Kirkland & Ellis Forum

[Anonymous User]

Is Kirkland the best firm right now? I mean-huge growth last year, just took two huge investment funds partners from Debevoise, #1 for private equity, bankruptcy etc.

[Moneytrees]

No.

[dabigchina]

Is Kirkland the best firm right now? I mean-huge growth last year, just took two huge investment funds partners from Debevoise, #1 for private equity, bankruptcy etc.

Seems like business a usual for them tbh. Also, what exactly are their growth numbers. I keep seeing references to them, but I haven't seen anything concrete on amlaw.

[Anonymous User]

I think the numbers for this year are expected to be very good, but don't think it's going to be anything jaw dropping. No need to feed the troll-just a good firm having a good year.

[LHS17]

Just curious: why are they so maligned on here?

[PeanutsNJam]

Just curious: why are they so maligned on here?

They're not. They're a really good firm with a great reputation. They're probably miserable to work for in the same way any of their peer firms are miserable to work for, but if you see people talk about that, then every biglaw firm is "maligned" on here.

If the question is "Is Kirkland the best firm to be an associate in?", then the answer is probably objectively a strong no. If the question is "Is Kirkland the best firm for my company's merger?", I mean, maybe? Probably tied with other big M&A firms. If the question is "Is Kirkland the best firm to be an equity partner at?", then idk, I don't think anybody on this forum can answer that question.

[Anonymous User]

Just curious: why are they so maligned on here?

They're not. They're a really good firm with a great reputation. They're probably miserable to work for in the same way any of their peer firms are miserable to work for, but if you see people talk about that, then every biglaw firm is "maligned" on here.

I mean, that's my sense. But I was wondering if I was missing something. PE clients (among others) aren't exactly known as being the most pleasant.

[Anonymous User]

I think they have a well deserved reputation for being more tolerant of screamers and difficult partners than other firms, and being a bit more brutal hours wise. Someone I know very well (who got an offer) even heard/saw multiple screamers during a callback there, and the associates didn't even try to hide it.

[jd20132013]

Is Kirkland the best firm right now? I mean-huge growth last year, just took two huge investment funds partners from Debevoise, #1 for private equity, bankruptcy etc.

what does any of this have To do with you? Do you mean best firms to be a partner at ?

[Anonymous User]

Idk what office you were at Anon, but that’s not reflective of what my experience at K&E was when I worked there as a paralegal. I never had any partners or associates be difficult or screamers. Some are more particular about things than others, but it’s just organizational preference really. I had so many attorneys, both partners and associates, willing to talk to me about law school and where I want to go, their experiences, my goals, etc, and even connected me with other attorneys they knew who attended law schools I’m applying to. All the associates seemed generally happy to be working there and spoke highly of the firm. Of course billable requirements are high and sometimes you have to work a lot of overtime, but that’s any top law firm.

I worked in the Chicago office.

[Anonymous User]

I think they have a well deserved reputation for being more tolerant of screamers and difficult partners than other firms, and being a bit more brutal hours wise. Someone I know very well (who got an offer) even heard/saw multiple screamers during a callback there, and the associates didn't even try to hide it.

Current litigation associate. I haven't interacted with anyone that has raised their voice or been particularly difficult to work with. But it's entirely possible those sorts of personalities are more common in transactional practices. People do get angry, but usually it's expressed in a professional way. Hours are rough, not sure if it's significantly worse than peer firms though.

[Anonymous User]

In restructuring and will also echo the points about this not being a place of screamers. Certain people are more or less annoying to work for, obviously, but certainly no verbal abuse. I actually get a sense that we get a little more freedom over our lives compared to a lot of peers firms (obviously still within the big law norms). There's actually a well-respected no facetime policy -- this place is a ghost town on Friday's and nobody bats an eye if leave early/come in late.

Also, I actually think the financial health of the firm is relevant for associates. The above market bonuses are nice. But also, the unfortunate reality is that if partners are unhappy/stressed because the firm isn't doing well it bleeds all the way down the chain. Life is good for a K&E partner and so if you need to duck out at 4:30pm one day nobody is going to make a fuss because you left early and might be billing 7hrs instead of 8.5 that day. They're raking in enough dough that they aren't stressing about those things.

[RaceJudicata]

Miserable to work across from. (Lit)

[oblig.lawl.ref]

I've heard lots of negative anecdotes. And the people I knew that succeeded there had what would be considered a pretty fucked up outlook where I am. Very hard workers. Said stuff like: if you think about it 8-12 years of your life isn't that much of your whole life. I also had friends that worked there and I went to happy hours with them. I'd say Skadden and K&E are two of the only firms where I definitely got a strong whiff of the culture just from a happy hour.

My experiences are with SF and NYC corporate only really.

[Anonymous User]

Really curious about Chi offices vs NYC and would appreciate if people said what offices positive anecdotes are from.

[Anonymous User]

Surprised no one has posted the K&E "Work-Life Balance" Video yet

[Anonymous User]

I knew a few people going to Kirkland from ny school and they were insufferable strivers.

[Anonymous User]

I knew a few people going to Kirkland from ny school and they were insufferable strivers.

So much this. I'm never surprised by who's going to Kirkland because they have such an identifiable (and insufferable) type.

[Anonymous User]

I knew a few people going to Kirkland from ny school and they were insufferable strivers.

So much this. I'm never surprised by who's going to Kirkland because they have such an identifiable (and insufferable) type.

Nothing is more insufferable than judging somebody solely by the firm they chose to go to straight out of law school. I bet you also hate when new money moves into your parents' neighborhood.

[Anonymous User]

Really curious about Chi offices vs NYC and would appreciate if people said what offices positive anecdotes are from.

I work at KE Chicago. I like the people and culture here a lot. There’s a couple intense personalities but the free market system lets you avoid them and I’ve never heard anyone scream at an associate.

That being said, I would’ve gone elsewhere in NY over KE NY. I like the people in the NY office a lot less and found way more of them to be insufferable.

[Anonymous User]

I knew a few people going to Kirkland from ny school and they were insufferable strivers.

So much this. I'm never surprised by who's going to Kirkland because they have such an identifiable (and insufferable) type.

Nothing is more insufferable than judging somebody solely by the firm they chose to go to straight out of law school. I bet you also hate when new money moves into your parents' neighborhood.

+1

There are some strivers here, but there are also a lot of nice people. I've always thought that this concept of "firm culture" of firms with 1000+ attorneys was a ridiculous thing to do. The type of people that make these generalizations are probably the ones who are so socially incompetent that they have a hard time actually talking to their peers and getting to know what they're like. I'm sure these types are lots of fun at parties.

K&E, just like Skadden, Latham, or any other firm is filled with lots of personalities, some good, some bad. It's really really dumb to make generalizations. If you're curious about what people in a specific practice group are like, talk to friends/acquaintances at the firm and try to get to know them. All you're going to get on TLS (about any firm, not just K&E) is gossip and odd generalizations from a bunch of weirdos (myself included in the weirdo category).

For what its worth, I don't really have strong opinions about my colleagues. Most of them go home at 5p and work from there, interactions are all vanilla and professional.

[oblig.lawl.ref]

I knew a few people going to Kirkland from ny school and they were insufferable strivers.

So much this. I'm never surprised by who's going to Kirkland because they have such an identifiable (and insufferable) type.

Nothing is more insufferable than judging somebody solely by the firm they chose to go to straight out of law school. I bet you also hate when new money moves into your parents' neighborhood.

Such brave anon use. Some of the biggest strivers I knew in law school were WASP-y rich kids from a long line of impressive resumes. I agree that painting with broad brushes is dangerous and there are always many exceptions but I agree that K&E really seems to attract a type more so than other firms.

[oblig.lawl.ref]

I knew a few people going to Kirkland from ny school and they were insufferable strivers.

So much this. I'm never surprised by who's going to Kirkland because they have such an identifiable (and insufferable) type.

Nothing is more insufferable than judging somebody solely by the firm they chose to go to straight out of law school. I bet you also hate when new money moves into your parents' neighborhood.

+1

There are some strivers here, but there are also a lot of nice people. I've always thought that this concept of "firm culture" of firms with 1000+ attorneys was a ridiculous thing to do. The type of people that make these generalizations are probably the ones who are so socially incompetent that they have a hard time actually talking to their peers and getting to know what they're like. I'm sure these types are lots of fun at parties.

K&E, just like Skadden, Latham, or any other firm is filled with lots of personalities, some good, some bad. It's really really dumb to make generalizations. If you're curious about what people in a specific practice group are like, talk to friends/acquaintances at the firm and try to get to know them. All you're going to get on TLS (about any firm, not just K&E) is gossip and odd generalizations from a bunch of weirdos (myself included in the weirdo category).

For what its worth, I don't really have strong opinions about my colleagues. Most of them go home at 5p and work from there, interactions are all vanilla and professional.

But you've seen the work life balance video, right?

[Anonymous User]

I knew a few people going to Kirkland from ny school and they were insufferable strivers.

So much this. I'm never surprised by who's going to Kirkland because they have such an identifiable (and insufferable) type.

Nothing is more insufferable than judging somebody solely by the firm they chose to go to straight out of law school. I bet you also hate when new money moves into your parents' neighborhood.

+1

There are some strivers here, but there are also a lot of nice people. I've always thought that this concept of "firm culture" of firms with 1000+ attorneys was a ridiculous thing to do. The type of people that make these generalizations are probably the ones who are so socially incompetent that they have a hard time actually talking to their peers and getting to know what they're like. I'm sure these types are lots of fun at parties.

K&E, just like Skadden, Latham, or any other firm is filled with lots of personalities, some good, some bad. It's really really dumb to make generalizations. If you're curious about what people in a specific practice group are like, talk to friends/acquaintances at the firm and try to get to know them. All you're going to get on TLS (about any firm, not just K&E) is gossip and odd generalizations from a bunch of weirdos (myself included in the weirdo category).

For what its worth, I don't really have strong opinions about my colleagues. Most of them go home at 5p and work from there, interactions are all vanilla and professional.

But you've seen the work life balance video, right?

lol yes I have it's super cringe-worthy (right here btw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgSJUzYCGtc)

It was put out like 11 years ago though, but it continues to be a solid meme.

[Anonymous User]

I don't think Kirkland is the "best" firm, whatever "best" means. But, it is certainly top 5 or so in my opinion, just based on financial metrics alone.