Hamed Meshki

Meshki’s been involved in a slew of recent major deals, and has earned the praise of attorneys for his high-stakes transactions, strong business sense and problem-solving creativity.

To him, the deals that are the most successful representations of his best work are the ones where his team delivers “above and beyond our clients expectations.”

“In my mind that goes so far beyond understanding the law and what it takes technically to execute a transaction,” Meshki said. “It requires becoming a true partner to our clients, working alongside them to learn what’s obtainable and willing to show we’re willing to do what it takes to get results.”

His practice focuses on highly structured and complex business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, restructurings, recapitalizations and financings.

Meshki represented Brentwood Associates and its portfolio of companies in several deals, including its investment in Blaze Pizza and its acquisitions of Jefferson Dental Care; Excelligence Learning Corporation, a Brentwood portfolio company; and Really Good Stuff, a multi-channel marketer of innovative classroom products and teaching tools.

After a deal, the company executives are usually left to clean up a “trail of broken glass,” as Meshki said, and his clients really appreciate there is no broken glass.

“And what he really appreciated was the top-notch execution and commitment and willingness from my team to work around the clock, what to expect from Kirkland and Ellis,” he said.

Risk management is key in guiding clients in the market today, Meskhi said.

“As attorneys we can just be seen as issue-spotters,” he said. “We need to really understand our client’s principal objectives and help them really quantify those risks where they can, where those risks can be managed and where you can box them, and where the clients are willing to take investment risk, and not just kind of sticking to what’s correct or not correct in my mind.”

Meshki represented Clearlake Capital Group L.P. and its portfolio companies in several deals, including its acquisition of LANDesk Software Inc., an information technology systems management platform. He was also involved in the $1.5 billion recapitalization of Lytx Inc., a provider of video telematics.

Meshki’s pace has not slowed. He said he’s excited about some matters he’s working on right now. Since coming to Kirkland in 2005, the focus has remained on building the corporate practice. Over time as his career developed, he said he learned to appreciate the importance to the team and the lawyers senior to him for growth and development.

“Do not close yourself off to new opportunities no matter how far outside your comfort zone,” he said. “Our market, this industry, the world in which our clients find themselves are so rapidly evolving in ways we cannot predict.”

— Matthew Sanderson