Kirkland & Ellis has added Anthony Mongone, Jr. as a partner in its Real Estate Practice Group, enhancing the firm’s ability to advise on complex real estate finance and private credit transactions across the capital structure. The hire reflects Kirkland’s continued focus on expanding its real assets platform with practitioners who work at the intersection of commercial real estate, structured finance, and special situations.
Mongone is a real estate finance lawyer whose practice centers on sophisticated leverage and investment structures for institutional and private capital clients. He advises commercial real estate investors, mortgage real estate investment trusts, and private debt funds on transactions that include commercial real estate repurchase facilities, note-on-note financings, syndication strategies, acquisitions and dispositions, and joint ventures, with particular emphasis on distressed and structured investments. In addition to traditional assets, he represents investors in development and emerging real-asset transactions across digital infrastructure, single-family and transitional residential housing, and logistics, all of which have attracted significant interest from private credit and opportunistic investors.
A defining feature of Mongone’s practice is his experience acting for both lenders and sponsors, which enables him to structure deals that align financing flexibility with risk allocation and recovery strategies. This dual perspective is especially relevant in transactions involving back leverage and other layered capital structures, where investor outcomes depend on careful calibration of covenants, collateral, and intercreditor arrangements. His work in mortgage investing and complex leveraged markets positions him to contribute to Kirkland’s growing real estate private credit offering, which serves clients across origination, restructuring, and special situations.
Mongone’s market profile is underscored by multiple industry recognitions. He has been named a Law360 Rising Star in 2025, recognized in The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch from 2022 through 2026, and recommended by The Legal 500 U.S. in 2023 and 2024. He is frequently quoted in publications on real estate finance and has participated in panels on mortgage and distressed investing, highlighting his role as both a practitioner and a commentator on evolving trends in real estate credit. He joins Kirkland from Ropes & Gray LLP, where he was a partner in the real estate investments and transactions group.
For Kirkland & Ellis, the addition of Mongone reinforces an already substantial real estate platform that works with leading investors, funds, and lenders on complex financings and investments globally. The firm has been systematically building its real estate private credit team to offer a full suite of services to private credit clients, including structuring, documentation, workouts, and special situations across asset classes and geographies. A partner with front-line experience in back leverage structures, distressed and structured investments, and emerging real asset sectors adds depth to that strategy and is likely to support client demand in an environment characterized by rate volatility, shifting liquidity, and heightened focus on credit risk.
KEY QUOTES:
“Anthony is a highly accomplished real estate finance lawyer with deep experience leading complex financings across the capital structure, including structured back leverage instruments and mortgage investing. His arrival strengthens our already deep real estate platform and reflects our continued commitment to investing in leading talent and capabilities to help our clients finance capital deployment.”
Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee
“We are thrilled to welcome Anthony and have him join our expanding real estate private credit team. He has advised some of the most significant investors in the business and brings deep commercial real estate finance experience that will build further upon our full-service offerings to our private credit clients in this space.”
Victoria Shusterman, Partner, Real Estate Practice Group, Kirkland & Ellis
“I have been involved in all aspects of the evolving commercial real estate finance and back leverage markets and look forward to continue driving creativity in capital formation in this space. Kirkland has long been recognized as a market-leader in real assets and is the perfect fit for my practice, which sits right at the center of private equity, private credit and special situations. I am looking forward to being a part of this outstanding team and being able to serve my clients even better from the Kirkland platform.”
Anthony Mongone, Jr., Partner, Real Estate Practice Group, Kirkland & Ellis
