In 1989, Michael Lewis chronicled the excesses of Wall Street in his seminal book Liar’s Poker. The amounts wagered in this Wall Street game of chance, however, are dwarfed by the investments made by partners at Kirkland & Ellis, the world’s most profitable law firm. As reported by the Financial Times, Kirkland & Ellis partners have poured hundreds of millions of their own dollars into deals being handled by the private equity groups they advise, creating an internal marketplace for trading these holdings, supplementing their already high remuneration.
Kirkland’s close ties with the $13T private capital industry helped transform it from a niche Chicago firm into a legal juggernaut, generating billions of dollars in revenue. Its aggressive business model has been likened to that of a hedge fund or investment bank, challenging the traditionally conservative corporate law sector. Kirkland & Ellis generated over $6.5B in revenue and approximately $3.5B in profit last year and pay for equity partners rose by nearly 2 percent to $7.5M, according to The American Lawyer data.
Rival firms are starting to catch up, however. The US-based law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison launched a significant raid on Kirkland’s talent earlier this year, hiring over a dozen of Kirkland’s partners. As other big law firms begin replicating Kirkland’s partner model and pay structures, Kirkland’s future dominance looks increasingly uncertain.
The firm’s tactics have also attracted criticism. Some are concerned about potential conflicts of interest created by the firm’s model, where partners invest their own money into deals. The rising interest rates, which are expected to inhibit private equity dealmaking and fundraising, may prove to be a stumbling block for Kirkland’s unique approach.
Despite all this, a spokesperson for Kirkland stated that their culture of “excellence, accountability, respect, and collegiality” is their “most valued asset” and is why they attract top talent.
But as one former partner put it, Kirkland, the erstwhile audacious challenger, is now “the 800-pound gorilla.” With the buyout boom on the decline and competitors adopting its tactics, the question remains whether it can continue to lead.
