Press Release

Kirkland & Ellis Adds Leading Investment Funds Partner Matthew Howard

Kirkland & Ellis announced today that Matthew Howard has joined the Firm as a partner in the Investment Funds Group.

“Matt has extraordinary experience advising on the structuring of all types of sophisticated investment funds,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “We are thrilled to have him join our team, which serves clients ranging from the world’s largest alternative asset managers to boutiques and first-time fund sponsors.”

For nearly two decades, Mr. Howard has advised some of the largest and most sophisticated asset managers within the investment funds sector. He has focused his practice on structuring private investment funds and other alternative investment vehicles for clients with interests in a variety of asset classes, including buyouts, credit, real estate, infrastructure and energy. His extensive experience encompasses employee investment vehicles, management company arrangements, carried interest plans and other incentive arrangements. He has also served as an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law School since 2019.

“We are incredibly excited to have Matt join our team, which is already the largest, most active investment funds practice in the world,” said Erica Berthou and Daniel Lavon-Krein, investment funds partners and members of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “Our team is uniquely positioned to provide the advice that the most forward-thinking asset managers in the world expect, and Matt’s experience makes our group even stronger.”

Kirkland is a global leader in providing sophisticated advice to investment fund sponsors, institutional investors and other market participants in the alternative investment fund space. Kirkland offers clients the unsurpassed resources of an integrated global team across North America, Europe and Asia providing advice on private fund formation, liquidity solutions, investment management and regulatory counsel and strategic advisory services. With more than 600 dedicated investment funds attorneys, few firms approach the breadth, depth and scope of Kirkland’s experience in investment funds legal services. Since January 2020, Kirkland has advised more than 1,700 funds closed and in process with total capital commitments in excess of $1.94 trillion.

“I am delighted to join Kirkland & Ellis, which has a well-deserved reputation of being the best in the business when it comes to investment funds,” Mr. Howard said.

Mr. Howard joins Kirkland from Fried Frank, where he was a partner.