Vanessa Xu is a debt finance partner in the London office of Kirkland & Ellis International LLP. Vanessa advises financial sponsors and borrowers on leveraged acquisition finance and other complex financing transactions, particularly leveraged buyouts with a multijurisdictional component. She has extensive experience in structuring and executing sponsor-backed leveraged buyouts in the European market at all levels of the capital structure of these transactions, including bank/bond transactions, “cov-lite” and “cov-loose” loans, European or US TLB, second lien debt, unitranche financing, PIK instruments, ARR financing and debt restructuring.
External Recognition
Legal 500 (2024): Where she is described as “technically knowledgeable and very responsive” and noted for having been “pivotal to building up the firm’s private equity brand”
Legal Business (2023): Listed as “One to Watch” in “Alphas Revisited: Finance Stars”
Legal Week (2019): Named in its “40 Under 40 Rising Stars in Private Equity”
Legal Week (2018): Listed in “Rising stars: the next generation of City private equity talent”
Experience
Representative Matters
Since joining Kirkland, Vanessa has worked on the following matters, advising:
Grupo Antolin to complete a successful debt refinancing
Antolin in connection with its offering of €250 million senior secured notes and the amendment and extension of its €515 million senior term and revolving facilities
Prior to joining Kirkland, Vanessa worked on the following matters, advising:
Providence Equity Partners on the financing aspects of various investments, including d&b Group and A2Mac1
Cinven on the financing for its acquisition of Säkra
OMERS Private Equity on the financing for its acquisition of Network Plus
Goldman Sachs Asset Management Division on the financing of its acquisition of Norgine
Exponent on the financing aspect in relation to its sale of Enva
Bridgepoint and the other shareholders on the financing aspect of the sale of Element Materials Technology
Prior Experience
Partner, Allen & Overy LLP, 2006–2024
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Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
2016, Admitted to practice as a Solicitor of England and Wales
2007, New York
Languages
English
Mandarin
Cantonese
Education
University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law