Kirkland & Ellis Promotes the Largest Class Ever to Partnership

Kirkland & Ellis , the world’s largest law firm by revenue, has promoted a record number of lawyers to partnership for the sixth straight year in a row.

The law firm said that 205 attorneys have been promoted to partner effective Oct. 1. Last year the firm promoted 193 lawyers to partnership, up from 151 the year prior.

Over the last 10 years the firm’s partnership class size has grown over 156%, from from 80 new partners in 2013 to over 200 in 2023, according to figures provided by Kirkland.

Kirkland also topped rivals in handling mergers and acquisition deals through the third quarter. Read more here.

Law Firms Embrace New York State Bar's Roadmap Against Diversity Program Attacks

US law firms looking for ways to protect diversity programs three months after a US Supreme Court decision have fresh tools from the New York state bar.

A bar task force working on a 30-day deadline issued a plan for firms to protect diversity, equity and inclusion programs after a June 29 Supreme Court decision effectively barred universities from using race as a factor in admissions.

“Our aim is to help firms and institutions minimize unnecessary changes to valuable DEI initiatives that are perfectly legal and good,” said Julie Jones , chair of Ropes & Gray and a member of the task force.

The 93-page report suggests ways law firms can legally attract and retain diverse talent. It recommends that firms look past the top law schools for associate recruiting, invest in pre-law pipeline programs and stop giving partners complete discretion to choose associates because the approach often disadvantages diverse attorneys.

Walgreens Gets Early Win in Fight Against Its Former Firm Crowell

Walgreens earned a victory with an appeals court advancing its claim that a health insurer improperly helped the retailer’s former law firm, Crowell & Moring, break its fiduciary duty.

The Illinois Appellate Court’s First Judicial District ruled that Walgreens’ claim can proceed, finding that a trial court last year erred in dismissing it.

Walgreens in 2022 claimed that Health Care Services Corp. helped Crowell breach its fiduciary duty by retaining the law firm for a case involving a prescription drug program Crowell once advised Walgreens on.

The appeals decision resuscitates a fiercely litigated dispute tied to the Washington-headquartered law firm, which last year had nearly 600 lawyers in 13 US offices.

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