Latham & Watkins LLP vs. Kirkland & Ellis LLP vs. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Category by category. Sources: Vault 2027, Am Law 200 FY2025, and reported Chambers records from the years shown.
- Latham & Watkins LLP
Est. 1934 · Los Angeles
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Est. 1909
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Est. 1849
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.
Est. 1849
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is a 1,000-plus-attorney firm, Vault #7 / Am Law #14. Jurisdiction-specific Chambers rankings include Band 1 in Antitrust, Banking & Finance, and Bankruptcy/Restructuring. Operates from 12 offices worldwide.
- Latham & Watkins LLP#4
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP#6
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP#7
- Latham & Watkins LLP#2
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP#1
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP#14
- Latham & Watkins LLP96 records
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP65 records
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP29 records
- #4
- #2
- 96 records
- Vault rank
- #6
- Am Law rank
- #1
- Reported Chambers Band 1 records
- 65 records
- Vault rank
- #7
- Am Law rank
- #14
- Reported Chambers Band 1 records
- 29 records
- Latham & Watkins LLP$225,000
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$225,000
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP$225,000
- Latham & Watkins LLP$8.65M
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$11.12M
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP$9.80M
- Latham & Watkins LLP$8.30B
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$10.56B
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP$3.20B
Revenue per lawyer
- Latham & Watkins LLP$2.23M
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$2.55M
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP$2.59M
- $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
- First-Year Comp
- $225,000
- Profits Per Partner
- $9.80M
- Firm revenue
- $3.20B
- Revenue per lawyer
- $2.59M
- Latham & Watkins LLP1,900
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPNot Reported
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPNot Reported
- Latham & Watkins LLPNot Reported
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP6 years
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPNot Reported
- Latham & Watkins LLP2.7:1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP1.2:1
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP3.5:1
- Latham & Watkins LLP~3,700
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP~4,150
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP~1,000
Offices
- Latham & Watkins LLP34
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP27
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP12
- 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
- Billable target
- Not Reported
- Partnership track
- Not Reported
- US associates per partner
- 3.5:1
- Firm size (rounded to 50)
- ~1,000
- Offices
- 12
- Latham & Watkins LLP100%
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPNot Reported
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP99.4%
Class size
- Latham & Watkins LLP398 (year not confirmed)
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP957 (year not confirmed)
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP220 (year not confirmed)
- Latham & Watkins LLPNot Reported
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPFree market
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPCentralized staffing
- Latham & Watkins LLPNo
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPYes
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPNo
- 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
- Offer rate
- 99.4%
- Class size
- 220 (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
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPBand 3
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPBand 2
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 2
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPBand 1
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 3
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPBand 1
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 2
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPBand 1
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 3
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPBand 1
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 2 · Elite
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 4
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPBand 1
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 3
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPBand 1
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPBand 2
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 2
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPBand 1
- Latham & Watkins LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLPBand 5 · Elite
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”.