Three new hires are former senior U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission officials
Kirkland & Ellis has boosted its global investment funds regulatory practice with three new hires. Diane Blizzard, Melissa Gainor and Dan Kahl have joined as partners. They all recently served in senior roles at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and have extensive experience in the agency’s regulation of investment advisers, investment companies, and the asset management industry.
Blizzard served as associate director for rulemaking in the agency’s division of investment management. At Kirkland, she will advise clients on the implications of various rulemaking currently under consideration by the SEC and the potential consequences of these policy changes.
Gainor led the investment adviser regulation office in the division of investment management; and. Kahl served as acting director of the division of examinations.
“Given the proposed material SEC rule changes and heightened regulatory focus impacting private equity fund sponsors and other asset managers, adding these three lawyers with significant government experience to our existing deep bench of practitioners and former regulators will further strengthen our regulatory practice,” said Jon A. Ballis, chairman of Kirkland’s executive committee.
Kirkland investment funds group head John O’Neil added: “Dan, Diane and Melissa bring decades of regulatory experience and unique insights into the SEC’s deliberative and decision-making processes. It is an extraordinary opportunity to have lawyers of this caliber join our firm together.”
Blizzard, Gainor and Kahl join the more than 50 attorneys in Kirkland’s investment funds regulatory practice, which includes lawyers who have held senior policy-making and enforcement positions in key regulatory agencies, as well as seasoned practitioners and more than 450 lawyers total in the firm’s investment funds group.
