Bio

Kimberly Debeers is head of the M&A/Corporate Group in Skadden’s Chicago office and has a diverse corporate practice with extensive experience in the area of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, securities law and general corporate law matters. Ms. deBeers regularly represents private equity firms, as well as various private and public corporate clients, on a wide variety of acquisition and sale transactions, leveraged buyouts, capital transactions, spin-offs and various types of recapitalizations and other financing transactions. She represented O’Reilly Automotive in its $850 million acquisition of CSK Auto; Arclin Chemical in its sale to a private equity fund; US Airways in its LaGuardia/Reagan airport asset transaction with Delta Airlines; Huron Consulting Group Inc. in its initial public offerings; Black Diamond in its acquisitions of interests in Empire Generating, GST AutoLeather, White Birch Paper Company, Vertellus Specialties, and IAP Worldwide Services; and the O’Brien family group in its acquisition of control of R. J. O’Brien and Associates. She also has represented ACI Worldwide, Inc., American Airlines, ION Media Networks, Imaging Advantage LLC, Kraft Foods and Mondelēz, Werner Ladder and O’Reilly Automotive on various matters. Ms. deBeers’ private equity practice has involved the representation of a number of private equity funds and companies in connection with significant transactions, including Black Diamond Management, BNY Mezzanine Partners, Burke Partners, LP, DE Shaw, Grey Mountain Partners, Goldman Sachs, Lake Capital Partners, Morgan Stanley, MSD Capital, Silver Point Capital, Vernon Partners and Victory Park Capital. In addition, Ms. deBeers has advised management and senior executives of companies in connection with a variety of transactions involving sales or alterations to their company relationship. Her international transaction experience includes, among others, advising foreign buyers of U.S. assets; Reichhold Chemical, a worldwide company; GAB Robins in the sale of its international claims management business to Cunningham Lindsey; the combination of LaSalle Partners Incorporated and Jones Lang Wootton in matters throughout Europe, Asia and Australia; various clients in their business expansion throughout the world; and Inter Retail Holdings in its relationship with Bombay stores during Bombay’s bankruptcy proceeding. Ms. deBeers has been repeatedly selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and The Best Lawyers in America, as well as one of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Dealmakers in America. She also was named to The Deal’s 2022 Women in Dealmaking list and one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ 2020 Notable Women in Law. She also has been recognized as one of the Most Powerful and Influential Women in Illinois by the National Diversity Council and as a BTI Client Service All-Stars by The BTI Consulting Group for providing outstanding client service. Ms. deBeers speaks yearly at the Practicing Law Institute on securities issues relating to mergers and acquisitions.