Kirkland & Ellis Adds Leading Private Equity Partner Shayla Harlev

Kirkland & Ellis is excited to announce that leading private equity lawyer Shayla Harlev has joined the Firm as a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. She will be based in Kirkland’s Boston office. 

“Shayla has represented some of the world’s most prominent private equity sponsors and built a stellar reputation advising on a diverse mix of complex transactions,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “A lawyer of Shayla’s caliber has endless opportunity, and that she chose to join Kirkland really speaks to what our platform has to offer and the quality of our people. We are thrilled to add her to the team.”

Ms. Harlev regularly represents private equity sponsors in connection with acquisitions and dispositions and other complex transactions. She has extensive experience with leveraged buyouts and dispositions of public and private companies, as well as going-private transactions, minority investments and joint ventures. She also counsels private equity sponsor portfolio companies on a variety of corporate and strategic matters.

“Shayla is an extremely talented and highly respected private equity lawyer and we are delighted to welcome her to Kirkland,” said Armand Della Monica, a corporate partner in the Boston office. “Her broad mix of deal experience will greatly benefit our clients, as will her ongoing commitment to critical pro bono and D&I efforts.” 

Ms. Harlev has been recognized as a leading lawyer for Corporate/M&A and Private Equity: Buyouts in Massachusetts by Chambers USA, and was named “Best in Private Equity” at Euromoney Legal Media Group’s 2020 Americas Women in Business Law Awards. IFLR1000 and Legal 500 U.S. also lauded her as a top lawyer for private equity and M&A. 

“Kirkland’s private equity platform is second to none and I’m very excited about this next chapter of my career,” said Ms. Harlev. “I look forward to applying my skills to assist clients and help to grow Kirkland’s leading private equity practice even further.”

Ms. Harlev joins Kirkland from the Boston office of another international law firm, where she was a partner.

Kirkland has the largest and most active private equity practice in the world, serving more than 500 private equity sponsors and generating the largest deal flow of any law firm. Kirkland has continually ranked first among legal advisors both for number of private equity buyouts and fund formations.