Kirkland & Ellis has recruited leading Asia restructuring lawyer Neil McDonald and Damien Coles - one of the region's rising stars - from competitor Hogan Lovells in Hong Kong.
McDonald – Hogan Lovells’ former restructuring head - joins Kirkland’s restructuring practice group, which includes over 100 lawyers globally. He acts for financial institutions, hedge funds, private equity firms, insolvency appointment holders and turnaround management firms on financial distress, shareholder disputes, liquidations, receiverships and other enforcement options, and advises clients on acquisitions of distressed businesses and assets.
“Neil is an ideal fit for Kirkland as we continue to build out our capabilities and platform in Asia,” Nicholas Norris, partner in Kirkland’s Hong Kong corporate team, says. “He is widely recognised as one of the top restructuring lawyers in the Asia-Pacific region and will bring to the firm a skill set, experience and contacts that complements perfectly our successful M&A, private equity and finance practice in the region.”
Coles acts for banks, credit and private equity funds, insolvency practitioners and turnaround professionals. He is focused cross-border transactions involving Indonesia, India, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, and has worked on most of the crucial recent Indonesian restructuring matters.
Jeffrey Hammes, chairman of Kirkland’s global management executive committee, said: “Damien has established a reputation as one of the region’s rising stars in restructuring. We are delighted to add Neil’s and Damien’s outstanding experience, capabilities and energy to our premier restructuring platform and top-tier Hong Kong team.”
Kirkland & Ellis’ Hong Kong restructuring group borrows expertise from its offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. The 1600-lawyer-strong firm acts globally for clients in restructuring, corporate and tax, litigation, dispute resolution and arbitration, and intellectual property matters.
