Mr Mark Filip > Kirkland & Ellis LLP > Chicago, United States > Lawyer Profile

Kirkland & Ellis LLP  is well-equipped to support a broad range of companies in matters involving state attorneys general, investigations, and enforcement actions. Split between Chicago and Washington DC, the team routinely engages with some of the largest multistate investigations, covering issues including consumer protection, antitrust, data privacy, and ESG. Chicago-based former Illinois attorney general Lisa Madigan is a breakout star with diverse expertise in the fields of consumer protection, data privacy, healthcare, and the environment, while Donna Welch has secured key wins in litigation against pharmaceutical companies. In DC, Reginald Brown provides strategic counsel and crisis management assistance to clients facing complex and significant regulatory, enforcement and reputational matters, and Jennifer Levy is an excellent choice for state AG litigation, particularly with regard to pharmaceuticals and product liability. Brian Benczkowski has significant investigations and enforcement experience, and counts among his strengths healthcare, tech and financial services. Raya Treiser is a key contact for ESG matters, with strong relationships in the energy sector. Mark Filip, who splits his time between both offices, leads on defenses and investigations concerning pharmaceutical, healthcare, and tech companies, while Olivia Adendorff, who also has a base in Dallas, supports on consumer protection, false advertising, antitrust, and ESG claims.

Recognized as being the ‘epitome of creative lawyering’, Kirkland & Ellis LLP‘s practice is centered around its Chicago and Washington DC offices, and is particularly noted for its trial skills, regularly acting in bellwether trials and dispositive motions. Renee Smith is ‘superb at trying cases across a range of products’, regularly prevailing in jury trials and multiple federal MDLs. Robert Ellis is a ‘top-notch litigator’ who regularly defends high-profile companies in complex consumer fraud and product liability class actions. Washington DC-based Mike Brock has vast experience in product liability cases and is a key member of the team, which also includes Mark Filip, who splits his time between Chicago and Washington DC and excels in handling matters involving governmental investigations or enforcement issues.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP continues to be a go-to firm for the full spectrum of white-collar matters, including corruption, bribery, accounting fraud, and environmental crimes. Mark Filip and Asheesh Goel practice in both the Chicago and Washington DC offices. Goel specializes in securities enforcement, while Filip has an excellent track record representing large multinational companies facing investigations by the DOJ and SEC, among other regulatory authorities. Other prominent members of the team include Kim Nemirow from Chicago as well as Reginald Brown and Brigham Cannon who are based in Washington DC. Nemirow has nearly two decades of experience navigating internal investigation across various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, technology, and private equity. Brown regularly assists clients with congressional inquiries, international investigations, and crisis management, while Cannon has in-depth experience with a range of white-collar cases, including allegations of mail fraud, FCPA violations, and money laundering.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP ‘s litigation practice group comes highly recommended as ‘very experienced in all areas of commercial litigation’, drawing on the team’s deep bench of ‘top drawer legal talent’ to handle complex cases spanning the entire breadth of industry sectors and substantive areas, including Congressional inquiries, securities litigation, class action claims, government investigations and white-collar crime. Leading practitioner Mark Filip splits his time between Washington DC and Chicago and is a go-to name for government enforcement defense and internal investigations. Pre-eminent trial lawyer Jim Hurst is well-regarded for his advice in aspects of complex commercial litigation, having recently spearheaded the firm’s successful defence of Abbott Laboratories in multi-district litigation arising out of a recall of infant formula. Diana Watral represents high-end clients in a broad range of disputes, including contract, False Claims Act, trade secret, antitrust, patent, sports, and product liability cases. New York’s Sandra Goldstein is an important port of call for securities litigation, fraud class actions and business-critical commercial disputes. All lawyers named are based in Chicago unless otherwise specified.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is known for its ‘tough and aggressive’ approach to litigation, and clients note the firm’s ‘deep subject matter expertise’. The firm is particularly active for clients in the private equity and alternative asset management sector, but its work also reflects companies from a broad range of industries, including retail, aviation and aeronautics, pharmaceuticals, energy, hospitality, and technology. Sandra Goldstein in New York and Mark Filip in Chicago are standout partners. Goldstein acted for 3G in class and derivative actions concerning Kraft Heinz and its $15.4bn writedown of assets, as well the disclosure of an SEC investigation. The main hub of the practice is In New York, where up-and-coming partner Stefan Atkinson, who has played key role in the firm’s work on SPAC-related cases, and Matthew Solum stand out. Atkinson led the defense of a class action against Instructure. Joshua Rabinovitz and James Gillespie are the principal practitioners in Washington DC.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP handles a wide range of financial services litigation, representing clients in securities class actions, M&A cases, investigations and enforcement actions brought forward by the SEC, FINRA, CFTC, and the CFPB, as well as shareholder derivative and structured finance litigation. The firm has experience defending financial institutions and fintech companies, maintaining a multidisciplinary fintech practice which aids clients in regulatory, litigation, and investigative matters. Mark Filip, based between Chicago and Washington DC, is a key member of the group, leading the government enforcement defense and internal investigations practice. As a former judge and DOJ official, he has particular expertise acting as lead counsel in high-stakes matters. In Washington DC, Nader Salehi concentrates on financial fraud defense and insider trading claims brought by the SEC, FINRA, and the DOJ. Other notable names include Washington DC-based Reginald Brown and New York-based Zachary Brez – Brown is noted for his considerable experience representing clients in congressional inquiries and hearings, while Brez is well-regarded for his involvement in securities and international risk matters.