{"id":14644,"date":"2026-08-19T10:21:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T10:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/?post_type=profiles&#038;p=14644"},"modified":"2026-09-24T15:26:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T15:26:49","slug":"kirkland-ellis","status":"publish","type":"profiles","link":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/profiles\/kirkland-ellis\/","title":{"rendered":"Kirkland &amp; Ellis"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","jurisdictions":[],"countries":[],"cities":[],"firms_companies":[],"universities_colleges":[],"lex_survey_questions":[],"publications":[828],"tc_location":[],"class_list":["post-14644","profiles","type-profiles","status-publish","hentry","publications-future-lawyers-2026-27"],"acf":[],"featured_image_urls":{},"appp_media":null,"appp":{"post_list":{"below_title":"<div class=\"lex-profile-list-intro\"><div class=\"letterhead\">\n            \n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"styled\">Kirkland &amp; Ellis<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n<div class=\"contact-box\">\n<div class=\"address contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-building\"><\/i> 40 Leadenhall Street, London EC3A 2AA<\/div><div class=\"web contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-globe\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-website\" target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.kirkland.com\/\">Visit website<\/a><\/div><div class=\"email contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-envelope\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-email\" href=\"mailto: ukgraduaterecruitment@kirkland.com?subject=Enquiry via lex100.com\">E-mail firm<\/a><\/div><div class=\"phone contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-phone\"><\/i> 020 7469 2000<\/div><div class=\"linkedin contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-linkedin\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-linkedin\" target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/kirkland-&amp;-ellis-llp\/\">LinkedIn<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"badges\"><i class='fa fa-trophy' aria-hidden='true'><\/i> Kirkland &amp; Ellis is a The Legal 500 Future Lawyers Winner in 8 categories: <a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/you-are-happy-at-your-law-firm\/' target='_blank'> Happiness<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/you-are-given-good-quality-work\/' target='_blank'> Work quality<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/you-think-highly-of-the-senior-leadership-at-the-firm\/' target='_blank'> Leadership<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/when-you-need-support-your-supervisors-are-approachable\/' target='_blank'> Approachability<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/the-salary-benefits-and-reward-package-is-good\/' target='_blank'> Salary<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/my-experience-with-pro-bono-and-or-csr-opportunities-at-the-firm-has-been-valuable\/' target='_blank'> Pro bono<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/you-are-confident-that-you-will-be-kept-on-after-qualification\/' target='_blank'> Retention confidence<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/if-you-did-the-vac-scheme-at-your-firm-would-you-recommend-it\/' target='_blank'> Vac scheme<\/a><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"apply-buttons\">\n<div class=\"grad_web\"><button class=\"grad-rec\" style=\"position:relative; height: 56px;\"><a style=\"padding-top: 15px; position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; bottom: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; color: #fff;\" class=\"firm-grad-site\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ukgraduate.kirkland.com\/\">Visit Graduate Recruitment Site<\/a><\/button><\/div><div class=\"apply_link\"><button class=\"apply-now\" style=\"position:relative; height: 56px;\"><a style=\"padding-top: 15px; position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; bottom: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; color: #fff;\" class=\"firm-apply-link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ukgraduate.kirkland.com\/\">Apply Now<\/a><\/button><\/div><\/div>\n\n                    \n        <\/div><span class=\"profile-link\">View Profile<\/span><\/div>"},"post_detail":{"below_title":"<div class=\"letterhead\"><div class=\"letterhead\">\n            \n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"styled\">Kirkland &amp; Ellis<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n<div class=\"contact-box\">\n<div class=\"address contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-building\"><\/i> 40 Leadenhall Street, London EC3A 2AA<\/div><div class=\"web contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-globe\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-website\" target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.kirkland.com\/\">Visit website<\/a><\/div><div class=\"email contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-envelope\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-email\" href=\"mailto: ukgraduaterecruitment@kirkland.com?subject=Enquiry via lex100.com\">E-mail firm<\/a><\/div><div class=\"phone contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-phone\"><\/i> 020 7469 2000<\/div><div class=\"linkedin contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-linkedin\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-linkedin\" target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/kirkland-&amp;-ellis-llp\/\">LinkedIn<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"badges\"><i class='fa fa-trophy' aria-hidden='true'><\/i> Kirkland &amp; Ellis is a The Legal 500 Future Lawyers Winner in 8 categories: <a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/you-are-happy-at-your-law-firm\/' target='_blank'> Happiness<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/you-are-given-good-quality-work\/' target='_blank'> Work quality<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/you-think-highly-of-the-senior-leadership-at-the-firm\/' target='_blank'> Leadership<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/when-you-need-support-your-supervisors-are-approachable\/' target='_blank'> Approachability<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/the-salary-benefits-and-reward-package-is-good\/' target='_blank'> Salary<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/my-experience-with-pro-bono-and-or-csr-opportunities-at-the-firm-has-been-valuable\/' target='_blank'> Pro bono<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/you-are-confident-that-you-will-be-kept-on-after-qualification\/' target='_blank'> Retention confidence<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/if-you-did-the-vac-scheme-at-your-firm-would-you-recommend-it\/' target='_blank'> Vac scheme<\/a><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"apply-buttons\">\n<div class=\"grad_web\"><button class=\"grad-rec\" style=\"position:relative; height: 56px;\"><a style=\"padding-top: 15px; position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; bottom: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; color: #fff;\" class=\"firm-grad-site\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ukgraduate.kirkland.com\/\">Visit Graduate Recruitment Site<\/a><\/button><\/div><div class=\"apply_link\"><button class=\"apply-now\" style=\"position:relative; height: 56px;\"><a style=\"padding-top: 15px; position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; bottom: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; color: #fff;\" class=\"firm-apply-link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ukgraduate.kirkland.com\/\">Apply Now<\/a><\/button><\/div><\/div>\n\n                    \n        <\/div><\/div><div class=\"survey-scores\"><h2 style=\"color: #111;\">Trainee Feedback<\/h2>\r\n<ul style=\"list-type:none; color: #111;\">\r\n<li style=\"width:88.1%\">88.1<span class=\"score-title\">Work quality<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:88.8%\">88.8<span class=\"score-title\">Client contact<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:%\">93.8<span class=\"score-title\">Vac. Scheme<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:63.8%\">63.8<span class=\"score-title\">Inclusiveness<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:91.1%\">91.1<span class=\"score-title\">Approachability<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"profile-content-1\"> \n<article id=\"post-14644\" class=\"post-14644 profiles type-profiles status-publish hentry publications-future-lawyers-2026-27\">\n\t\n\t<header class=\"entry-header\">\n\t\t\n\t<\/header><!-- .entry-header -->\n\n\t<div class=\"entry-content\">\n\n<div class=\"survey-results tab-listing\">  \n   \n        \n<h2>Survey Results - Trainee feedback on <span class=\"highlight-firm\">Kirkland &amp; Ellis<\/span><\/h2>\n\n           <style>\n#chartdiv {\n  width: 100%;\n  height: 800px;\n}\n\n<\/style>\n            \n  <!-- Resources -->\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.amcharts.com\/lib\/4\/core.js\"><\/script>\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.amcharts.com\/lib\/4\/charts.js\"><\/script>\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.amcharts.com\/lib\/4\/themes\/animated.js\"><\/script>\n            \n<!-- HTML -->\n<div id=\"chartdiv\"><\/div>\n        \n<!-- Chart code -->\n<script>\n\/\/ Themes begin\nam4core.useTheme(am4themes_animated);\n\/\/ Themes end\n\n\/\/ Create chart instance\nvar chart = am4core.create(\"chartdiv\", am4charts.XYChart3D);\n\n\/\/ Add data\nchart.data = [{\n  \"question\": \"Satisfaction\",\n  \"result\": \"\",\n  \"explanation\": \"How would you rate your overall job satisfaction?\" \n},{\n  \"question\": \"Expectations\",\n  \"result\": \"\",\n  \"explanation\": \"How far has the firm lived up to your expectations?\" \n},{\n  \"question\": \"Work quality\",\n  \"result\": \"88.1\",\n  \"explanation\": \"How would you rate the quality of work you are given?\" \n},{\n  \"question\": \"Client contact\",\n  \"result\": \"88.8\",\n  \"explanation\": \"How would you rate your amount of client contact?\" \n},{\n  \"question\": \"Work\/life\",\n  \"result\": \"\",\n  \"explanation\": \"How happy are you with your work\/life balance?\" \n},{\n  \"question\": \"Social life\",\n  \"result\": \"\",\n  \"explanation\": \"How good is your firm\u2019s social life?\" \n},\n\n\n\n{\n  \"question\": \"Vac. Scheme\",\n  \"result\": \"93.8\",\n  \"explanation\": \"If you did a vacation scheme with your firm, how would you rate it?\" \n},\n\n\n\n{\n  \"question\": \"Confidence\",\n  \"result\": \"\",\n  \"explanation\": \"How confident are you that you will be kept on at the end of your training contract?\" \n},{\n  \"question\": \"Remuneration\",\n  \"result\": \"\",\n  \"explanation\": \"How satisfied are you with your financial remuneration?\" \n},{\n  \"question\": \"Inclusiveness\",\n  \"result\": \"63.8\",\n  \"explanation\": \"How would you rate the inclusiveness of your workplace environment?\" \n},\n\n\n{\n  \"question\": \"Approachability\",\n  \"result\": \"91.1\",\n  \"explanation\": \"How approachable are your supervisors?\" \n}];\n\n\/\/ Create axes\nvar categoryAxis = chart.yAxes.push(new am4charts.CategoryAxis());\ncategoryAxis.dataFields.category = \"question\";\ncategoryAxis.numberFormatter.numberFormat = \"#\";\ncategoryAxis.renderer.inversed = true;\n\nvar valueAxis = chart.xAxes.push(new am4charts.ValueAxis()); \n\nvalueAxis.title.text = \"Survey Score (\/100)\";\nvalueAxis.min = 0;\nvalueAxis.max = 100;\n\n\/\/ Create series\nvar series = chart.series.push(new am4charts.ColumnSeries3D());\nseries.dataFields.valueX = \"result\";\nseries.dataFields.categoryY = \"question\";\nseries.name = \"Income\";\nseries.columns.template.propertyFields.fill = \"color\";\nseries.columns.template.tooltipText = \"{explanation} {valueX}\";\nseries.columns.template.column3D.stroke = am4core.color(\"#fff\");\nseries.columns.template.column3D.strokeOpacity = 0.2;\n<\/script>\n\n\n<\/div>        \n        \n           \n\t\t\n\t\t    <h2 class=\"tab-listing\">The lowdown - Trainees (in their own words) on <span class=\"highlight-firm\">Kirkland &amp; Ellis<\/span><\/h2>\n        <p><p><strong>Why did you choose to join this firm?\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cIt&#8217;s the best firm in the world, and it&#8217;s been the top of my application list since I was 16. Amazing work, people, and perks\u201d, \u201cpartners are the smartest and most highly-regarded in the field, who actually care about your development\u201d, \u201cbest clients, best career prospects, biggest deals &#8211; what more is there to say!\u201d, \u201cindependence, open-market work allocation, focus on responsibility and initiative and being rewarded for good work, casual and non-hierarchical, small cohort\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the best thing about the firm?\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cEvery person I have worked with has been supportive and ready to explain any concept\u201d, \u201cthe quality of work and level of responsibility is amazing if that&#8217;s how you value learning and development. The atmosphere is very ambitious but supportive\u201d, \u201cit&#8217;s the best firm in the world for private equity, so we get the most interesting and high-profile deals\u201d, \u201cyou are not just &#8216;the trainee\/cog in the machine to be delegated all the tasks that no one else wants to do&#8217;, &#8220;people are willing and are proactive in giving you opportunity to develop your skillset and knowledge\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What could the firm do to improve?\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cTraining &#8211; the training programme offered to trainees is fairly poor, which is part of the idea of learning on the job, but there could be some greater structure\u201d, \u201cimprove the work-life balance\u201d, \u201cinvest more into AI\u201d, \u201cmake the gym open 24\/7 (admittedly probably unrealistic)\u201d, &#8220;more formal and practical training for trainees\u201d, \u201ctrainee pay is not top-of-the-market&#8221;, \u201cmore hands-on\/structured training at the trainee level\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What has been the best moment of your training?\u00a0<\/strong>I gained immense transaction exposure as soon as I joined and was even able to update a facility agreement in my first seat\u201d, \u201cattending court during my litigation seat\u201d, \u201chelping to secure last-minute funding for a company that was hours away from insolvency\u201d, \u201cworking with my supervisors &#8211; they have been phenomenal people, supportive, and great mentors\u201d, \u201ccompleting a refinancing using a novel financial instrument and structure\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What has been the most challenging moment of your training?\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWhen I was staffed on multiple deals and had to meet many deadlines at once\u201d, \u201csome of the long hours, especially when the hours are spent doing process-heavy (but important) work with limited learning opportunity\u201d, \u201cintense working hours during a tight deadline bid\u201d, \u201cthere have been a few tough weekends where I&#8217;ve had to knuckle down and get on with it, although for the most part the associates protect you from weekend work where they can&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n                \n               \n      <h2 class=\"tab-listing\" id=\"verdict\">The Lex 100 verdict on <span class=\"highlight-firm\">Kirkland &amp; Ellis<\/span><\/h2>\n       \n        \n      \n             \n        <p>    \n\t<p>\u2018Market leader in all areas it touches\u2019 Kirkland &amp; Ellis doesn\u2019t deal in half measures. It is \u2018the leading US law firm specialising in private equity\u2019 and \u2018the largest and most profitable firm in the world\u2019 because it is \u2018the best at what it does \u2013 there&#8217;s no other way of putting it\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Recruits were drawn in by the \u2018market-leading deals\u2019, \u2018the highest quality of work on offer\u2019 and the chance to work on \u2018the best transactions for the most well-known clients\u2019. Throw in \u2018top-of-the-market NQ salaries\u2019 and a &#8216;partnership structure and shortest career trajectory to the top\u2019, and Kirkland\u2019s appeal is not exactly hard to decode.<\/p>\n<p>But this isn\u2019t just a brand-name training contract. Trainees repeatedly point to \u2018early responsibility\u2019, often \u2018being in charge of material workstreams\u2019, and relish getting stuck into work that \u2018most other law firms wouldn\u2019t let a junior touch\u2019. Being part of a small trainee cohort helps too, with trainees valuing \u2018not just feeling like a cog in the machine\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>The upside is exhilarating: \u2018signing multiple multibillion pound deals\u2019, \u2018closing a big deal after working on it for five months\u2019, and \u2018joining a call with Kirkland partners and the client\u2019s legal counsel &#8211; my supervisor invited me to join so I could get an insight into the strategic planning of the deal\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Colleagues are described as \u2018supportive, hard-working and good fun\u2019, with seniors \u2018happy to answer any questions (intelligent or basic)\u2019 while still pushing trainees to step up. \u2018Everyone around you wants to be the best and in turn wants you to be the best (and will facilitate your development)\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Inevitably, the Kirkland ride can be bumpy. Multiple deadlines, \u2018process-heavy\u2019 late nights, tough weekends and working \u2018until 6am on a Saturday morning\u2019 all feature in the feedback.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside calls for better work-life balance, several trainees think that the &#8216;technical training programme could be improved and prioritised more\u2019, although it was acknowledged that this does vary between seats. Respondents would appreciate \u2018greater structure when being introduced to different areas of law\u2019 as well as soft-skills training in areas such as \u2018document management\u2019 and \u2018working with clients\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>For trainees who want responsibility fast, private equity at full throttle and no hiding place, Kirkland is City law in its most turbo-charged form.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n        \n             \n                \n        \t\t<p>        \n              \n\n\n           \n        \n         \t\t \n\t\t <h2 id=\"ditl\"> Patrick Bamforth, <\/h2>\n\t\t <p><img height=\"200\" width=\"200\" alt=\"Patrick Bamforth, Kirkland &amp; Ellis\" class=\"ditl-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/Patrick-Bamforth-headshot-002.jpg\"\/>\t\t <p><strong>Departments to date:<\/strong> Restructuring, Corporate, and Debt Finance <\/p>         \n\t\t \t\t <p><strong>University: <\/strong>\n\t\t \t\t University of Cambridge\t\t \t\t <\/p>\n\t\t         \n\t\t <p><strong>Degree:<\/strong> History<\/p>    <\/p>  \n\t\t <p><p><strong>8.30 am:<\/strong> On my way into the office, I use my phone to review any overnight emails and check my calendar so I have a sense of the day ahead. Irrespective of the department you are in, you work with colleagues and clients across the globe on a daily basis. This morning, I have received several emails overnight from various local counsel on one of my deals in relation to the signing to take place shortly. I respond to these first, then make a list of the other priority items for this morning.<br \/>\n<strong>9.15 am:<\/strong> Once I get to the office, I head to the cafe to pick up breakfast \u2014 I usually go with a few of the other trainees \u2014 and then settle in at my desk. I catch up with my supervisor quickly to discuss action points on one of his matters that I am working on. I get going on the morning\u2019s work, starting with the priority items on my list.<br \/>\nThis morning, I am working on preparing the ancillary documents needed for several group companies to accede to a previously signed senior facilities agreement which has a portfolio company of one of our sponsor clients as the borrower. This includes preparing the relevant corporate approvals, notices and other ancillary documents. To get started, I review the precedent and form documents from the original financing, which give me a useful framework. An associate on the matter also shares some additional precedents and walks me through what each document needs to address.<br \/>\n<strong>10.45 am:<\/strong>\u00a0 We have a team call with lender counsel to run through some outstanding points on a facilities agreement being signed in connection with an IPO. Before the call, the team aligns internally so that we have a clear picture of where each workstream stands and what to raise with lender counsel. I update the workstreams tracker ahead of this call and circulate it to all the team members.<br \/>\nOnce the call wraps up, I reassess my priorities and update my to-do list. No two days look quite the same \u2014 what you are working on at any given time depends on the momentum of each deal and where things stand in the transaction life cycle.<br \/>\n<strong>11.45 am:<\/strong> I attend a training session led by one of the partners in the team on intercreditor agreements \u2014 this training covers the key concepts, the interplay between different layers of debt that we often see in our deals, and how the terms are negotiated in practice. As a trainee at the firm, there is a great balance between structured training like this, which gives you a solid grounding in the technical fundamentals, and encouraging you to learn through immersion in live transactions.<br \/>\n<strong>1.00 pm:<\/strong> I take a lunch break with some of the other trainees on the caf\u00e9\u2019s roof terrace, before I have calls with local counsel at 1.30pm about the upcoming signing.<br \/>\n<strong>1.30 pm:<\/strong> I lead the call with local counsel about the upcoming signing. We discuss the timeline and any particular formalities required in each jurisdiction so we can organise these ahead of time. I circulate a call note outlining the discussions to the deal team after the round of calls ends, so everyone is on the same page about what needs to be done.<br \/>\n<strong>3.00 pm:<\/strong> Once the associate has worked through the ancillary documents I drafted earlier, we use our catch-up to map out the next steps for the IPO workstream. They suggest that I have a go at drafting a new, more bespoke ancillary document, and one I have not come across before.<br \/>\nOne of the things I have enjoyed about Kirkland is being trusted with meaningful responsibility from an early stage. Drafting unfamiliar, more complex documents can be challenging at first, but it is a rewarding way to build my skills in managing a process and broaden my practical experience. All deal team members have been available throughout to talk things through and offer guidance whenever I have needed it.<br \/>\n<strong>6.00 pm:<\/strong> I catch up briefly with my supervisor \u2014 we share an office, so these informal check-ins happen naturally. They ask whether there are any other areas of the team\u2019s work that I would like to get involved in. I ask if I can get involved in more deals concerning distressed debt, as I thoroughly enjoyed similar work in my time in the restructuring seat and am very keen to see it from the debt finance side too. My supervisor points me to the relevant people in the team involved in work such as this. At Kirkland, whilst you sit with your supervisor you are also able (and are actively encouraged) to reach out to anyone in the department to work on matters that particularly interest you.<br \/>\n<strong>7.00 pm:<\/strong> With my first draft of the IPO ancillary finished, I send it over to the associate for review. I then work through the remaining items on my to-do list for the day, as well as some other small items that have come in during the afternoon.<br \/>\n<strong>7.30 pm:<\/strong> To wrap up, I refresh my to-do list for the next day and check in with the associates on each of my deals, before heading out for dinner with friends.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\t\t \n        \n                <h2 id=\"about\">About the firm<\/h2>\n        <p><p><strong>The firm:\u00a0<\/strong>With a global platform of more than 4,000 lawyers in 24 cities across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia,\u00a0Kirkland &amp; Ellis provides\u00a0elite legal advice and\u00a0a relentless commitment to client service.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The clients:\u00a0 <\/strong>Advent International, Antin Infrastructure Partners, Apax, Bain Capital Private Equity, BC Partners, Blackstone, Brookfield, CD&amp;R, Cinven, GIC, Hellman &amp; Friedman, KKR, Long Path, Permira, Starwood Capital Group, TA Associates, Thoma Bravo, TPG, Vista Equity Partners, Warburg Pincus<\/p>\n<p><strong>Other offices:\u00a0 <\/strong>Austin, Bay Area, Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Munich, Nashville, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Riyadh, Salt Lake City, Shanghai, Tokyo, Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who we are:\u00a0<\/strong>We are a leading global law firm that is focused on meritocracy and enabling our lawyers to become leading partners as early as possible in their careers. We encourage all of our lawyers to accelerate their growth by advising on complex transactions and being client-facing and business-focused.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What we do:\u00a0<\/strong>We advise global clients, including holders of private capital, on their M&amp;A and financing transactions, investment fund formations, restructuring and litigation matters.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What we&#8217;re looking for:\u00a0<\/strong>We hire trainees who are hardworking, motivated and focused on gaining as much experience as possible and want to become partners on an accelerated career path.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What you\u2019ll do:\u00a0<\/strong>Our trainees gain experience through active involvement in deals throughout their careers, together with extensive technical training.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Perks:\u00a0<\/strong> Business Travel Accident Insurance Plan, CycleScheme, Dental Insurance, Back-up care, Employee Assistance Programme, Eye care, Fertility Support, Flu Shots, GP services, Gym facilities, Health Assessment, Income Protection, Life Insurance, Menopause Plan, Private Medical Insurance, Season ticket loan, Travel Insurance, Wellbeing Apps<\/p>\n<\/p>         \n              \n      <h2 class=\"tab-listing\" id=\"other\"><\/h2>\n\t  \n      <div id=\"diversity\"><\/div>\n\n            \n      \n            \n                 \n            \n              \n       \n                 \n        \t<\/div><!-- .entry-content -->\n\n\t\n<\/article><!-- #post-## --><\/div><div class=\"profile-content-2\">   \r\n\r\n<div id=\"profile-contents\">\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">Contents<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"contents\">\r\n<li><a href=\"#verdict\">The verdict<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#about\">About us<\/a><\/li>            \r\n<li><a href=\"#facts\">Facts and figures<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\r\n        \r\n<\/div> \r\n\r\n\r\n<div id=\"application-process\">\r\n \r\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">Application process for Kirkland &amp; Ellis<\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>How:\u00a0 <\/strong>Apply online via our graduate recruitment website.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What&#8217;s involved in application:\u00a0 <\/strong>Online application form, online assessment, pre-recorded video interview; assessment day and final interview.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Person in charge of recruitment:\u00a0<\/strong>Lauren Logier, Legal Recruiting &amp; Development Manager<\/p>\n<p><strong>When:<\/strong> By 13 December 2026 for 2029 training contracts \r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n    \r\n<div id=\"salary\"> \r\n \r\n  <h2 class=\"widget-title\">Salary at Kirkland &amp; Ellis<\/h2>\r\n  <p><strong>First year salary:<\/strong> \u00a370,000<\/p>  <p><strong>Second year salary:<\/strong> \u00a375,000<\/p>  <p><strong>Newly qualified salary:<\/strong> US$225,000<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n <div id=\"facts-figures\">\r\n \r\n  <h2 id=\"facts\" class=\"widget-title\">Facts and figures<\/h2>\r\n  <p><p><strong>Total partners:\u00a0<\/strong> c. 235<\/p>\n<p><strong>Other fee-earners:\u00a0 <\/strong>c.320<\/p>\n<p><strong>Total trainees:\u00a0 <\/strong>27<\/p>\n<p><strong>Trainee places available for 2029:\u00a0 <\/strong>Up to 15<\/p>\n<p><strong>Applications received pa:\u00a0 <\/strong>c. 1,300<\/p>\n<\/p>\r\n  \r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n      \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<!--\t  \r\n\r\n    \r\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">If  were a fictional character it would be\u2026<\/h2>\r\n        \t\t\r\n<br><\/br>\r\n<br><\/br> -->\r\n\r\n   \r\n\r\n<div id=\"videos\">\r\n\r\n       \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; overflow: hidden; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><iframe src=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"auto\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" style=\"position: absolute;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; overflow: hidden; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><iframe src=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"auto\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" style=\"position: absolute;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; overflow: hidden; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><iframe src=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"auto\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" style=\"position: absolute;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<!-- <div id=\"twitter-feed\">\r\n<a class=\"twitter-timeline\" data-height=\"550\" data-theme=\"light\" href=\"\"><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<\/div>  -->\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n\r\n\t\r\n<\/div>"}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profiles\/14644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profiles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/profiles"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"jurisdictions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jurisdictions?post=14644"},{"taxonomy":"countries","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/countries?post=14644"},{"taxonomy":"cities","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cities?post=14644"},{"taxonomy":"firms_companies","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/firms_companies?post=14644"},{"taxonomy":"universities_colleges","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/universities_colleges?post=14644"},{"taxonomy":"lex_survey_questions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lex_survey_questions?post=14644"},{"taxonomy":"publications","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publications?post=14644"},{"taxonomy":"tc_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legal500.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tc_location?post=14644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}