Kirkland & Ellis

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Overview

Chicago giant Kirkland & Ellis is among a handful of leading players on the global stage for private equity work, with other strengths of the firm including litigation and intellectual property (IP).

After launching its London office in 1994, the firm now has around 80 lawyers practising in the UK - including a number of big-hitters lured from City firms including SJ Berwin, Linklaters and Allen & Overy.

"The London office is growing and improving its offering at a fast rate," says one contributor, pointing to the recruitment of ex-Links private equity duo Graham White and Raymond McKeeve, as well as former A&O leveraged finance heavyweight Stephen Gillespie.

"With the number of people joining without any departures, the firm seems always on the lookout for quality talent," observes another associate, while another cash-conscious convert heralds the salary as "second to none".

However, news emerged in March 2008 that McKeeve was quitting the US firm for a life outside the law - raising question marks over Kirkland's City strategy.

History

The firm that would become Kirkland & Ellis was founded in Chicago in 1909, coming to prominence due to its trial lawyers' close links with local newspaper the Chicago Tribune. Kirkland branched out to Washington DC in 1930, forging a practice that continues to concentrate primarily on contentious work.

It was almost 60 years before the next stage in the firm's geographic expansion, with Kirkland opening in Los Angeles in 1989. The firm's Manhattan debut came a year later, with subsequent launches added in San Francisco in 2003 and Hong Kong in 2007.

Silicon Valley is the latest target for the firm, with a launch planned in late 2008.

News, deals and comment on Kirkland & Ellis

Culture

"The working environment is terrific and generally very supportive," suggests one content associate.

Another adds: "I for one am loving it at K&E... made the move fairly recently and haven't looked back. Really like the way things work here - individuality and autonomy are encouraged and brown-nosing will get you nowhere. It's all about getting on with the job and doing it well, just as it should be. I'd really had enough of having to play the game to get anywhere - it's been a truly refreshing experience coming here."

However, one fee earner grumbles that "office management treats associates like we are schoolchildren".

Key departments

"The key deptartment is corporate," says one contributor, " with the focus of the firm being private equity. If that is your game, it is second to none."

National/international coverage

For a firm with more than 1,400 lawyers globally, Kirkland is arguably not as international as many of its peers. The firm operates just three offices outside the US - in London, Munich and Hong Kong, the latter being launched at the start of 2007.

Domestically, the Chicago-based firm also operates in New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco. At the start of 2008, the firm announced plans to launch a Silicon Valley office - its ninth overall and sixth in its US heartland.

Key clients

Key clients for the firm include major US private equity groups such as Bain Capital, GTCR and Chicago-based CIVC Partners. Other major clients cited by Kirkland include 3M, Aon, Bank of America, Boeing, Honeywell, Kraft, Motorola, Sara Lee, Siemens, Time Warner and United Airlines.

Leading partners

City head and Bain relationship partner Jim Learner is reportedly "one of the unsung heroes of the City". According to one contributor, he "leads by example without the ego requiring constant press or self-promotion".

Other leading figures include ex-A&O leveraged finance star Gillespie (pictured), former Linklaters private equity partner White (minus partner-in-crime McKeeve as of spring 2008) and funds partner Michael Mifsud, who was part of the team that jumped ship from SJ Berwin at the start of 2007.

Career prospects

Chances of partnership arguably comare reasonably well with some US firms in London, with Kirkland having made up three new partners in the City in 2006 and four in 2007 - albeit from a monster 62 globally, the vast majority of whom were promoted back in the States.

However, stepping up from salaried partner to 'share partnership' - making the equity, in other words - is regarded as far tougher. Indeed, one legalweek.com poster claims that "salaried partner at Kirkland is just like being a senior associate elsewhere".

Salaries

Newly-qualified lawyers at Kirkland's London arm can expect to take home a hefty £85,000 - well above top City rates.

Recruitment

In London, the main recruitment contacts are Caroline Nunn (general) and Kate Osborne (graduate recruitment).

Work-life balance

"[I am] not sure big firms have work-life balance!" one Kirkland contributor 'jokes'. "That stated, the partners encourage us to get out of the office as much as possible. In the general scheme of things Kirkland is a pretty good place to work [and] the salary is top, which always helps."

Pro bono/corporate social responsibility

"The Kirkland & Ellis Foundation aims to provide financial support to charitable and law-related organisations that enhance the quality of life through education, improved community services, cultural awareness, youth programmes, healthcare, diversity sensitivity and many other initatives," says the firm.

Time worked on pro bono matters is evaluated on the same basis as billable work, while Kirkland as a firm aims to dedicate 3% of total billable hours to pro bono work.

Diversity

Third-party awards/citations

• Number one 'go-to' firm for litigation for six years in a row by Corporate Counsel magazine;
• International Law Firm of the Year, The Lawyer Awards, 2007;
• US Law Firm of the Year, Chambers & Partners, 2006

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