In a notable development within the law industry, Kirkland & Ellis has successfully acquired a four-partner investment funds team from Goodwin Procter. Remarkably, this is the second such transition from Goodwin Procter to Kirkland & Ellis within a span of three months.
The team is led by James Donohue, a Boston-based deals lawyer who offers his expert advice to private equity and venture capital funds and management companies on investment vehicle creation and regulatory issues. In a statement released by the firm, Donohue highlighted the appeal of Kirkland & Ellis offering “a world-class platform for private equity”.
This news comes off the back of a previous team acquisition by Kirkland & Ellis from Goodwin Procter in February. Interestingly, Goodwin experienced a dip in legal work following a historic wave of demand, subsequently laying off some associates, paralegals, and other professional staff early in 2023.
According to the American Lawyer rankings, Kirkland, which was founded in Chicago, is currently the largest law firm by revenue, amassing $7.2 billion in the past year. Meanwhile, Goodwin, established in Boston, ranks 16th with over $2.2 billion in revenue.
The new team at Kirkland also includes Washington, DC-based lawyer Mirela Hristova, New York-based attorney Michelle Kim, and Houston-based counsel Joseph Baron – all of whom have a proven track record in the field of private equity funds. In a joint statement, Erica Berthou and Daniel Lavon-Krein, partners and members of Kirkland & Ellis’s executive committee, lauded the group’s substantial experience in assisting some of the world’s major private equity firms.
Goodwin Procter, wishing the best for the departing team, confirmed the transition through a statement. For more details on the development, read the full report on Bloomberg Law.