Latham & Watkins LLP vs. Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Category by category. Sources: Vault 2027, Am Law 200 FY2025, and reported Chambers records from the years shown.
Who Wins Each Category
Each row stands on its own. There is no overall winner; weigh what matters to you.
| Category | Latham & Watkins | Kirkland & Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Higher pay winsTie | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Higher wins | $8.65M | $11.12M (wins this category) |
| Lower rank wins | #4 (wins this category) | #6 |
| Lower rank wins | #2 | #1 (wins this category) |
| Higher wins | $8.30B | $10.56B (wins this category) |
| More lawyers wins | 3,724 | 4,145 (wins this category) |
| OfficesMore offices wins | 34 (wins this category) | 27 |
| Nationwide, Chambers USA 2026More Band 1 tables wins | 46 tables (wins this category) | 26 tables |
| 2L OpensSummer 2028Earlier date winsTie | Opened Nov 1, 2026 | Opened Nov 1, 2026 |
| 1L OpensEarlier date winsTie | Opened Nov 1, 2026Summer 2027 | Opened Nov 1, 2026Summer 2027 (1L stint for 2L offer holders; apply once for the 2L summer) |
Sources: Vault 2027 and Am Law 200 FY2025 rankings, Chambers USA 2026, first-year pay as each firm or the market reports it, and program dates from firm career pages on the Job Board. Missing data reads Not Reported and never counts as a loss.
Full Comparison
- Latham & Watkins LLP
Est. 1934 · Los Angeles
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Est. 1909
Est. 1934 · Los Angeles
Latham & Watkins LLP is a 2,000-plus-attorney global firm, Vault #4 / Am Law #2, founded in Los Angeles, CA. Jurisdiction-specific Chambers rankings include Band 1 in Antitrust, Antitrust: Cartel, and Appellate Law. Operates from 34 offices worldwide.
Est. 1909
Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a 2,000-plus-attorney global firm, Vault #6 / Am Law #1. Jurisdiction-specific Chambers rankings include Band 1 in Antitrust, Asset Management M&A, and Banking & Finance. Operates from 27 offices worldwide.
- Latham & Watkins LLP#4
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP#6
- Latham & Watkins LLP#2
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP#1
- Latham & Watkins LLP96 records
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP65 records
- #4
- #2
- 96 records
- Vault rank
- #6
- Am Law rank
- #1
- Reported Chambers Band 1 records
- 65 records
- Latham & Watkins LLP$225,000
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$225,000
- Latham & Watkins LLP$8.65M
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$11.12M
- Latham & Watkins LLP$8.30B
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$10.56B
Revenue per lawyer
- Latham & Watkins LLP$2.23M
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$2.55M
- $225,000
- $8.65M
- $8.30B
- Revenue per lawyer
- $2.23M
- First-Year Comp
- $225,000
- Profits Per Partner
- $11.12M
- Firm revenue
- $10.56B
- Revenue per lawyer
- $2.55M
- Latham & Watkins LLP1,900
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPNot Reported
- Latham & Watkins LLPNot Reported
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP6 years
- Latham & Watkins LLP2.7:1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP1.2:1
- Latham & Watkins LLP~3,700
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP~4,150
Offices
- Latham & Watkins LLP34
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP27
- 1,900
- Not Reported
- 2.7:1
- ~3,700
- Offices
- 34
- Billable target
- Not Reported
- Partnership track
- 6 years
- US associates per partner
- 1.2:1
- Firm size (rounded to 50)
- ~4,150
- Offices
- 27
- Latham & Watkins LLP100%
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPNot Reported
Class size
- Latham & Watkins LLP398 (year not confirmed)
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP957 (year not confirmed)
- Latham & Watkins LLPNot Reported
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPFree market
- Latham & Watkins LLPNo
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPYes
- 100%
- Class size
- 398 (year not confirmed)
- Not Reported
- No
- Offer rate
- Not Reported
- Class size
- 957 (year not confirmed)
- How associates get work
- Free market
- Specific practice area
- Yes
1L program
- Latham & Watkins LLPNo 1L summer program
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP1L summer program
1L applications open
- Latham & Watkins LLPOpened Nov 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPOpened Nov 1
2L applications open
- Latham & Watkins LLPOpened Nov 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPOpened Nov 1
2L deadline
- Latham & Watkins LLPJan 29, 2027
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPNot announced
- 1L program
- No 1L summer program
- 1L applications open
- Opened Nov 1
- 2L applications open
- Opened Nov 1
- 2L deadline
- Jan 29, 2027
- 1L program
- 1L summer program
- 1L applications open
- Opened Nov 1
- 2L applications open
- Opened Nov 1
- 2L deadline
- Not announced
Green marks the stronger for the same practice, market and year. Shared results are listed once. split some top tables.
Shared rankings
Rank differences
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 2
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 3
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 3
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 2
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 3
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 2
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 2
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 2
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 3
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 2
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 3
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 2
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
Firm-only and additional rankings remain available on each firm profile so missing coverage is not mistaken for a head-to-head loss.
See which of these firms are open on the Job Board
Data sources: Vault 2027, Am Law 200 FY2025, and reported Chambers records from the years shown. Chambers record counts can span years and reporting coverage varies; missing years or markets are not compared. Current Chambers bands were checked against each firm’s Chambers profile on Sep 26, 2026; where Chambers splits a table, every Elite firm ranks above every Highly Regarded firm. Missing values read “Not Reported”.
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- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom vs. Kirkland & Ellis
- Latham & Watkins vs. Sullivan & Cromwell
- Latham & Watkins vs. Davis Polk & Wardwell
- Latham & Watkins vs. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
- Latham & Watkins vs. Milbank
- Latham & Watkins vs. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
- Latham & Watkins vs. Sidley Austin
Firm data comes from each firm’s own publications, Chambers USA and Vault; see Latham & Watkins and Kirkland & Ellis for sources and dates.