John Kabealo

John Kabealo is Senior Advisor on US/Transatlantic issues for the CELIS Institute.

John Kabealo is a partner in the International Trade and National Security Practice Group in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. John’s practice focuses on U.S. national security regulatory processes, including with respect to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), among others.

Prior to joining Kirkland, John founded a globally recognized boutique law firm concentrating on U.S. national security regulatory processes, with clients including multinational asset managers, public and private companies, defense contractors and startups. He was previously a corporate attorney at a major U.S. law firm where he gained a strong foundation in corporate and transactional matters. After four years, John joined the firm’s recently formed national security group, where he spent the next seven years exclusively focusing on national security and regulatory reviews.

John has frequently been recognized by Chambers USA and Chambers Global as one of the top CFIUS attorneys in the world, having received a Band 2 ranking in 2024. He is also regularly quoted in leading publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Marketplace and MLex.

His articles have appeared in leading industry publications such as The M&A Lawyer, Transaction Advisors and Law360.