King & Spalding
| Company type | Limited liability partnership |
|---|---|
| Industry | Legal services |
| Founded | January 1, 1885 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Founder | Alexander C. King, Jack Spalding |
| Headquarters | Atlanta , United States |
Area served | North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia |
Key people | Robert D. Hays (Chairman) |
| Products | Corporate legal services including corporate law, financing deals, government probes, white-collar criminal defense, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance |
Number of employees | 1,300+ attorneys (2023) |
| Website | www |
King & Spalding LLP is a multinational American law firm specializing in corporate legal services, with its main headquarters situated in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm maintains a presence through 23 offices located throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It employs more than 1,300 attorneys worldwide. Recognized as part of the Am Law 100 and Global 30, King & Spalding holds a reputation as a leading elite law firm.
The firm's expertise spans various legal disciplines, including corporate law, financing deals, government probes, white-collar criminal defense, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory compliance. In the fiscal year 2022, King & Spalding achieved revenues totaling $1.83 billion.
At the helm is Chairman Robert D. Hays, who is instrumental in steering the firm's strategic direction and fostering business expansion. With its broad operational reach and comprehensive service portfolio, the firm competes effectively within the legal sector, catering to a wide range of industries globally.
About
Established on January 1, 1885, by Alexander C. King and Jack Spalding in Atlanta, Georgia—the city that continues to serve as its global headquarters—King & Spalding is often referred to by its abbreviation "K&S."
Within the United States, the firm has offices in numerous metropolitan areas such as Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Northern Virginia, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C.. Its international division, King & Spalding International LLP, was inaugurated in 2003 with an office in London and has since expanded to include locations or affiliations in Abu Dhabi, Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Paris, Riyadh, Singapore, and Tokyo.
Representative clients
King & Spalding provides legal services to prominent corporations and private equity investors. Among its notable clientele are Donald Trump's real estate ventures and major industry participants like steel producer Cleveland-Cliffs.
The firm benefits from a steady influx of senior government officials who either join or return as partners; notable figures include Sally Yates, Rod Rosenstein, and Zachary T. Fardon. In 2018, King & Spalding submitted a Foreign Agents Registration Act filing related to consultancy work for Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, generating $705,171 from this engagement.
Rankings
In 2023, The American Lawyer honored King & Spalding as Law Firm of the Year. The firm secured the No.39 spot on the 2024 Vault Law 100 ranking of esteemed U.S. law firms, improving from its No.43 position in 2019.
Globally by revenue in 2024, King & Spalding was ranked 22nd among Global 200 firms and placed No.17 within the AmLaw 200 list. Additionally, in February 2020, it received recognition on the WTR100 list by World Trademark Review for its expertise in trademark law.
Partners
In 1913, E. Marvin Underwood assumed the role of Assistant Attorney General of the United States. Alexander Campbell King, co-founder of King & Spalding, was appointed Solicitor General under President Woodrow Wilson in 1918. The firm’s senior partners have included distinguished public figures such as former United States Attorney General Griffin Bell (deceased), ex-U.S. Senator and Coca-Cola board member Sam Nunn, former Indiana Senator and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, ex-Florida Senator Connie Mack III, and former Governor of Georgia George Busbee (deceased). Retired partner Bob Woodward served at the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Tax Legislative Counsel between 1981 and 1984. Chilton Varner was appointed to the Federal Civil Rules Advisory Committee by Chief Justices William Rehnquist and John Roberts.
The firm's renowned White Collar Defense group—known as "Special Matters and Government Investigations"—was established by former Attorney General Griffin Bell and comprises numerous former prosecutors. This team specializes in white-collar criminal defense, civil and regulatory probes, internal corporate investigations, and congressional inquiries. Current FBI Director Christopher A. Wray was part of the firm from 2005 until his appointment in 2017. Zachary Fardon, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, rejoined as a partner in 2017. In 2018, Sally Yates returned as a partner within this practice area after serving as U.S. Deputy Attorney General and Acting Attorney General. Rod J. Rosenstein joined the Washington D.C. office in 2020 following his tenure as Deputy Attorney General.
Robert D. Hays has held the chairman position since 2005. Mike Egan, formerly an M&A partner based in Atlanta who also served as counsel to the Atlanta Falcons, was recruited by Arthur Blank to become General Counsel of AMB Group LLC. In May 2017, Jim Woolery transitioned from hedge fund Hudson Executive Capital to join the Corporate, Finance & Investments team; infrastructure M&A specialist Jonathan Melmed followed him at the New York office in 2018.
In August 2022, Randy Mastro joined King & Spalding as partner after leading litigation at Gibson Dunn for over two decades where he represented clients such as AIG, Chevron, DraftKings, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Transactions and cases
Initially centered on railroad and utility consolidations in the Southern United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries, King & Spalding's international mergers and acquisitions division now provides counsel on significant corporate deals. Atlanta-based M&A partner W. Calvin "Cal" Smith, who brought Woolery into the practice, has represented clients including Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen in its $1.8 billion sale to Restaurant Brands International, as well as Energizer in its $2 billion purchase of Rayovac and VARTA battery lines from Spectrum Brands.
The firm acted as legal representatives for six Yemeni detainees, including Mohammed Al-Adahi, and was appointed independent counsel for the Special Court for Sierra Leone in connection with war crimes accusations against the former president. Additionally, it supported litigation efforts related to the U.N.-backed Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
Impact on the City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia
King & Spalding was instrumental in establishing Georgia’s largest banking entity, The Trust Company of Georgia (now SunTrust Banks), providing guidance on pivotal reorganizations and mergers with regional banks following amendments under the 1933 Banking Act. This consolidated bank later merged with financial institutions across Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina.
In 1995, partner Horace Sibley served as lead legal advisor to the Atlanta Committee organizing the 1996 Summer Olympics. Historically, the firm incorporated the Piedmont Driving Club, and in 2006, former partner Joseph Bankoff became CEO of Atlanta’s Woodruff Arts Center. The Corporate, Finance & Investments group at King & Spalding managed legal documentation for the development, branding, and operation of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and represented Atlanta in securing Super Bowl LIII in 2019.
Within sports business transactions, Atlanta M&A partner Mike Egan provided counsel to Arthur Blank on expanding Atlanta United FC in 2014. In 2015, partner Rahul Patel advised investors during an Atlanta Hawks recapitalization involving Grant Hill, Sarah Blakely, and Jesse Itzler. Earlier, in 2005, Egan alongside partner Ray Baltz represented Atlanta Spirit LLC in acquiring the Hawks, Thrashers, and Philips Arena for $241 million. The firm also represents investors and management associated with the BB&T Atlanta Open ATP tennis tournament.
King & Spalding maintains robust connections with the University of Georgia School of Law, home to the Alexander Campbell King Law Library. Former partner Mike Raeber holds the position of general counsel at the university, while several law faculty members are alumni of King & Spalding.
Defense of the Defense of Marriage Act
In April 2011, King & Spalding entered into a $500,000 agreement with the Republican-controlled United States House of Representatives to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which federally defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman. The case was led by partner and former Solicitor General Paul Clement. Following public disclosure, the firm encountered significant opposition from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups such as the Human Rights Campaign, which initiated protests and targeted advertising campaigns against them.
Soon after taking on the case, King & Spalding sought to withdraw citing an "inadequate" vetting process. Clement resigned in dissent, arguing that attorneys have a duty to represent unpopular clients and criticizing the firm's withdrawal as undermining legal principles. He subsequently joined Bancroft PLLC, which assumed responsibility for the defense. This departure sparked debate regarding King & Spalding’s appellate practice in Washington D.C. and its broader strategic direction.
The firm's choice attracted criticism from prominent legal figures across ideological lines. Former Attorney General Eric Holder likened defending DOMA to defending Guantanamo Bay detainees, emphasizing that attorneys should not be stigmatized for their representation decisions. Michael Mukasey shared concerns that withdrawing under pressure damages client trust and professional integrity. House Speaker John Boehner condemned King & Spalding’s "careless disregard" for constitutional duties, while Theodore Olson, Clement’s predecessor as Solicitor General, urged steadfast commitment in such cases.
Reports suggested that Coca-Cola exerted behind-the-scenes influence encouraging King & Spalding’s withdrawal. Following this decision, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli terminated his office's relationship with the firm, denouncing their action as an "obsequious act of weakness." The National Rifle Association also ended its association with King & Spalding, reflecting wider reputational damage and financial consequences affecting the firm’s clientele and market standing.
Involvement in Trump Administration Election Litigation
In the aftermath of the 2020 United States presidential election, King & Spalding encountered backlash for its role in representing the Trump campaign in a North Carolina case disputing the extension for accepting mail-in ballots. Demonstrators, among them public defender and district attorney candidate Eliza Orlins, assembled outside the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, denouncing the legal actions as baseless and detrimental to the democratic process. Since Trump secured victory in North Carolina, King & Spalding’s participation in the state's legal proceedings ultimately became irrelevant.