Highlights Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Firm Snapshot. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP was founded 125 years ago upon principles that still characterize our practice today. Our founders and memorable colleagues, like Wendell Willkie and Felix Frankfurter, established a strong foundation of integrity, innovation, pragmatism, flexibility and intellectual agility designed to continually meet the ever-changing business needs of our clients. These values form our approach to providing legal and business advisory services today.
Willkie is an elite international law firm that offers a wide range of legal services. Our attorneys provide effective and efficient solutions to the evolving needs of a diversified client base. Our strength lies not only in the breadth of our practice areas but also in the expertise that each of our attorneys contributes to the firm. We take pride in knowing that we deliver the highest quality work product to all of our clients.
Core Areas of Expertise.
- Asset Management
- Business Reorganization and Restructuring
- Communications, Media & Privacy
- Competition and Antitrust
- Corporate and Financial Services, including, Private Equity/Venture Capital, Mergers & Acquisitions, Capital Markets and Corporate Governance
- Environmental Health & Safety
- Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits
- Foreign Corrupt Practices Act/Antibribery
- Intellectual Property
- Litigation, including Complex Commercial, Securities Litigation, Enforcement and Regulation
- Private Clients
- Real Estate
- Tax
Our Culture. When our attorneys are asked what differentiates Willkie from its peers, the answer is clear – our culture. Our guiding principles of transparency, communication, respect and dedication foster a collaborative work environment. From support staff to the co-chairs of the firm, every member of the team is respected and valued for their contributions.
Dedication to Service. Willkie’s commitment to a wide array of pro bono and public service projects continues to have a real and measurable impact on innumerable lives. Our firm encourages everyone from senior partners to summer associates and legal assistants to participate in our long tradition of providing free legal services to the community. In 2012, Willkie’s domestic offices billed over 30,900 pro bono hours assisting organizations such as the Legal Aid Society, the Innocence project and the Washington Lawyers Committee. In addition to in-house opportunities, Willkie maintains two full-time associate externships on a rotating basis; one at MFY Legal Services, Inc. and one inMotion, Inc.
Commitment to a Diverse Workforce. Recruiting and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workplace are top priorities at Willkie. Our firm is an equal opportunity employer and we recognize the importance of promoting diversity in both our law firm and in the legal profession. Willkie strives to foster a welcoming merit-based environment where people of all backgrounds can succeed.
Promoting diversity and inclusion not only affirms Willkie’s core values, but with a diverse work force, the firm is better equipped to service our clients and the broader communities in which we work and live.
Awards/Rankings
2012 AmLaw Summer Associate Satisfaction: 5th in NYC & 11th Nationwide
Chambers USA | America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2012
With 61 attorney rankings and 24 practice area rankings, the firm is recognized for outstanding work in the areas of:
- Antitrust
- Bankruptcy/Restructuring
- Climate Change
- Corporate/M&A (The Elite)
- Environment
- Environment (Transactional)
- FCPA Experts
- Financial Services Regulation (Broker Dealer: Compliance)
- Government Relations
- Insurance (Transactional & Regulatory, Dispute Resolution: Policy Holder)
- Intellectual Property (Patent)
- Investment Funds (Hedge Funds, Registered Funds)
- Litigation (General Commercial - The Elite, Securities, White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations)
- Private Equity (Buyouts)
- Real Estate (Corporate & Finance, “Dirt”)
- Securities (Litigation, Regulation, Enforcement)
- Tax
- Technology & Outsourcing
- Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
- Wealth Management
The firm received Band 1 rankings for Investment Funds: Registered Funds (for the sixth consecutive year) and Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite. Additionally, Willkie was also nominated among a short list of firms for the “Chambers USA Awards for Excellence 2012” in the areas of Investment Funds and Securities Regulation.
Chambers Europe | Europe’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2012
The firm and many of its attorneys individually are recognized for outstanding work in the areas of:
- Banking & Finance
- Capital Markets (Equity)
- Corporate/M&A
- Dispute Resolution (Litigation)
- Environment
- Private Equity
- Projects (International)
- Tax
Chambers Global | The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2012
The firm and many of its attorneys individually are recognized for outstanding work in the areas of:
- Banking & Finance
- Bankruptcy
- Capital Markets
- Competition/European Law
- Corporate/M&A
- Dispute Resolution (Litigation)
- FCPA
- Global-Wide Climate Change
- Investment Funds (Hedge Funds)
- Private Equity (Buyouts)
- Projects (International)
- Restructuring/Insolvency
- Tax
Mergermarket M&A Round-Up | First Half 2012
Willkie ranked #1 among leading firms advising on U.S. buyouts in Mergermarket’s M&A Roundup for the first half of 2012 (Americas League Table), based on overall deal value. The firm was recognized for advising on U.S. buyouts with a combined value of nearly $10.7 billion. Additionally, the firm placed #2 on Mergermarket’s Global League Table for advising on global buyouts, also based on overall deal value. Mergermarket, an international M&A news and intelligence service, publishes quarterly league table rankings based on cumulative deal value and number of deals.
IFLR Europe Awards 2012 – Private Equity Team of the Year – March 2012 Paris attorneys named “European Private Equity Team of the Year” for overall excellence in the area of private equity.
U.S News – Best Lawyers® | Best Law Firms | 2011-2012 The firm and many of its attorneys individually are recognized for excellence in a spectrum of practice areas, including 24 Tier 1 rankings.
U.S News - Best Lawyers® | Law Firm of the Year for Mutual Funds Law | 2011-2012 Willkie named U.S News - Best Lawyers’ first “Law Firm of the Year” for Mutual Funds Law.Tax
M&A Advisor Turnaround Awards | 2012 The deal team, in which Willkie played a major role, on the out-of-court restructuring of Keystone Automotive Operations, Inc., honored in the award category “Retail Manufacturing/Distribution Deal of the Year (Over $50 Million).”
