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Kirkland & Ellis

From Alfawiki
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Company typeLLP
IndustryLaw firm
Founded1909; 117 years ago (1909)
Headquarters
Chicago
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsLegal services
Number of employees
Approximately 1,253 (490 equity partners + 763 non-equity partners) (2022)
Websitewww.kirkland.com

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a multinational American law firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1909, it has held the position of the world's highest-revenue law firm since 2017 and, as of 2025, ranks seventh in terms of attorney headcount.[1] Kirkland & Ellis was the pioneer in surpassing US$7 billion in yearly revenue among law firms worldwide.[2] Reporting revenues of US$8.8 billion and profits per equity partner reaching US$9.25 million, it stands as the most lucrative and highest-grossing law firm globally.[3][4]

Numerous Kirkland & Ellis lawyers have occupied significant federal roles, including United States Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and former Attorneys General William Barr and Robert Bork.[5][6]

History

The origins of Kirkland & Ellis trace back to 1909 when Stuart G. Shepard and Robert R. McCormick established a Chicago-based legal partnership. McCormick, grandson of Chicago Tribune founder Joseph Medill, assumed the presidency of the Tribune Company in 1914 and became its sole publisher by 1925.

In 1915, Howard Ellis and Weymouth Kirkland joined the firm; Kirkland notably acted as chief counsel for the Tribune during landmark free speech and defamation litigation. The firm's expansion accelerated in 1938 with the recruitment of trial attorney Hammond Chaffetz from the U.S. Department of Justice, contributing to growth that brought its attorney count to approximately 780, ranking it among America’s top thirty largest firms. Today, Kirkland & Ellis maintains twenty offices spanning six countries.

Amid heightened demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm approached $5 billion in revenue by 2020. By 2022, it had surpassed $6 billion in gross revenue—the leading figure among law firms—with a partnership comprising 490 equity partners and 763 non-equity partners.

In 2023, revenue escalated to $7.2 billion, securing the top spot on The American Lawyer's Am Law 200 for 2024 and leading the Global 200 list as the highest-grossing law firm worldwide.

By 2024, revenues soared by 22% to reach $8.8 billion while profits per equity partner climbed to $9.25 million, propelled by robust private equity, litigation, and mergers and acquisitions practices. The firm further expanded its European presence by inaugurating an office in Frankfurt to support regional development.

That year also marked a historic promotion of 151 attorneys to partner status. In early 2025, Kirkland & Ellis committed to providing pro bono legal assistance for initiatives associated with Donald Trump.

In May 2025, the Boston office grew with the addition of three new M&A partners—Graham Robinson, Laura Knoll, and Chadé Severin—as well as around fifteen associates.

Rankings

The American Lawyer honored Kirkland & Ellis as Law Firm of the Year in 2018. The publication Mergers & Acquisitions recognized it as Law Firm of the Year in 2019 for advising on over 400 U.S.-based transactions—more than double that of its nearest competitor—and for leading global deal volume. By 2021, Am Law ranked Kirkland & Ellis as the largest U.S. firm by gross revenue and third highest in profits per equity partner. The firm achieved second place in the 2017 ATL Power 100 rankings and was rated Chicago’s most prestigious firm as well as top-ranked nationally for private equity, restructuring, and business outlook by Vault in 2018.

Notable clients and cases

  • Represented Brown & Williamson, a tobacco company; issued legal warnings to block a 60 Minutes interview featuring whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand.
  • Advised Bristol-Myers Squibb on its US$90 billion acquisition of Celgene, marking the largest biopharmaceutical deal by transaction value.
  • Assisted AbbVie with its US$63 billion purchase of Allergan, recognized as New York's Healthcare, Pharma & Biotech Deal of the Year in 2020 by The Deal.
  • Guided GLP through selling its U.S. logistics assets to Blackstone for US$18.7 billion—the largest private real estate transaction worldwide by trade value.
  • Defended BP concerning liability issues stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, successfully obtaining summary judgment that BP was not obligated under U.S. Emergency Planning statutes.
  • Represented Volkswagen during litigation related to its emissions scandal.
  • Acted for General Motors in matters connected to the ignition switch defect controversy.
  • Defended Nike, Inc. against claims alleging trademark infringement over its Jumpman logo.
  • Secured a $93.8 million royalty dispute win for AbbVie against MedImmune.
  • Triumphed for Medtronic in patent litigation against Atlas IP, LLC.
  • Achieved a $73.6 million award for Miller UK Ltd. concerning trade secrets misappropriation against Caterpillar Inc..
  • Represented controversial client Jeffrey Epstein in a sex-trafficking case resulting in a reduced plea agreement; faced criticism over undisclosed meetings violating victim notification requirements under CVRA.
  • Advised McDermott International during its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2020.
  • Managed restructuring efforts for Toys R Us, resulting in fees totaling $56 million.
  • Represented significant investors pursuing bond claims against China Fishery.
  • Supported Cariol Horne’s reinstatement case with Buffalo Police Department following her dismissal in 2008.
  • Acted for Boeing regarding Boeing 737 MAX groundings; involved in a prosecution agreement criticized for leniency toward executives; former U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox later joined Kirkland & Ellis as partner.
  • Represented New York State Rifle & Pistol Association successfully challenging New York’s concealed carry licensing requirement mandating “proper cause,” achieving a landmark constitutional decision.

Pro bono work

Kirkland & Ellis has provided legal representation for separated families, asylum seekers, and immigrant minors detained by ICE while opposing the Trump administration family separation policy.

Attorney Michael D. Jones spearheaded a federal lawsuit spanning fifteen years on behalf of alumni and advocates of Maryland’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), contesting systemic underfunding by the state. This culminated in a settlement reached in 2021 where Maryland pledged an additional $577 million for HBCU funding commitments. The settlement also included $22 million allocated for legal fees—$12.5 million awarded to Kirkland & Ellis and $9.5 million to the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law.

Subsequently, Kirkland donated its portion ($12.5 million) to organizations supporting HBCUs and civil rights initiatives: $5 million to Dillard University’s Center for Racial Justice; $3 million to Morgan State University’s Robert M. Bell Center for Civil Rights in Education; $2 million to the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law; $1 million to the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education; $600,000 each to Howard University’s Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center and Maryland’s Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Higher Education; plus $250,000 to the African Methodist Episcopal Church Second District.

Notable attorneys and alumni

Over two dozen former Kirkland attorneys have transitioned into government service roles, highlighting the firm’s influence within public sectors:

  • Alexander Acosta – served as Secretary of Labor under President Donald Trump
  • Alex Azar – former Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • William Barr – served twice as U.S. Attorney General under Presidents Trump (85th) and George H.W. Bush (77th)
  • John Bolton – National Security Advisor under Trump
  • Robert Bork – former D.C. Circuit Court Judge and Solicitor General under Nixon
  • Daniel Bress – Judge on Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Rubén Castillo – ex-U.S. District Judge for Northern Illinois
  • Pat Cipollone – White House Counsel under Trump
  • Jeffrey Clark – Assistant Attorney General (Environment & Natural Resources Division); acting head of Civil Division under Trump; involved in attempts contesting the 2020 election results
  • Paul Clement – former Solicitor General under George W. Bush; departed Kirkland in 2022 after firm ceased Second Amendment litigation; founded boutique firm Clement & Murphy PLLC
  • Viet D. Dinh – Chief Legal Officer at 21st Century Fox; ex-Assistant Attorney General; principal drafter of USA PATRIOT Act
  • John C. Eastman – former law professor advising Trump on legal strategies post-2020 election
  • Neil Eggleston – White House Counsel under Obama
  • Mark Filip – former District Court Judge (Northern Illinois) and Deputy Attorney General under George W. Bush
  • Josh Hammer – senior editor-at-large at Newsweek; syndicated columnist; radio host
  • Brett Kavanaugh – Associate Justice on U.S. Supreme Court
  • Robert Khuzami – Deputy U.S. Attorney (Southern New York); ex-SEC Enforcement Director; former Deutsche Bank General Counsel
  • Raja Krishnamoorthi – U.S Representative from Illinois's 8th congressional district
  • Christopher Landau – former U.S Ambassador to Mexico under Trump
  • Jay Lefkowitz – ex-Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights; Director of Cabinet Affairs under George W. Bush
  • Lisa Madigan – Illinois Attorney General (2003–2019)
  • Sean Patrick Maloney – former U.S Representative from New York's 18th district
  • Dallin H. Oaks – First Counselor in First Presidency of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  • Jeffrey A. Rosen – Deputy Secretary of Transportation; Deputy Attorney General; acting Attorney General under Trump
  • Nathan Sales – Coordinator for Counterterrorism; Acting Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights
  • Danielle Sassoon – former acting U.S Attorney (Southern New York)
  • Mikie Sherrill – U.S Representative from New Jersey's 11th district
  • Ken Starr – Whitewater special prosecutor; Solicitor General under George H.W. Bush
  • Jeff Wall – Principal Deputy Solicitor General; former acting Solicitor General under Trump
  • Ali Zaidi – first deputy White House National Climate Advisor under President Biden

These distinguished alumni exemplify Kirkland & Ellis’s role as a foundation for influential careers spanning both private practice and public governance.

Endowed professorships

Kirkland & Ellis has funded professorships at four leading law schools: Harvard Law School, Northwestern University School of Law, University of Michigan Law School, and University of Chicago Law School.

See also

References

Notes

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Further reading

External links

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