Kirkland Megathread Forum

[Anonymous User]

For those interested in KE Restructuring, some notes from the summer program zoom:

Recruiting stated explicitly that a good number of slots will be filled by Pre-OCI interviewers.

Lower-tier schools are in-play for getting a slot, but you need to be in top quarter of the class.

What is with NDLS and restructuring? Out of 6 or 7 total summers, 5 are joining restructuring.

Possibly a dumb question... do you have to stay in restructuring if they hire you over the summer for that group? I have less than zero interest in that practice area but an interest in KE lit.

Very hard to make this switch as a summer unless you have excellent credentials (i.e. would’ve been able to get an offer in K&E lit in the first instance if you had sought one).

This seems right.

Was hired for K&E restructuring. During the spring semester, I reached out to the recruiter to let them know I was also interested in lit and would maybe want to experience both during the summer. She asked if they had my updated transcript/resume and said she would speak with the lit partners and let me know whether it would be a possibility. A day later she set up a call between me and two lit partners. Spoke to them for 15-20 minutes. Was approved to split between restructuring and lit. If it matters, probably top 10% at a lower T14.

[Anonymous User]

I know Kirkland NY/DC don't have much WC/investigations work, but does Chicago? Curious about the practice area/city crossover to see if I can avoid living in NYC lol

You can get this work in DC too if you are focused on it, too.

[temp69420]

I know Kirkland NY/DC don't have much WC/investigations work, but does Chicago? Curious about the practice area/city crossover to see if I can avoid living in NYC lol

Yes, a number of Chicago attorneys primarily do WC/investigations work.

https://www.kirkland.com/lawyers?practi ... 1e8&page=3

Go to the website, search for lawyers in chicago who work on, for example "government, regulatory, and internal investigations", or "workplace compliance and investigations"

[Anonymous User]

For those interested in KE Restructuring, some notes from the summer program zoom:

Recruiting stated explicitly that a good number of slots will be filled by Pre-OCI interviewers.

Lower-tier schools are in-play for getting a slot, but you need to be in top quarter of the class.

What is with NDLS and restructuring? Out of 6 or 7 total summers, 5 are joining restructuring.

There’s an Rx share partner particularly involved in hiring that is an NDLS alumn

[Adz123]

Literally just name this person’s initials or something anonymously. I work in Houston K&E and cannot figure out who this Austin villain is.

I literally can’t either. Somebody please tell me!!

[Anonymous User]

In slightly more important news than some random mean partner, Paul Clement has left Kirkland over their refusal to take gun clients anymore.

[Anonymous User]

In slightly more important news than some random mean partner, Paul Clement has left Kirkland over their refusal to take gun clients anymore.

Can we get a confirmation? Is this real?

[Anonymous User]

Paul is still on the website

[Anonymous User]

In slightly more important news than some random mean partner, Paul Clement has left Kirkland over their refusal to take gun clients anymore.

Can we get a confirmation? Is this real?

It's real: https://twitter.com/Nate_Robson1/status ... 2377318400

https://twitter.com/AlisonFrankel/statu ... 6762969088

[Anonymous User]

In slightly more important news than some random mean partner, Paul Clement has left Kirkland over their refusal to take gun clients anymore.

Can we get a confirmation? Is this real?

It's real: https://twitter.com/Nate_Robson1/status ... 2377318400

https://twitter.com/AlisonFrankel/statu ... 6762969088

Whatttttt thef.

[Anonymous User]

In slightly more important news than some random mean partner, Paul Clement has left Kirkland over their refusal to take gun clients anymore.

Can we get a confirmation? Is this real?

It's real: https://twitter.com/Nate_Robson1/status ... 2377318400

https://twitter.com/AlisonFrankel/statu ... 6762969088

Interesting.

Honestly probably a good PR move by KE. In the current red-hot competition for talent, this is a way for KE to continue to pay lip service to "values" without having to sacrifice any revenue (I'm sure KE pays out more in signing bonuses in a year than revenue it gains by representing gun clients).

In reality, the positive PR weighed against the minimal loss of revenue is a way for KE to honor the only value it has: making money.

[Anonymous User]

In slightly more important news than some random mean partner, Paul Clement has left Kirkland over their refusal to take gun clients anymore.

Can we get a confirmation? Is this real?

It's real: https://twitter.com/Nate_Robson1/status ... 2377318400

https://twitter.com/AlisonFrankel/statu ... 6762969088

Interesting.

Honestly probably a good PR move by KE. In the current red-hot competition for talent, this is a way for KE to continue to pay lip service to "values" without having to sacrifice any revenue (I'm sure KE pays out more in signing bonuses in a year than revenue it gains by representing gun clients).

In reality, the positive PR weighed against the minimal loss of revenue is a way for KE to honor the only value it has: making money.

Odd take. They're not just losing gun clients, they're losing everything Clement brings to the table. It's basically KE's appellate practice and it's a huge prestige/crown jewel loss.

[Anonymous User]

Different poster -- it is definitely a loss. Clement is a draw for clients that want a MTD --thru -- appeal litigation solution in a firm. But frankly I'm privately happy that we won't have "Kirkland & Ellis" on gun briefs anymore.

[Anonymous User]

It’s hard to gauge—Clement is *the* SCOTUS appellate litigator right now and joined Bancroft because he didn’t want his prior firm telling him what engagements he could/not pick up.

OTOH, the stuff he is arguing before the court right now is culture wars-ish, so guessing the firm decided that the prestige cost wasn’t worth the optics and his share count. Would be different if he was, for example, doing a lot of reps like Citibank on their Revlon appeal.

[Anonymous User]

It’s hard to gauge—Clement is *the* SCOTUS appellate litigator right now and joined Bancroft because he didn’t want his prior firm telling him what engagements he could/not pick up.

OTOH, the stuff he is arguing before the court right now is culture wars-ish, so guessing the firm decided that the prestige cost wasn’t worth the optics and his share count. Would be different if he was, for example, doing a lot of reps like Citibank on their Revlon appeal.

Clement does way more than culture war stuff. These are just the cases he's taken to the Court, let alone all of the other work he does on non-SCOTUS arguments. https://www.oyez.org/advocates/paul_d_clement

[Anonymous User]

It’s hard to gauge—Clement is *the* SCOTUS appellate litigator right now and joined Bancroft because he didn’t want his prior firm telling him what engagements he could/not pick up.

OTOH, the stuff he is arguing before the court right now is culture wars-ish, so guessing the firm decided that the prestige cost wasn’t worth the optics and his share count. Would be different if he was, for example, doing a lot of reps like Citibank on their Revlon appeal.

Clement does way more than culture war stuff. These are just the cases he's taken to the Court, let alone all of the other work he does on non-SCOTUS arguments. https://www.oyez.org/advocates/paul_d_clement

He does way more but there is a lot of culture war stuff in that link.
Probably got tired of someone overruling reps he wanted to take.

[Anonymous User]

It’s hard to gauge—Clement is *the* SCOTUS appellate litigator right now and joined Bancroft because he didn’t want his prior firm telling him what engagements he could/not pick up.

OTOH, the stuff he is arguing before the court right now is culture wars-ish, so guessing the firm decided that the prestige cost wasn’t worth the optics and his share count. Would be different if he was, for example, doing a lot of reps like Citibank on their Revlon appeal.

Clement does way more than culture war stuff. These are just the cases he's taken to the Court, let alone all of the other work he does on non-SCOTUS arguments. https://www.oyez.org/advocates/paul_d_clement

He does way more but there is a lot of culture war stuff in that link.

Plus how much did the firm’s exec committee ask him to turn down? Probably got tired of someone overruling reps he wanted to take.

I doubt he's ever been told no before, assuming there was no conflict.

[Anonymous User]

This is very interesting given the composition of the firm committee. I wouldn't call Kirkland a "conservative" firm (I don't think any V25 qualifies as that--the bent is left of center at all of them) but there are definitely some heavy conservative hitters here, especially at the leadership level, and I'm surprised they weren't able to stop this from happening. Wonder if this signals a power shift happening at the top of the firm.

[Anonymous User]

This is very interesting given the composition of the firm committee. I wouldn't call Kirkland a "conservative" firm (I don't think any V25 qualifies as that--the bent is left of center at all of them) but there are definitely some heavy conservative hitters here, especially at the leadership level, and I'm surprised they weren't able to stop this from happening. Wonder if this signals a power shift happening at the top of the firm.

I think the power has already shifted, I'd be surprised if K&E has more than a few notable conservatives in a year. Pretty clear declaration from the firm they are not welcome.

[Anonymous User]

In slightly more important news than some random mean partner, Paul Clement has left Kirkland over their refusal to take gun clients anymore.

Can we get a confirmation? Is this real?

It's real: https://twitter.com/Nate_Robson1/status ... 2377318400

https://twitter.com/AlisonFrankel/statu ... 6762969088

Interesting.

Honestly probably a good PR move by KE. In the current red-hot competition for talent, this is a way for KE to continue to pay lip service to "values" without having to sacrifice any revenue (I'm sure KE pays out more in signing bonuses in a year than revenue it gains by representing gun clients).

In reality, the positive PR weighed against the minimal loss of revenue is a way for KE to honor the only value it has: making money.

Odd take. They're not just losing gun clients, they're losing everything Clement brings to the table. It's basically KE's appellate practice and it's a huge prestige/crown jewel loss.

I'm the odd take person. I honestly know nothing about Clement. I'm just commenting on the "no gun case" policy. If Clement is a big deal, then that obviously has to get run through the calculus, but I'm sure the result is the same (net positive for $$), otherwise KE doesn't do it.

This is very interesting given the composition of the firm committee. I wouldn't call Kirkland a "conservative" firm (I don't think any V25 qualifies as that--the bent is left of center at all of them) but there are definitely some heavy conservative hitters here, especially at the leadership level, and I'm surprised they weren't able to stop this from happening. Wonder if this signals a power shift happening at the top of the firm.

I mean, every major corporation probably has conservative heavy hitters at the top...

This isn't a power shift, they are just aligning themselves to make more $$ (current belief is that social consciousness results in increased $$ - in a few years, if that belief is reversed (unlikely), KE's policies will reverse).

Or did you think leadership of Raytheon Missile Corporation genuinely, in their heart of hearts, are FIERCE advocates of LGBTQIA+, believe the future of STEM is women, and generally holds the same political beliefs as a newly-minted SJW freshman at a state school?

I think the power has already shifted, I'd be surprised if K&E has more than a few notable conservatives in a year. Pretty clear declaration from the firm they are not welcome.

Conservatives are not welcome at KE? This is news to me. I'm sure many liberal heavy-hitters at KE would fiercely disagree with you.

[Anonymous User]

In slightly more important news than some random mean partner, Paul Clement has left Kirkland over their refusal to take gun clients anymore.

Can we get a confirmation? Is this real?

It's real: https://twitter.com/Nate_Robson1/status ... 2377318400

https://twitter.com/AlisonFrankel/statu ... 6762969088

Interesting.

Honestly probably a good PR move by KE. In the current red-hot competition for talent, this is a way for KE to continue to pay lip service to "values" without having to sacrifice any revenue (I'm sure KE pays out more in signing bonuses in a year than revenue it gains by representing gun clients).

In reality, the positive PR weighed against the minimal loss of revenue is a way for KE to honor the only value it has: making money.

Odd take. They're not just losing gun clients, they're losing everything Clement brings to the table. It's basically KE's appellate practice and it's a huge prestige/crown jewel loss.

I'm the odd take person. I honestly know nothing about Clement. I'm just commenting on the "no gun case" policy. If Clement is a big deal, then that obviously has to get run through the calculus, but I'm sure the result is the same (net positive for $$), otherwise KE doesn't do it.

This is very interesting given the composition of the firm committee. I wouldn't call Kirkland a "conservative" firm (I don't think any V25 qualifies as that--the bent is left of center at all of them) but there are definitely some heavy conservative hitters here, especially at the leadership level, and I'm surprised they weren't able to stop this from happening. Wonder if this signals a power shift happening at the top of the firm.

I mean, every major corporation probably has conservative heavy hitters at the top...

This isn't a power shift, they are just aligning themselves to make more $$ (current belief is that social consciousness results in increased $$ - in a few years, if that belief is reversed (unlikely), KE's policies will reverse).

Or did you think leadership of Raytheon Missile Corporation genuinely, in their heart of hearts, are FIERCE advocates of LGBTQIA+, believe the future of STEM is women, and generally holds the same political beliefs as a newly-minted SJW freshman at a state school?

I think the power has already shifted, I'd be surprised if K&E has more than a few notable conservatives in a year. Pretty clear declaration from the firm they are not welcome.

Conservatives are not welcome at KE? This is news to me. I'm sure many liberal heavy-hitters at KE would fiercely disagree with you.

This is a little too cynical even for me. Yes, I do think this somewhat signals a power shift (almost wrote "shit" lol). There are specific people on the firm committee who are very conservative gun guys (and also buds w/ Clement) and it's interesting to me that despite that we apparently decided to squeeze out one of the most prominent hires we've made in the past 10 years.

[Anonymous User]

Lol Kirkland is becoming the next DLA Piper. Pushes out the Babe Ruth of appellate law (the crown jewel of litigation) but opens offices in Salt Lake City and Miami. This reminds me of Boeing letting the accountants run the show and sidelining the engineers. $$$ in the short-run, outpaced by Airbus in the long-run.

[Anonymous User]

Knowing Kirkland, if he was that important to the operation, he'd still be there.

[Anonymous User]

U think Paul is gonna get a couple of months of website time to find a new job?

[Anonymous User]

Knowing Kirkland, if he was that important to the operation, he'd still be there.

I think the point a few of us are trying to make, maybe inartfully, is there's a danger as K&E becomes so obsessed w/ profitability of missing longer term, harder to quantify benefits in a way that ironically is ultimately bad for the firm. I don't know how much money an elite appellate practice can ever bring, but there are hard-to-capture but I think real reputational benefits to having someone of Clement's caliber as the head of your appellate practice that might get ignored if all the Firm Committee is doing is crunching the latest quarterly profit figures and saying "eh, who cares, let him go, we have PE deals to do."