In brief: Kirkland’s new ESG partner

Former Fried Frank associate Mary Beth Houlihan is the latest partner to join global private equity law firm Kirkland & Ellis’s ESG & Impact practice group.

Mary Beth Houlihan
Mary Beth Houlihan

Law firm Kirkland & Ellis has recruited Mary Beth Houlihan as partner within the firm’s ESG and impact practice group. Houlihan will be based in New York.

According to a statement from Kirkland & Ellis, her remit will include regulatory compliance considerations in the context of fund formations, public disclosure and due diligence. She will be focused on industries such as chemical manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, real estate and retail.

Alexandra Farmer, head of the ESG and impact practice group, said in the statement: “Mary Beth is known for her ability to look beyond compliance and advise clients on the broader sustainability considerations that are increasingly becoming central to investing.”

Houlihan was an associate at Fried Frank from 2011 to 2020 and previously an associate at Willkie Farr & Gallagher. She was also an adjunct professor of law at Cardozo School of Law in 2019.

The ESG and impact practice group has also recruited Jacqueline Yap as an associate. Yap was previously an associate at Latham & Watkins and a law clerk at the DC Bar and the US Department of Justice, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Kirkland & Ellis had previously added Sara Orr, from Latham & Watkins, as a partner in the ESG and impact practice group in May.

The firm’s clients include Blackstone, Vista Equity Partners, The Carlyle Group, Warburg Pincus, Bain Capital and TPG’s The Rise Fund.