How do Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP vs. Kirkland & Ellis LLP compare on vault rank?

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP: #3; Kirkland & Ellis LLP: #6.

How do Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP vs. Kirkland & Ellis LLP compare on am Law rank?

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP: #5; Kirkland & Ellis LLP: #1.

How do Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP vs. Kirkland & Ellis LLP compare on first-Year Comp?

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP: $225,000; Kirkland & Ellis LLP: $225,000.

How do Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP vs. Kirkland & Ellis LLP compare on summer class size?

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP: 190 (2026); Kirkland & Ellis LLP: 957 (year not confirmed).

How do Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP vs. Kirkland & Ellis LLP compare on summer offer rate?

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP: 99.4%; Kirkland & Ellis LLP: not shown.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP vs. Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Q: How do Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP vs. Kirkland & Ellis LLP compare on offices?

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP: 21; Kirkland & Ellis LLP: 27.

Category by category. Sources: Vault 2027, Am Law 200 FY2025, and reported Chambers records from the years shown.

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Who Wins Each Category

Each row stands on its own. There is no overall winner; weigh what matters to you.

Category	Skadden	Kirkland & Ellis
Higher pay winsTie	$225,000	$225,000
Higher wins	$7.01M	$11.12M (wins this category)
Lower rank wins	#3 (wins this category)	#6
Lower rank wins	#5	#1 (wins this category)
Higher wins	$4.07B	$10.56B (wins this category)
More lawyers wins	1,756	4,145 (wins this category)
OfficesMore offices wins	21	27 (wins this category)
Nationwide, Chambers USA 2026More Band 1 tables wins	14 tables	26 tables (wins this category)
2L OpensSummer 2028Earlier date wins	Opened Nov 2, 2026	Opened Nov 1, 2026 (wins this category)
1L OpensEarlier date wins	Opened Nov 2, 2026Summer 2027	Opened Nov 1, 2026 (wins this category)Summer 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

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Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Est. 1948 · New York
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Est. 1909

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Est. 1948 · New York

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is a 1,000-plus-attorney firm, Vault #3 / Am Law #5, founded in New York, NY. Jurisdiction-specific Chambers rankings include Band 1 in Antitrust, Asset Management M&A, and Capital Markets: Debt & Equity.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

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.

Rankings & prestige

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP#3
Kirkland & Ellis LLP#6

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP#5
Kirkland & Ellis LLP#1

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP40 records
Kirkland & Ellis LLP65 records

: #3
: #5
: 40 records

Vault rank: #6
Am Law rank: #1
Reported Chambers Band 1 records: 65 records

Compensation

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP$225,000
Kirkland & Ellis LLP$225,000

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP$7.01M
Kirkland & Ellis LLP$11.12M

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP$4.07B
Kirkland & Ellis LLP$10.56B

Revenue per lawyer

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP$2.32M
Kirkland & Ellis LLP$2.55M

: $225,000
: $7.01M
: $4.07B
Revenue per lawyer: $2.32M

First-Year Comp: $225,000
Profits Per Partner: $11.12M
Firm revenue: $10.56B
Revenue per lawyer: $2.55M

Work & scale

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPNot Reported
Kirkland & Ellis LLPNot Reported

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPNot Reported
Kirkland & Ellis LLP6 years

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPNot Reported
Kirkland & Ellis LLP1.2:1

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP~1,750
Kirkland & Ellis LLP~4,150

Offices

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP21
Kirkland & Ellis LLP27

: Not Reported
: Not Reported
: Not Reported
: ~1,750
Offices: 21

Billable target: Not Reported
Partnership track: 6 years
US associates per partner: 1.2:1
Firm size (rounded to 50): ~4,150
Offices: 27

Summer Program

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP99.4%
Kirkland & Ellis LLPNot Reported

Class size

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP190 (2026)
Kirkland & Ellis LLP957 (year not confirmed)

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPNot Reported
Kirkland & Ellis LLPFree market

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPNo
Kirkland & Ellis LLPYes

: 99.4%
Class size: 190 (2026)
: Not Reported
: No

Offer rate: Not Reported
Class size: 957 (year not confirmed)
How associates get work: Free market
Specific practice area: Yes

1L and 2L programs

1L program

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPNo 1L summer program
Kirkland & Ellis LLP1L summer program

1L applications open

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPOpened Nov 2
Kirkland & Ellis LLPOpened Nov 1

2L applications open

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPOpened Nov 2
Kirkland & Ellis LLPOpened Nov 1

2L deadline

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPNot announced
Kirkland & Ellis LLPNot announced

1L program: No 1L summer program
1L applications open: Opened Nov 2
2L applications open: Opened Nov 2
2L deadline: Not announced

1L program: 1L summer program
1L applications open: Opened Nov 1
2L applications open: Opened Nov 1
2L deadline: Not announced

Chambers by practice, market and year

Green marks the stronger for the same practice, market and year. Shared results are listed once. split some top tables.

Shared rankings

Antitrust · Nationwide · 2026Band 1

Asset Management M&A · Nationwide · 2026Band 1

Corporate/M&A & Private Equity · Illinois · 2026Band 1

Corporate/M&A · Nationwide · 2026Band 1 · The Elite

Corporate/M&A · New York · 2026Band 1 · The Elite

Corporate/M&A: Takeover Defense · New York · 2026Band 1

Labor & Employment: Transactional · New York · 2026Band 1

Litigation: General Commercial · Nationwide · 2026Band 1 · The Elite

Litigation: General Commercial · New York · 2026Band 1 · The Elite

Real Estate: Mainly Corporate & Finance · New York · 2026Band 1

Tax · Illinois · 2026Band 1

Tax · New York · 2026Band 1

Tax: Corporate & Finance · Nationwide · 2026Band 1

Capital Markets: Equity: Issuer Counsel · Nationwide · 2026Band 2

Litigation: General Commercial · California · 2026Band 2 · The Elite

Litigation: Securities · Illinois · 2026Band 2

Artificial Intelligence · Nationwide · 2026Band 3

Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations · District of Columbia · 2026Band 3

Projects: Power · Nationwide · 2026Band 3

Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy · Nationwide · 2026Band 3

Technology · Nationwide · 2026Band 4

Rank differences

AntitrustDistrict of Columbia · 2026

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPBand 2
Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1

Band 2

Band 1

AntitrustNew York · 2026

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPBand 1
Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 2

Band 1

Band 2

Banking & FinanceCalifornia · 2026

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPBand 4
Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1

Band 4

Band 1

Banking & FinanceIllinois · 2026

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPBand 3
Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1

Band 3

Band 1

Banking & FinanceNationwide · 2026

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPBand 3
Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1

Band 3

Band 1

Banking & FinanceNew York · 2026

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPBand 4
Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1

Band 4

Band 1

Bankruptcy/RestructuringIllinois · 2026

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPBand 2
Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1

Band 2

Band 1

Bankruptcy/RestructuringNationwide · 2026

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPBand 3 · Elite
Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite

Band 3 · Elite

Band 1 · Elite

Bankruptcy/RestructuringNew York · 2026

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPBand 3 · Elite
Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite

Band 3 · Elite

Band 1 · Elite

Capital Markets: Debt & EquityCalifornia · 2026

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPBand 1
Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 3

Band 1

Band 3

Capital Markets: High-Yield DebtNationwide · 2026

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPBand 2
Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1

Band 2

Band 1

Corporate Crime & InvestigationsNationwide · 2026

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPBand 2 · Elite
Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite

Band 2 · Elite

Band 1 · Elite

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”.

More head-to-head comparisons

Firm data comes from each firm’s own publications, Chambers USA and Vault; see Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Kirkland & Ellis for sources and dates.