Kirkland & Ellis takes over Hong Kong
12 August 2011
Kirkland & Ellis' Hong Kong has mugged three local rivals, taking a remarkable total of eight partners, as US firms focus increasingly aggressively on world domination.

The lightning raids will see the eight new partners take up residence at the firm's Hong Kong office at The Landmark. And gallingly for the competition, all eight have been pinched from major international rivals: two from Allen & Overy, three from Latham & Watkins, and a trio from Skadden.

K&E had drifted along in Hong Kong for a few years - the office opened up five years ago with just a couple of lawyers and has grown pretty slowly. As it stands, there are only 11 lawyers in place. So the new partners will swell the firm's presence in Honkers massively and, according to a spokesman "provide clients with significant resources linking private equity, M&A, capital markets and debt finance on a global scale."

David Icke is shocked by Kirkland's new partner hiring spree.

K&E's senior HK partner is the excellently-named David Eich (who was shipped out to open the office in 2006). If nothing else, this brash smash-and-grab raid has proved Kirkland to be proper law firm illuminati. Possibly even a twelve-foot tall lizard.

The firm is rumoured to also be recruiting hard in London, where it is an established presence in the Gherkin. So if you want to earn £90k as an NQ, get your CV in now.