Vinson & Elkins LLP vs. Kirkland & Ellis LLP vs. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Category by category. Sources: Vault 2027, Am Law 200 FY2025, and reported Chambers records from the years shown.
- Vinson & Elkins LLP
Est. 1917 · Houston
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Est. 1909
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Est. 1890
Est. 1917 · Houston
Vinson & Elkins LLP is a mid-size firm of ~681 attorneys, founded in Houston, TX. Jurisdiction-specific Chambers rankings include Band 1 in Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Capital Markets: Debt & Equity, and Corporate/M&A. Operates from 14 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. 1890
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is a 2,000-plus-attorney global firm, Vault #8 / Am Law #4. Jurisdiction-specific Chambers rankings include Band 1 in Accountant and Auditor Liability, Antitrust, and Antitrust: Cartel. Operates from 22 offices worldwide.
- Vinson & Elkins LLP#53
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP#6
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP#8
- Vinson & Elkins LLP#58
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP#1
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP#4
- Vinson & Elkins LLP19 records
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP65 records
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP48 records
- #53
- #58
- 19 records
- Vault rank
- #6
- Am Law rank
- #1
- Reported Chambers Band 1 records
- 65 records
- Vault rank
- #8
- Am Law rank
- #4
- Reported Chambers Band 1 records
- 48 records
- Vinson & Elkins LLP$225,000
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$225,000
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP$225,000
- Vinson & Elkins LLP$4.51M
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$11.12M
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP$8.89M
- Vinson & Elkins LLP$1.13B
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$10.56B
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP$4.21B
Revenue per lawyer
- Vinson & Elkins LLP$1.66M
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP$2.55M
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP$2.04M
- $225,000
- $4.51M
- $1.13B
- Revenue per lawyer
- $1.66M
- 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
- $8.89M
- Firm revenue
- $4.21B
- Revenue per lawyer
- $2.04M
- Vinson & Elkins LLPNot Reported
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPNot Reported
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPNot Reported
- Vinson & Elkins LLPNot Reported
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP6 years
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPNot Reported
- Vinson & Elkins LLP2:1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP1.2:1
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP1.6:1
- Vinson & Elkins LLP~700
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP~4,150
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP~2,200
Offices
- Vinson & Elkins LLP14
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP27
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP22
- Not Reported
- Not Reported
- 2:1
- ~700
- Offices
- 14
- 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
- 1.6:1
- Firm size (rounded to 50)
- ~2,200
- Offices
- 22
- Vinson & Elkins LLP97%
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPNot Reported
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP97%
Class size
- Vinson & Elkins LLP134 (year not confirmed)
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP957 (year not confirmed)
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP156 (year not confirmed)
- Vinson & Elkins LLPNot Reported
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPFree market
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPFree market
- Vinson & Elkins LLPCase by Case
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPYes
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPNo
- 97%
- Class size
- 134 (year not confirmed)
- Not Reported
- Case by Case
- Offer rate
- Not Reported
- Class size
- 957 (year not confirmed)
- How associates get work
- Free market
- Specific practice area
- Yes
- Offer rate
- 97%
- Class size
- 156 (year not confirmed)
- How associates get work
- Free market
- 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
- Vinson & Elkins LLPBand 4
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPBand 1
- Vinson & Elkins LLPBand 4
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPBand 1
- Vinson & Elkins LLPBand 3 · Highly Regarded
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Vinson & Elkins LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPBand 2 · Elite
- Vinson & Elkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPBand 2
- Vinson & Elkins LLPBand 3
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 3
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPBand 1
- Vinson & Elkins LLPBand 5
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPBand 3
- Vinson & Elkins LLPBand 5
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPBand 4
- Vinson & Elkins LLPBand 3
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPBand 4
- Vinson & Elkins LLPBand 5 · Elite
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPBand 3 · Elite
- Vinson & Elkins LLPBand 1 · Highly Regarded
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 1 · Elite
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPBand 3 · Elite
- Vinson & Elkins LLPBand 1
- Kirkland & Ellis LLPBand 2
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher 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.
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”.