Kirkland & Ellis

Overview

Kirkland & Ellis is the highest-grossing law firm in the world and a dominant force in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring. The firm's Restructuring Group represents debtors, creditors, acquirers, and other stakeholders in Chapter 11 cases, out-of-court workouts, and distressed transactions. Kirkland has served as lead counsel in hundreds of major Chapter 11 cases across industries including energy, retail, healthcare, and technology. The firm's deep integration with its world-class private equity, M&A, and litigation practices gives bankruptcy clients access to a full spectrum of legal services during complex reorganizations.

Strengths

• +Largest law firm in the world by revenue with unmatched restructuring resources
• +Represents both debtors and creditors — deep understanding of all stakeholder positions
• +Integrated with elite private equity and M&A practices for distressed transactions
• +Hundreds of major Chapter 11 cases across every industry sector
• +Consistently top-ranked by Chambers, U.S. News, and The Legal 500

Considerations

• -Premium hourly rates exceeding $1,500 for senior partners
• -Primarily serves large corporate clients — not available for consumer bankruptcy
• -Potential conflicts given massive corporate client base
• -Retainer requirements typically start in the hundreds of thousands

Best For

• *Mid-market company pursuing a prepackaged Chapter 11 to restructure $500M+ in debt
• *Creditor committee seeking experienced representation in a major corporate bankruptcy
• *Energy company needing restructuring counsel with deep industry-specific bankruptcy experience