Distinguishing Heavyweight US Firms

[Ben Hewett]

Hello all,

I have an assessment centre scheduled next week with L&W, and I'm looking to gain a good grasp upon the main distinctions between Latham and Kirkland, their main competitors. I'm aware that Latham is said to be more 'global' than Kirkland due to their increased presence in other regions around the world. Also, I've seen Latham described as a more full-service firm than Kirkland.

Would anyone care to expand on these points and any other relevant points when making distinctions between Latham and Kirkland?

Kind regards.

 

[Jaysen]

I'll try and expand on this when I have a moment, but it looks like you're spot on so far!

 

[Lawgirlxo]

I went for their open day this November. They are very proud of their:

- High yield bond expertise (they virtually monopolise the market on this area, as per a trainee)

- they’re also proud of their unique band 1/2 ranking in banking and finance: I believe/think they are the only firm to have a very high ranking in banking and finance, ie across the lender, borrower and sponsor side. Compare this info with the other firms that have a good banking expertise ( Chambers Student)

My own thoughts:

Their management style is very very unique too, probably the only firm to have a true ‘one firm’ culture: no headquarters, a single profit pool for all locations and the committee led approach. All of this fosters a genuine sense of togetherness which I guess allows for a supportive environment for trainees and associates alike.

- they are also very good and proud of selecting the right practice area/industry to invest in. For example, they started their financial regulatory team from scratch and within 2 years, the London office got a very high ranking for their fin regulatory expertise. See:
https://www.lw.com/mediaCoverage/legal-week-latham-london-finreg-progress-report

 

[v123]

- Latham & Watkins is the first law firm to reach revenues above $3bn and has achieved a twenty percent growth in its key practice areas including M&A
- Attribute growth to their one-firm culture
- Small intake

 

[BWSM201]

A family friend is a corporate partner at Latham. He reiterates the difference in training between Latham and several other US firms (not all). A lot of other US firms haven't had TC's in place for long, and their training can sometimes be described as sub-par, whereas Latham has a much more consistent and stable training program.

Hope this helps and all the best!