc; debt finance lawyers Yuli Wang and Raghav Gupta; tax lawyers Mark Dundon and Dylan White; and employee benefits lawyers Alexandra Mihalas and Mackenzie Packard.

Jan 28

1 min

AES Corp., guided by Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, said Monday that it has agreed to be acquired by a consortium of infrastructure investors led by Blackrock's Global Infrastructure Partners and EQT Infrastructure VI in a deal with a $10.7 billion equity value and a $33.4 billion enterprise value. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is advising the energy company on certain debt matters. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is advising the consortium and is the legal adviser to GIP. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is advising EQT. Under the agreement, the consortium — which also includes co-underwriters California Public Employees' Retirement System and Qatar Investment Authority — will pay $15 per share in cash for AES, representing a 40% premium to the company's unaffected 30-day average share price before July 8, 2025. The stock was down about 17% Monday, trading around $14.30 per share. AES, which operates regulated electric utilities in Indiana and Ohio as well as competitive clean energy and critical infrastructure assets in Latin America, said in Monday's announcement that the deal will provide the company with greater financial flexibility to invest in growth initiatives and energy infrastructure. The company also noted that its regulated U.S. utilities would remain locally managed, with no expected impact on customer rates. "Following a rigorous review of strategic options, the AES board determined that this transaction with the consortium maximizes value for stockholders and provides compelling cash value," AES Chair Jay Morse said in the announcement. Executives with the consortium highlighted the group's experience in energy infrastructure investing, emphasizing that AES is well positioned to meet growing electricity demand, particularly in the United States. In the announcement, Bayo Ogunlesi, chair and CEO of GIP, highlighted increasing market demand for "affordable, safe and reliable power," while EQT Infrastructure's Masoud Homayoun emphasized the transaction's role in supporting the "growth and modernization of essential energy infrastructure that underpins energy security, electrification, digitalization and resilient power systems." The transaction has received unanimous approval from AES' board and is expected to close in late 2026 or early 2027, subject to customary regulatory approvals and shareholder consent. After the acquisition, AES common stock will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP, led by partners Philip Richter and Roy Tannenbaum, is advising J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Wells Fargo Securities LLC, the financial advisers to AES. Paul Hastings LLP, led by partner Morgan Bale, is advising Goldman Sachs and Citi on committed financing. The Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP team is led by partners Pankaj Sinha and Katherine (Kady) Ashley. The Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP team is led by partners Robert Langdon, Fred De Albuquerque, Javad Asghari and Julie Siegel. The Kirkland & Ellis LLP team is led by partners Melissa Kalka, Zach Savrick, Andy Calder, Nick Lewis, Jimmy Chalk and Adam Larson. Deal team information for Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP was not immediately available.

Mar 2

2 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised Apex Energy II, LLC, a portfolio company of funds managed by Carnelian Energy Capital Management, L.P., on its definitive agreement to sell its natural gas upstream and associated midstream business in the Appalachian Basin to CNX Resources Corporation (NYSE: CNX) for total cash consideration of approximately $505 million, subject to certain adjustments including an effective date of October 1, 2024. Completion of the transaction, which is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2025. Read the transaction press release The Kirkland team included real asset transactions lawyers David Castro Jr., R.J. Malenfant, Luke Strother, Lyle Paul and Jake Johnson; corporate lawyers Zach Savrick, John Pitts and Colleen Haile; debt finance lawyers Mary Kogut and Michelle Williamson; capital markets lawyer Billy Vranish; tax lawyers David Wheat and Rebecca Leigh Fine; environmental transactions lawyers Paul Tanaka, Jim Dolphin and Max Anderson; employment & labor lawyer Christie Alcala; employee benefits lawyer Justin Codington; executive compensation lawyer Stephen Jacobson; antitrust & competition lawyer Chuck Boyars; and derivatives lawyers Brett Ackerman and Drue Santora.

Dec 5

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised Blackstone on its definitive agreement to acquire a majority interest in Westwood Professional Services, Inc., a leading engineering and design firm focused on renewables, power, real estate and public infrastructure end markets. Westwood provides front-end engineering design services supporting the development of renewable energy generation, investment in the power grid and the continued buildout of public and private infrastructure across the United States. Read Blackstone’s press release The Kirkland team was led by corporate partners Cy Jones and Zach Savrick and associates Peter Hyams, Bridget Hamway, Alexiz Magro-Malo, Tristan Prentice and Clare Hughes; executive compensation partners Stephen Jacobson and Jabir Yusoff; debt finance partners Yuli Wang and Michelle Williamson; and tax partners Mark Dundon and Rebecca Fine.

Aug 7

1 min