Kirkland & Ellis is pleased to announce that Paul Guan, a top private equity real estate lawyer, has joined the Firm as a partner in Hong Kong. He will lead the Firm’s private equity real estate practice in Asia.

“Private equity activity in the real estate space has exploded in Greater China and Paul’s arrival will help us better meet the needs of our clients. He is a rising star in this key area, and his real estate-focused practice adds a new and important dimension to our market-leading global private equity real estate platform,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee.

Chambers Asia-Pacific recognized Mr. Guan as a “Leading Individual” for real estate in China. IFLR1000 named him as a “Highly Regarded” lawyer for M&A and real estate in Hong Kong SAR.

“The Greater China real estate market is a fast-growing opportunity for our clients. With experience advising both private equity firms and other financial institutions in cross-border transactions involving real estate in Greater China as well as Chinese institutional investors in outbound investments, Paul is the perfect person to lead and grow our Asia private equity real estate practice,” said David Zhang, a corporate partner in Kirkland’s Hong Kong office.

Mr. Guan represents global and regional private equity sponsors and strategic investors on a broad range of complex and cross-border real estate M&A, joint venture, fund formation, securities and financing transactions. He joins Kirkland from Paul Hastings, where he was a partner in the Hong Kong office and led the Greater China real estate practice. Mr. Guan holds an LL.M. from Harvard Law School as well as Ph.D., LL.M. and LL.B. degrees from East China University of Political Science and Law.

One of the largest private equity practices in Asia, Kirkland’s footprint in the region consists of more than 140 lawyers and other legal professionals in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai handling cross-border private equity/M&A, capital markets, fund formation and financing transactions, as well as complex restructuring, litigation and white collar matters. The team has been involved in some of the largest and most complex private equity deals in the region.

Kirkland is routinely honored as a top law firm for private equity transactions. China Business Law Journal recognized Kirkland with 2021 awards for “Best International Law Firm,” and “Private Equity & Venture Capital Practice,” and Commercial Property Executive (CPE) ranked the Firm #1 on its 2020 list of “Leading Real Estate Law Firms.”