Top BigLaw Firms for Restructuring / Bankruptcy in Chicago
Every firm in our directory with a Chicago office that Chambers USA 2026 ranks for restructuring and bankruptcy in Illinois, strongest band first. Kirkland & Ellis LLP leads with Band 1.
- Ranked firms
- 23
- Band 1 firms
- 1
- Median first-year base
- $225,000
23 ranked firms for restructuring and bankruptcy in Chicago
| # | Firm | Chambers 2026 | First-year base | 2L summer applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirkland & Ellis LLP Vault #6 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 1 |
| 2 | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Vault #3 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 2 |
| 3 | Latham & Watkins LLP Vault #4 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 1Deadline Jan 29, 2027 |
| 4 | Sidley Austin LLP Vault #11 |
| $225,000+ | Opened Nov 1 |
| 5 | Paul Hastings LLP Vault #21 |
| $225,000 | Opened Oct 15 |
| 6 | Jenner & Block LLP Vault #43 |
| $225,000+ | Open now |
| 7 | White & Case LLP Vault #18 |
| $225,000+ | Opened Nov 1 |
| 8 | Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP Vault #32 |
| $225,000 | Dec 14, 2026 |
| 9 | DLA Piper LLP (US) Vault #42 |
| $225,000+ | Open now |
| 10 | Mayer Brown LLP Vault #44 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 2 |
| 11 | McDermott Will & Schulte LLP Vault #46 |
| Not reported | Opened Nov 2 |
| 12 | Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP Vault #78 |
| $235,000+ | Expected late fall 2026 |
| 13 | Vedder Price |
| $225,000 | See the Job Board |
| 14 | Ropes & Gray LLP Vault #20 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 1 |
| 15 | Proskauer Rose LLP Vault #33 |
| $225,000 | Opened Nov 1 |
| 16 | Greenberg Traurig, LLP Vault #55 |
| Varies by office | Dec 1, 2026 |
| 17 | Cozen O'Connor P.C. Vault #88 |
| $180,000 - $215,000 | Expected January 2027 |
| 18 | Ashurst Perkins Coie LLP Vault #24 |
| $255,000+ | Not announced (last cycle Jan 5, 2026) |
| 19 | Dentons US LLP Vault #62 |
| $225,000+ | Expected early 2027 |
| 20 | McGuireWoods LLP Vault #68 |
| $215,000 | Not announced |
| 21 | Blank Rome LLP Vault #91 |
| $210,000 - $225,000 | Opened Nov 1 |
| 22 | Barnes & Thornburg LLP |
| $105,000-$180,000 | Not announced |
| 23 | Smith, Gambrell & Russell |
| $225,000 | Opened Oct 30 |
Chambers bands from Chambers USA 2026, Illinois tables; Band 1 is the strongest, and a “Highly Regarded” band sits below every “Elite” band. Pay is each firm’s first-year base; summer dates come from each firm’s own page via the BigLaw Job Board. How rankings work
Restructuring / Bankruptcy in other cities
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy in New York51 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy in Dallas18 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy in Los Angeles17 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy in Houston17 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy in San Francisco15 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy in Wilmington14 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy in Austin13 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy in Silicon Valley12 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy in Philadelphia9 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy in Boston9 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy in Atlanta9 firms
- Restructuring / Bankruptcy in San Diego8 firms
Other practices in Chicago
- Commercial Litigation26 firms
- Intellectual Property (General / Trademark)24 firms
- Corporate / M&A23 firms
- Labor & Employment23 firms
- White Collar Defense23 firms
- Real Estate19 firms
- Banking & Finance17 firms
- Insurance / Reinsurance16 firms
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation14 firms
- Environmental13 firms
- Healthcare13 firms
- Antitrust10 firms