Kirkland & Ellis announced today that H.T. Flanagan will join the Firm as a partner in the Debt Finance Group. “H.T.’s deep private credit experience will bolster our leading liability management and opportunistic credit practices,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “We’re excited to welcome him to the Firm.” Mr. Flanagan advises private credit funds, alternative lenders and other investors in traditional private credit financings and bespoke capital solutions. He counsels such credit-oriented investors on direct originations, secondary market opportunities, complex intercreditor issues and novel structured capital investments. Mr. Flanagan also advises private equity firms and their portfolio companies on a range of borrower-side leveraged finance transactions. He has extensive experience representing private capital clients in connection with acquisition financings, liability management transactions, debtor-in-possession financings, hybrid capital instruments and special situations investments. “We are thrilled to be able to tap into H.T.’s private credit and liability management experience on behalf of Kirkland’s clients,” said Dave Nemecek, a senior debt finance partner. “H.T. will strengthen our ability to handle complex financing issues for the clients who turn to us for guidance, especially within the growing private credit sector.” Mr. Flanagan was recently named as one of the future leaders in leveraged finance as part of the 2024 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation. Client commentators in the Legal 500 U.S. have also described H.T. as “thoughtful, thorough, commercial…and [a] pleasure to work with” and highlight his ability to “get to grips with incredibly difficult issues in very difficult and time-constrained circumstances.” Mr. Flanagan joins Kirkland from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he was a partner. He will work primarily in Kirkland’s Dallas office, while also spending significant time in the Firm’s New York office. Mr. Flanagan earned his undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. “Having worked across from the Firm many times, I’ve seen first-hand the depth of talent, collaboration and experience that Kirkland brings to every matter,” said Mr. Flanagan. “I am beyond excited to join this world-class debt finance team and to add my diverse private capital experience advising private credit funds and opportunistic asset managers to Kirkland’s market-leading credit opportunities and liability management practices.” With more than 300 dedicated lawyers, Kirkland’s debt finance practice is the largest in the world and serves more than 500 private equity clients. Within this practice, the Firm’s multidisciplinary liability management team develops innovative, out-of-court alternatives to formal restructurings and has designed and led more than half of the most high-profile liability management exercises in the industry. According to Bloomberg, Debtwire and Refinitiv, Kirkland consistently handles more debt finance transactions for borrowers than any other law firm and, for the last five years, has led the market in U.S. borrower transactions. The practice is recognized by Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and other publications for its work on complex, high-profile transactions; exceptional commercial understanding of U.S. and international financing markets; and excellence in client service.