Kirkland & Ellis
A global American law firm especially known for private equity, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, and restructuring.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Kirkland & Ellis LLP is an American multinational law firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1909 by Stuart G. Shepard and Robert R. McCormick, the firm developed from a Chicago partnership into one of the world’s largest and highest-grossing legal practices. Its work spans private equity, mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions, complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, restructuring and bankruptcy, government investigations, tax, healthcare, real estate, and related regulatory matters. The firm’s early identity was shaped by its relationship with the Chicago Tribune and by litigation involving freedom of speech, defamation, and the press. Weymouth Kirkland and Howard Ellis joined the practice in 1915, and Kirkland later became counsel to the Tribune and other newspapers. Hammond Chaffetz joined in 1938 and remained associated with the firm for roughly six decades, during which the practice expanded substantially. Kirkland entered the London market in 1994 and subsequently developed an international network serving investment funds, multinational companies, financial institutions, and portfolio businesses. Its private-equity practice is particularly prominent: the firm advises sponsors and their portfolio companies on acquisitions, leveraged finance, governance, exits, disputes, and restructurings. It also represents major public companies in high-value transactions and high-stakes litigation. The firm operates as a partnership rather than a publicly traded company. Reported revenue rose from nearly $5 billion in 2020 to more than $6 billion in 2022 and approximately $7.2 billion in 2023, according to figures summarized in the firm’s Wikipedia article and cited legal-industry rankings. The same article reports approximately $8.8 billion in 2024 revenue and identifies Kirkland as the world’s largest law firm by revenue. These figures are gross firm revenue, not publicly reported corporate sales, and should be read in the context of law-firm ranking methodologies. Kirkland’s profile also reflects the tensions associated with a large corporate law firm. It has represented clients in major corporate transactions, industrial and product-liability matters, environmental disputes, bankruptcy proceedings, constitutional litigation, and politically sensitive investigations. Its representation of Jeffrey Epstein, Boeing, tobacco interests, and other controversial clients has attracted public criticism. In 2022, the firm announced that it would no longer handle Second Amendment litigation, prompting the departure of prominent constitutional lawyer Paul Clement and partner Erin Murphy. In 2025, the firm agreed to provide $125 million in pro bono work connected to causes supported by the Trump administration, an arrangement that generated political and professional scrutiny. The firm also undertakes public-interest work. Its attorneys have represented separated families, asylum seekers, detained immigrant teenagers, and plaintiffs challenging the underfunding of historically Black colleges and universities in Maryland. In the HBCU litigation, a 2021 settlement provided for substantial future state funding, and Kirkland donated its portion of awarded legal fees to civil-rights and HBCU-related organizations. Its alumni include judges, cabinet officials, prosecutors, legislators, senior government lawyers, and a justice of the United States Supreme Court.
History
Kirkland & Ellis traces its origin to a Chicago partnership formed in 1909 by Stuart G. Shepard and Robert R. McCormick. McCormick was connected to the Chicago Tribune through his family and later became the newspaper company’s president and publisher. Weymouth Kirkland and Howard Ellis joined the practice in 1915, giving the firm the name by which it became known. Kirkland’s work for the Tribune and other newspapers helped establish an early reputation in trial work, press law, free-speech disputes, and defamation litigation, including matters associated with Near v. Minnesota. A major twentieth-century period of development began when Hammond Chaffetz joined in 1938 after working at the United States Department of Justice. Chaffetz remained with the firm for approximately sixty years. During his tenure, the practice grew from a Chicago firm into a nationally significant law firm with hundreds of lawyers and increasingly broad corporate, litigation, and restructuring capabilities. The firm’s modern expansion was closely tied to sponsor-side corporate work, especially private equity, leveraged transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and bankruptcy. It opened its London office in 1994 and later developed offices across North America, Europe, and Asia. Its clients came to include private-equity funds, portfolio companies, public corporations, financial institutions, and businesses facing major litigation or financial distress. Kirkland became particularly prominent in high-value transactions and complex disputes. Examples cited in public reference material include advising Bristol-Myers Squibb on its acquisition of Celgene, AbbVie on its acquisition of Allergan, GLP on the sale of a United States logistics business to Blackstone, and companies involved in major intellectual-property, product-liability, environmental, and commercial cases. The firm has also represented clients in major restructurings, including McDermott International and Toys R Us. Its financial scale increased sharply in the 2020s. Publicly reported figures summarized by Wikipedia indicate nearly $5 billion in revenue in 2020, more than $6 billion in 2022, $7.2 billion in 2023, and approximately $8.8 billion in 2024. The firm was ranked first in The American Lawyer’s 2024 Am Law 200 revenue table and in a 2024 Global 200 survey. The firm also reported a record 151 partner elevations in 2024. In 2024 it opened a Frankfurt office, reflecting continued European growth. Kirkland’s public reputation includes both prestigious institutional work and controversy surrounding client representations. Its work for tobacco-company interests in the Jeffrey Wigand matter, representation of Jeffrey Epstein, defense work for Boeing after the 737 MAX crashes, and involvement in other politically sensitive matters have drawn criticism. The firm has also handled constitutional litigation, including representation of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association in the Bruen case. After the case, the firm announced that it would stop taking Second Amendment litigation, leading to the departure of Paul Clement and Erin Murphy. The firm maintains a pro bono practice involving immigration, civil rights, and educational equity. It represented separated families, asylum seekers, and immigrant youths held in detention. In a long-running Maryland HBCU case, a 2021 settlement resulted in an agreement for $577 million in additional future funding. Kirkland donated its reported $12.5 million share of legal fees to civil-rights and HBCU-related organizations. The firm has also endowed professorships at Harvard, Northwestern, Michigan, and Chicago law schools. By 2025, Kirkland was described as the largest law firm in the world by revenue and among the largest by attorney count.
- 2024
Frankfurt expansion and record partner promotions
[1]Kirkland opened a Frankfurt office and elevated 151 attorneys to partner, described as a firm record.
- 2023
Revenue reaches $7.2 billion
[1]The firm was reported to have generated $7.2 billion in gross revenue and ranked first in the 2024 Am Law 200 revenue table.
- 2022
Second Amendment practice change
[1]The firm announced that it would no longer handle Second Amendment litigation after its representation in the Bruen case.
- 2021
Maryland HBCU settlement
[1]A long-running underfunding case ended in a settlement providing for $577 million in additional future funding for Maryland’s historically Black colleges and universities.
- 1994
London office opens
[1]Kirkland opened its first London office as part of its international expansion.
- 1938
Hammond Chaffetz joins
[1]Trial lawyer Hammond Chaffetz joined after government service and became a major figure in the firm’s long-term growth.
- 1915
Kirkland and Ellis join the firm
[1]Weymouth Kirkland and Howard Ellis joined the practice, contributing the names that define the modern firm.
- 1909
Chicago partnership established
[1]Stuart G. Shepard and Robert R. McCormick formed the Chicago partnership that ultimately became Kirkland & Ellis.
Products and positioning
Premium global legal-services firm serving private-equity sponsors, multinational corporations, financial institutions, and other clients in complex, high-value matters.
Legal services
Private equity legal services
Advice for private-equity sponsors and portfolio companies across fund formation, acquisitions, leveraged transactions, governance, add-on investments, exits, disputes, and restructurings. This practice is central to the firm’s market positioning.
Corporate legal services
Mergers and acquisitions
Transactional counsel for public and private acquisitions, divestitures, strategic combinations, carve-outs, and related financing, antitrust, tax, healthcare, and regulatory issues. Publicly cited matters include the Bristol-Myers Squibb–Celgene and AbbVie–Allergan transactions.
Legal services
Litigation and disputes
Representation in commercial, constitutional, product-liability, intellectual-property, environmental, securities, and government-related disputes. The practice includes trial and appellate advocacy for corporations, funds, and other institutional clients.
Legal services
Restructuring and bankruptcy
Advice to debtors, creditors, investors, and other stakeholders in Chapter 11 cases, distressed transactions, litigation, and reorganizations. Publicly cited matters include McDermott International, Toys R Us, and China Fishery-related claims.
Legal services
Intellectual property
Patent, trademark, copyright, trade-secret, and technology disputes and transactions. Cited matters include representation of Nike in Jumpman trademark litigation, Medtronic in a patent case, and Miller UK in a trade-secrets matter.
Controversies
2023
Texas racketeering lawsuit
A Texas complaint named Kirkland as a defendant and alleged that it participated with a former bankruptcy judge and Jackson Walker in concealing a relationship connected to legal-fee awards in Chapter 11 proceedings. These remain allegations in litigation.
2020
Boeing 737 MAX prosecution controversy
Kirkland represented Boeing in matters related to the 737 MAX disasters. The prosecution agreement’s treatment of Boeing executives drew criticism, including because former U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox later became a Kirkland partner.
2019
Jeffrey Epstein plea-bargain controversy
The firm represented Jeffrey Epstein in a sex-trafficking investigation that ended in a reduced-charge plea bargain. Critics argued that the lenient arrangement enabled later abuse, and reporting alleged that victims’ rights were violated through secret plea discussions.
1995
Tobacco whistleblower litigation
While representing Brown & Williamson, the firm made legal threats seeking to prevent CBS from airing a 60 Minutes interview with tobacco whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand.
Marketing campaigns
- 2025Trump-related pro bono commitment
United States
Kirkland agreed to provide $125 million in pro bono legal work for causes supported by Donald Trump. Public reporting also stated that the work included trade-related matters through the Department of Commerce.
Outcome. The commitment was implemented amid political and professional scrutiny.
- 2021HBCU educational-equity litigation
United States
The firm represented Maryland HBCU alumni and supporters in litigation alleging systemic underfunding. The settlement provided for $577 million in additional future funding, and the firm donated its reported fee share to civil-rights and HBCU organizations.
Outcome. Settlement reached in 2021.
- 2020Immigration and family-separation pro bono work
United States
Kirkland attorneys represented separated families, asylum seekers, and immigrant teenagers held in ICE detention, including work challenging aspects of family-separation policies.
Outcome. Public-interest matters continued across multiple proceedings.
Brand decisions
2025
Enter a Trump-related pro bono arrangementOtherBackground
The agreement followed pressure on major law firms during the second Trump administration.
Action taken
Kirkland committed to provide $125 million in pro bono legal work for causes endorsed by Trump.
Aftermath
The arrangement prompted debate about law-firm independence, client selection, and the political use of pro bono commitments.
Pro bono commitment. $125 million (2025)
2024
Expand in FrankfurtStrategyBackground
The firm cited growing European business and the importance of Germany to its international practice.
Action taken
Kirkland opened a new office in Frankfurt, Germany.
Aftermath
The move increased the firm’s European presence.
2022
Withdraw from Second Amendment litigationStrategyBackground
The decision followed the firm’s representation of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen and the resulting public attention.
Action taken
Kirkland announced that it would no longer handle Second Amendment litigation.
Aftermath
Partners Paul Clement and Erin Murphy left and later established a boutique firm.
Recent events
- 2025
Kirkland agrees to $125 million pro bono commitment associated with Trump administration[1]
Campaign · Other
Kirkland agreed to provide pro bono legal work for causes supported by former President Donald Trump’s administration, an arrangement that received significant public and professional attention.
- 2025
Kirkland expands Boston M&A team[1]
Leadership change
The firm hired M&A partners Graham Robinson, Laura Knoll, and Chadé Severin, together with approximately 15 associates, to expand its Boston office.
- 2024
Kirkland & Ellis reports record revenue and profitability[1]
Other
The firm was reported to have generated approximately $8.8 billion in gross revenue in 2024, with profits per equity partner reported at approximately $9.25 million.
- 2024
Kirkland opens Frankfurt office[1]
Other
The firm expanded its European presence by opening an office in Frankfurt, Germany.
- 2022
Kirkland declines future Second Amendment litigation[1]
Leadership change
Following the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen litigation, the firm stated that it would no longer handle Second Amendment cases. Partners Paul Clement and Erin Murphy subsequently left to establish a boutique practice.
Sources3 sources
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