Kirkland & Ellis LLP vs. Latham & Watkins LLP vs. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Category by category. Sources: Vault 2027, Am Law 200 FY2025, and reported Chambers records from the years shown.
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Est. 1909
- Latham & Watkins LLP
Est. 1934 · Los Angeles
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Est. 1884
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.
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. 1884
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is a 2,000-plus-attorney global firm, Vault #10 / Am Law #10. Jurisdiction-specific Chambers rankings include Band 1 in Asset Management M&A, Banking & Finance, and Capital Markets: Debt & Equity. Operates from 16 offices worldwide.
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP#6
- Latham & Watkins LLP#4
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP#10
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP#1
- Latham & Watkins LLP#2
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP#10
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP65 records
- Latham & Watkins LLP96 records
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP22 records
- #6
- #1
- 65 records
- Vault rank
- #4
- Am Law rank
- #2
- Reported Chambers Band 1 records
- 96 records
- Vault rank
- #10
- Am Law rank
- #10
- Reported Chambers Band 1 records
- 22 records
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$225,000
- Latham & Watkins LLP$225,000
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP$225,000
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$11.12M
- Latham & Watkins LLP$8.65M
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP$8.57M
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$10.56B
- Latham & Watkins LLP$8.30B
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP$3.55B
Revenue per lawyer
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$2.55M
- Latham & Watkins LLP$2.23M
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP$2.02M
- $225,000
- $11.12M
- $10.56B
- Revenue per lawyer
- $2.55M
- First-Year Comp
- $225,000
- Profits Per Partner
- $8.65M
- Firm revenue
- $8.30B
- Revenue per lawyer
- $2.23M
- First-Year Comp
- $225,000
- Profits Per Partner
- $8.57M
- Firm revenue
- $3.55B
- Revenue per lawyer
- $2.02M
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPNot Reported
- Latham & Watkins LLP1,900
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPNot Reported
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP6 years
- Latham & Watkins LLPNot Reported
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPNot Reported
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP1.2:1
- Latham & Watkins LLP2.7:1
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP3:1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP~4,150
- Latham & Watkins LLP~3,700
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP~2,000
Offices
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP27
- Latham & Watkins LLP34
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP16
- Not Reported
- 6 years
- 1.2:1
- ~4,150
- Offices
- 27
- Billable target
- 1,900
- Partnership track
- Not Reported
- US associates per partner
- 2.7:1
- Firm size (rounded to 50)
- ~3,700
- Offices
- 34
- Billable target
- Not Reported
- Partnership track
- Not Reported
- US associates per partner
- 3:1
- Firm size (rounded to 50)
- ~2,000
- Offices
- 16
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPNot Reported
- Latham & Watkins LLP100%
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP100%
Class size
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP957 (year not confirmed)
- Latham & Watkins LLP398 (year not confirmed)
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP265 (year not confirmed)
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPFree market
- Latham & Watkins LLPNot Reported
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPCentralized staffing
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPYes
- Latham & Watkins LLPNo
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPNo
- Not Reported
- Class size
- 957 (year not confirmed)
- Free market
- Yes
- Offer rate
- 100%
- Class size
- 398 (year not confirmed)
- How associates get work
- Not Reported
- Specific practice area
- No
- Offer rate
- 100%
- Class size
- 265 (year not confirmed)
- How associates get work
- Centralized staffing
- Specific practice area
- No
Green marks the stronger for the same practice, market and year. Shared results are listed once. split some top tables.
Shared rankings
Rank differences
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPBand 3
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPBand 3
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPBand 2
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPBand 2 · Highly Regarded
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPBand 5 · Elite
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 3
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 2
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPBand 3 · Elite
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 2 · Elite
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPBand 5 · Elite
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 3
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPBand 2
Firm-only and additional rankings remain available on each firm profile so missing coverage is not mistaken for a head-to-head loss.
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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”.