Kirkland & Ellis is recognized as one of the nation’s greatest law firms. Not only does the firm offer a compelling combination of prestige, profitability, and pay, but it usually shatters the market on partners in a huge way — but not this year. In 2025, the firm has decided to stay quiet about something Biglaw firms usually love to shout from the rooftops. As Law.com reports, the Chicago-based powerhouse won’t be publicly releasing its annual partner class announcement, “marking [a] strategy shift.”
The firm’s decision isn’t humility. It’s a blunder. The firm’s silence isn’t modesty. It’s a mistake. For a firm that built its brand on transparency in all things business, it’s more than a little embarrassing. And worse yet, this is cruel to the people who earned a partnership ring — be it equity or nonequity — at the world’s top firm.
Just last year, nearly every legal industry publication covered Kirkland’s announcement of yet another enormous partnership class, showcasing a firm unafraid to flex. Back then, Kirkland couldn’t resist the spotlight, basking in its own swagger. Now, suddenly, the firm is slamming the door shut.
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Law.com hints at what many in the market may already suspect: Kirkland may be steering clear of public announcements because many newly minted nonequity partners have headed for the exits quite soon after they’ve been named partner, bringing “negative attention” to the firm’s list. Here are some additional details from Law.com:
Among the 200 names announced in 2024, at least 20 lawyers, or 10%, were not on the firm’s website this week, according to a Law.com analysis. Several have left in the last year to work at other law firms or join corporate legal departments.Among the 205 names announced in 2023 as new partners, at least 43, or 21%, are no longer on the website.
By declining to name its 2025 partner class, Kirkland seems to be avoiding the possibility that headlines about its new partners could be quickly followed by stories about their departures. While this kind of talent churn may be upsetting for Kirkland, just imagine how upsetting it is for the associates who have longed to be named partner for their entire career. A public announcement of their crowning achievement has now been stripped away from them. As noted by Jeffrey Lowe, market president for Washington, D.C. and executive committee member for recruiting firm CenterPeak, the firm’s move is unusual indeed. “I know everyone looks forward to that and looks forward to there being a nice announcement,” he said.
It’s one thing for a firm to moderate its public announcements. It’s quite another for a firm to deprive its new partners of their day in the sun. Making partner at Kirkland & Ellis is one of the hardest-earned titles in Biglaw. Being named partner is the achievement you share with your parents, your spouse, your mentors, your friends. It’s the headline you post to LinkedIn. It’s the tangible proof that every long night was worth it. By withholding that announcement, Kirkland is denying newly promoted lawyers their moment of glory. That’s cold. For a firm that claims to be among the world’s greatest, it’s incredibly tone-deaf. It’s stunningly unkind.
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Kirkland is one of the world’s greatest and most profitable law firms. Its dominance is undisputed. But silence isn’t strength — it’s weakness disguised as restraint. It looks tactical, even defensive. It looks as though the firm fears scrutiny more than it values the hard work of its new partners, regardless of their equity or nonequity status.
If you’re the richest firm in Biglaw, act like it. Celebrate your people. Own your success — and theirs. Congratulations to Kirkland’s new partner class — whoever you are.
Kirkland & Ellis Won’t Publicly Announce New Partners This Year, Marking Strategy Shift [Law.com]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.