Kirkland & Ellis LLP

01 October 2006

Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Who's Who Legal: Illinois

In the early years, the firm made its name in high-stakes, high-publicity litigation, defending the Chicago Tribune against libel and defamation suits. The trial partnership of Weymouth Kirkland and Howard Ellis brought many important clients to the firm and also helped confirm the legal foundations of free speech in the US.

In 1994, Kirkland opened its first international office in London, to complement the corporate and commercial strengths of its bases in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, DC. Since then, the firm has expanded on its platform with an office in San Francisco in 2003, and most recently, a Munich office in 2005. This was started with a core group of Kirkland attorneys and strategic lateral hires. The German office has grown into a staff of 15 fee-earners concentrating on private equity and mergers & acquisitions.

One of the firm’s greatest strengths, fund formation has provided much of the platform for growth outside the US. The firm has an international network of 350 lawyers dedicated to the core investment funds practice, which has its origins in Chicago in the early 1960s and 70s. At that time, Kirkland & Ellis represented the city’s only venture capital client in the creation of some of the earliest funds. Kirkland lawyers, led by Jack Levin, played a crucial role in constructing the legal edifice for the fledgling private equity and venture capital industry.

In the past year, Kirkland attorneys have been engaged in significant deals, representing fund sponsors and buyers in five of the biggest transactions, and advising UbiquiTel in its US$1.3 billion acquisition by Sprint Nextel Corp and General Motors Corp in the US$14 billion sale of its financial arm to a group led by Cerberus Capital Management LP.

In addition to this, Kirkland contributes to local charitable and educational institutions and is “dedicated to participation in pro–bono activities”. Through its annual Minority Fellowship Programme, Women’s Leadership Initiative and the Kirkland & Ellis Foundation, the firm remains “committed to diversity – it makes us stronger.” In 2006 Kirkland attorneys were honoured for pro–bono work on behalf of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

Kirkland & Ellis signalled their presence in Illinois with 36 entries across 14 practice areas, making them the third most prominent firm in our survey. Their strength is also spread evenly across 10 of these areas, with five nominees apiece in corporate tax and M&A, four in private funds (where they enjoy overall dominance in a competitive market), and three in competition, commercial litigation and product liability. In capital markets, corporate governance, insolvency and restructuring, and patents, two experts are recognised; the firm can also rely upon the talents of individual nominees in banking, franchise, insurance & reinsurance, real estate and trademarks.

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