Kyle P. McHugh

Kirkland & Ellis represented CARET, the leading provider of SaaS practice management and integrated payment technology for midsize law firms, on its sale of its enterprise document automation and assembly business, HotDocs, to Mitratech, a global technology leader for legal, risk and HR teams. This strategic sale enables CARET to double down on serving the evolving needs of midsize law firms with modern and user-friendly solutions designed to enhance the business of law. Read CARET’s press release The Kirkland team was led by corporate partners Ted Frankel and Kyle McHugh; debt finance partners Tom Dobleman and East Berhane; and tax partner Sehj Vather and associate Grant Newman; and included corporate associates Frankie Gregg and Nolan Gruemmer; and technology & IP transactions partners Daniel Lewis and Matt Darch.

Jun 13

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised Once Upon a Farm, PBC, a leading baby and toddler food brand co-founded by actress Jennifer Garner, on its IPO of approximately 11 million shares of common stock at a public offering price of $18.00 per share. Once Upon a Farm’s common stock began trading on the NYSE on February 6, 2026. The stock opened at $21 per share, up 16% from its initial public offering price. The shares closed on the first day of trading up 17%. Read Once Upon a Farm’s press release The Kirkland team included capital markets lawyers Bob Hayward, Bob Goedert, Ashley Sinclair, Jackson Fountain, Ana Sempertegui, Katie Conterio, Mollie Goldfarb, Grace O’Connor and Muhammad Musani; corporate lawyers Ted Frankel, Kyle McHugh and Kate Kennedy; investment funds lawyers Nicholas Hemmingsen, Jasmina Resic and Peter Gauss; executive compensation lawyers Stephen Jacobson, Stephanie Jeane and Diana Soriano; tax lawyers Sara Zablotney and Brittany Nguyen; debt finance lawyers Thomas Dobleman and Patrick Loughery; technology & IP transactions lawyers Seth Traxler, Amber Harezlak and Eliza Holland; and sustainability lawyers Abbey Raish and Menaka Nayar.

Feb 9

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis is advising U.S. insurance broker AssuredPartners on its $13.45 billion acquisition by global insurance brokerage Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG). The definitive agreement was announced December 9, 2024. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2025 subject to customary regulatory approvals. The transaction will expand Gallagher’s retail middle-market property/casualty and employee benefits focus across the United States and build on new business opportunities by leveraging Gallagher’s expertise, data and analytics and expansive product offerings. AssuredPartners was founded in 2011 by GTCR, a leading private equity firm, in partnership with Jim Henderson. GTCR originally sold the Company to Apax Fund VIII in 2015, and GTCR reacquired a majority stake in partnership with Apax Fund IX in 2019. AssuredPartners now has approximately 400 offices located across the U.S., the UK and Ireland and 10,900 employees. Read the transaction press release The Kirkland team included corporate lawyers Ted Frankel, Chris Thomas, Kyle McHugh, Sri Kaushik, Adam Clifford, George Boden, Chris Smiciklas, Matt Nelson and Kartik Khanna; capital markets lawyer Josh Korff; tax lawyers Mike Carew and Meg Dewar; executive compensation lawyer Scott Price; antitrust & competition lawyers Matt Reilly, Norm Armstrong, Jeff Ayer and Thomas Wilson; debt finance lawyer Tom Dobleman; and technology & IP transactions lawyer Dan Lewis.

Dec 9

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised TerSera Therapeutics LLC, a biopharmaceutical company with a focus on oncology and rare diseases, on an agreement whereby ESTEVE will acquire TerSera's Infusion Specialty Therapies Business Unit (IST). TerSera's IST business unit includes two specialty medications, Prialt® (ziconotide intrathecal infusion) and Quzyttir® (cetirizine hydrochloride injection). The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory clearances. Read the transaction press release The Kirkland team included corporate lawyers Kyle McHugh, Ben Vizvary, Chris Thomas and Emily Binger; technology & intellectual property lawyers Amber Harezlak, Frank Gallina and Daniel Lewis; debt finance lawyers Jocelyn Hirsch and Patrick Loughery; and tax lawyer Polina Liberman.

Jan 13

1 min

Kirkland & Ellis advised THL Partners, a premier private equity firm investing in middle market growth companies, on its majority investment in Red Nucleus, a leading provider of strategic services across research and development, medical affairs, market access and learning and development. The strategic partnership will help broaden Red Nucleus’ suite of commercialization services for its global customer base. Read the transaction press release The Kirkland team included corporate lawyers Kyle McHugh, Josh Dubin, Matt Nelson, Dan O’Dea, Chris Elder and Ted Frankel; tax lawyers Sehj Vather and Chris Worek; technology & IP transactions lawyers Dan Lewis and Matt Darch; and healthcare lawyers Dennis Williams and Kate Hardey.

Oct 25

1 min