Ben Hardison
Partner
Kirkland & Ellis
Dallas, TX

Ben Hardison is a corporate partner in the Dallas office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. His practice focuses on the representation of private equity sponsors, their portfolio companies and a variety of other public and private companies in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, joint ventures, private equity investments, restructurings and related general corporate counseling.

Melissa Kalka
Partner 
Kirkland & Ellis
Dallas, TX

Melissa Kalka is a corporate partner in the Dallas office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Melissa’s practice focuses on representing private equity firms and public and private companies in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs and investment transactions. She also represents clients in connection with general corporate governance matters and securities regulations compliance. She has worked with clients in a wide range of industries and sectors, including energy, consumer products, healthcare, manufacturing, technology and real estate investment trusts.

​Melissa has been recognized in various legal publications for her work, including the Dallas Business Journal and Texas Lawyer. Prior to practicing law, Melissa worked in commercial banking where her experience included underwriting and managing distressed assets.

Robert Jackson
General Counsel
CyrusOne
Dallas, TX

Robert Jackson, champions a commercially-oriented, “focus on what matters” approach to business, fueled by a relentless passion for real estate investment, development and value creation. His journey as business lawyer, trusted advisor and real estate executive, provides a unique perspective that complements our diverse executive team. A versatile leader, Robert has a track record of successfully creating and executing strategies for public and private companies in connection with legal services, strategic transactions, corporate governance, accounting & finance, information technology, risk management and human resources. He is a frequent lecturer and speaker on legal issues as they relate to public companies and real estate investment.

Luke Frutkin
Associate General Counsel
CyrusOne
Dallas, TX

Luke Frutkin is a Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at CyrusOne. Since joining CyrusOne, Luke’s role has included advising on corporate governance and securities laws and supporting CyrusOne’s M&A and capital market activities.  Luke is a graduate of St. Lawrence University (BA Government, Religious Studies) and Pennsylvania State University (JD).