Latest news with #KirklandEllis
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Law Firms That Settled With Trump Are Pressed to Help on Trade Deals
Two of the law firms that reached deals with President Trump this year to avoid punitive executive orders were connected in recent months with the Commerce Department about working on trade deals, according to three people briefed on the matter. The firms, Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden Arps, were connected to the department by Mr. Trump's personal lawyer, Boris Epshteyn, two of the people said. Mr. Epshteyn, who does not hold a government position, played a direct role in brokering the initial deals between Mr. Trump and the law firms, in which the firms agreed to do pro bono work on causes the president has championed, like helping veterans, military families and first responders. His previously undisclosed efforts connecting the firms with the Commerce Department shows how he is seeking to impose Mr. Trump's expansive view of the deals, including recruiting firms to work for the government in advancing the administration's agenda. After Mr. Epshteyn helped connect the firms with the government in recent months, Kirkland and Ellis went on to work on the trade deals the administration struck with Japan and South Korea, which were announced in July, according to three of the people. It is unclear if Skadden Arps has done work for the administration. Earlier this year, after the law firms struck deals with Mr. Trump, the president said that he had a broader understanding of the terms than the firms had let on, saying the pro bono work included helping the administration on trade deals and could even be applied to representing him in a personal capacity. It's unclear whether Kirkland & Ellis did the work for free or charged the Commerce Department. But the revelation of the firm's work marks the first time that it has been publicly revealed that one of the firms that cut a deal with Mr. Trump is now doing work for the administration. Representatives of Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden Arps did not immediately respond to requests for comment. When asked for comment, Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, did not directly address the latest developments. Instead, he said, Mr. Trump 'has radically changed the business of discrimination, including by ending D.E.I. in Big Law.' He added: 'Law firms that have for years propelled one-sided justice by providing pro bono resources to those causes that make our nation more dangerous and less free have started serving their nation.' Benno Kass, the director of public affairs for the Commerce Department, said the agency and the secretary, Howard Lutnick, 'are working with some of America's top law firms and legal minds to cement the truly historic trade deals that President Trump negotiated for the American people.' He did not specify which firms or what work they were doing. Mr. Epshteyn would not provide comment. Nine firms reached deals with Mr. Trump to head off executive orders. In total, the firms pledged nearly a billion dollars in pro bono legal work. At least some of the other firms are said to have been connected with the administration to do work for the government, but it's unclear which firms or what issues they were discussing working on. None of the firms have acknowledged any wrongdoing. They were targeted with punitive executive orders or implicit threats for representing or aiding Mr. Trump's political foes or employing people he sees as having used the legal system to come after him. The deals have been criticized by many in the legal community as unconstitutional and undemocratic, and have led to splits inside some of the firms about the wisdom of agreeing to terms with the White House.
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Top M&A legal advisers in automotive revealed for H1 2025
A&O Shearman has emerged as the top legal adviser for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) by deal value in the automotive sector for the first half (H1) of 2025, while CMS and Kirkland & Ellis have taken the lead by deal volume, as per data and analytics firm GlobalData's latest legal advisers league table. A&O Shearman advised on automotive M&A deals worth $2.17bn, securing the top spot by value according to GlobalData's Deals Database. CMS and Kirkland & Ellis, each advising on four deals, have co-led the automotive sector in terms of volume. GlobalData lead analyst Aurojyoti Bose said: 'Kirkland & Ellis was the top adviser by volume in H1 2024 and retained the top spot by this metric in H1 2025 as well. Meanwhile, CMS registered an improvement in its ranking by volume from the third position in H1 2024 to the top position in H1 2025. 'Meanwhile, A&O Shearman's ranking by value jumped from eighth position in H1 2024 to the top position in H1 2025 as there was more than a four-fold jump in the total value of deals advised by it during the period. "This jump in value was driven by its involvement in $1.4bn deal for the acquisition of Dowlais by American Axle & Manufacturing. Apart from leading by value, A&O Shearman also held the fifth position by volume in H1 2025.' Cravath Swaine & Moore, Norton Rose Fulbright, and Slaughter and May shared the second spot by value, each advising on a $1.4bn worth deal. Following closely, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton advised on a deal valued at $735m, showcasing their ability to handle significant transactions within the industry. In terms of volume, AZB & Partners and Baker McKenzie were tied for the third position, each firm advising on three deals. They were followed by A&O Shearman advising on two deals. GlobalData's league tables are based on the real-time tracking of thousands of company websites, advisory firm websites and other reliable sources available on the secondary domain. A dedicated team of analysts monitors all these sources to gather in-depth details for each deal, including adviser names. To ensure further robustness to the data, the company also seeks submissions of deals from leading advisers. "Top M&A legal advisers in automotive revealed for H1 2025" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
White & Case and Kirkland & Ellis are top M&A legal advisers H1 2025
In the competitive landscape of mergers and acquisitions within the power sector, White & Case has emerged as the leading legal adviser by deal value during the first half (H1) of 2025 according to the latest legal advisers league table by leading data and analytics company GlobalData. An analysis of GlobalData's deals database indicates that White & Case secured top position in deal value, advising on transactions worth $36.8bn. Kirkland & Ellis claimed the highest in terms of deal volume, alongside Latham & Watkins and CMS, each handling 14 deals. GlobalData lead analyst Aurojyoti Bose comments: 'Interestingly, White & Case and Kirkland & Ellis showcase a lot of similarities. Both held the fourth position by value and volume, respectively, in H1 2024 and their rankings jumped to the top spot by these metrics in H1 2025. Moreover, White & Case and Kirkland & Ellis showed improvement in the value and volume of deals advised by them in H1 2025 compared to H1 2024, respectively. 'Another similarity is that they both had double-digit deal volumes and some of which were big-ticket deals. During H1 2025, White & Case advised on four billion-dollar deals* that also included two mega deals valued more than $10 billion, while Kirkland & Ellis advised on the same number of billion-dollar deals and mega deals. Resultantly, Kirkland & Ellis, apart from leading by volume, also held the second position by value in H1 2025.' Kirkland & Ellis also secured second place by value, advising on deals amounting to $32.6bn. Gibson Dunn & Crutcher followed closely with advisories on deals valued at $28.1bn. Latham & Watkins took fourth place by value with their involvement in $22.3bn worth of deals. Debevoise & Plimpton, together with Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, held joint fifth position by advising on deals totalling $16.4bn. White & Case also featured among those leading by volume with their contribution to 13 deals within the period, while Cuatrecasas rounded out the list, advising on 12 deals. "White & Case and Kirkland & Ellis are top M&A legal advisers H1 2025" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins lead H1 2025 retail M&A legal advisers rankings
Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins have led the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) legal advisers rankings in the retail sector by deal value and volume, respectively, for the first half (H1) of 2025, according to the latest league table from data and analytics company GlobalData. On GlobalData's deals database, Kirkland & Ellis secured the top position by value, with $33.5bn in advised deals. Latham & Watkins topped by volume with advisory on seven deals. GlobalData lead analyst Aurojyoti Bose stated: 'Both Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins did not even feature among the top advisers by value and volume, respectively, in H1 2024. However, in H1 2025, they not only registered year-on-year improvement in the total value and volume of deals advised by them but also managed to top the charts by these metrics. 'Apart from leading by value, Kirkland & Ellis also occupied the third position by volume in H1 2025. Similarly, Latham & Watkins, which led by volume, also held the eighth position by value during the same period.' Ropes & Gray followed closely in the value category, advising on deals amounting to $29.2bn. It was followed by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom with $26.2bn, Davis Polk & Wardwell with $24.9bn, and Hengeler Mueller with $23.7bn in advised deal values. In the volume category, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison also advised on seven deals, matching Latham & Watkins but with lower total deal value. Kirkland & Ellis advised on six deals, the same number as CMS. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom rounded out the top five with four deals. GlobalData's league tables are based on the real-time tracking of thousands of company websites, advisory firm websites and other reliable sources available on the secondary domain. A dedicated team of analysts monitors all these sources to gather in-depth details for each deal, including adviser names. To further ensure the robustness of the data, the company also seeks submissions of deals from leading advisers. "Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins lead H1 2025 retail M&A legal advisers rankings" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Davis Polk & Wardwell and Kirkland & Ellis top M&A legal advisers table in H1 2025
Davis Polk & Wardwell and Kirkland & Ellis have emerged as the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) legal advisers in the consumer sector for the first half (H1) of 2025, in terms of value and volume, respectively, according to the latest legal advisers league table by GlobalData. Davis Polk & Wardwell ranked first by deal value, overseeing transactions totalling $7.2bn while Kirkland & Ellis led by deal volume, advising on ten transactions. GlobalData lead analyst Aurojyoti Bose said: 'Interestingly, Davis Polk & Wardwell did not even feature among the top ten by value in H1 2024 but managed to lead by this metric in H1 2025. "Both the deals advised by Davis Polk & Wardwell during H1 2025 were billion-dollar deals and involvement in these big-ticket deals helped it occupy the top position by value. 'Meanwhile, Kirkland & Ellis was the top adviser by volume in H1 2024 and managed to retain its leadership position by this metric in H1 2025 as well.' In the value-based rankings, Paul Hastings secured second place with $5.3bn in advised deals, followed by Cravath Swaine & Moore at $4.9bn, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer at $4.2bn, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom at $3.5bn. For deal volume, Latham & Watkins occupied the second position with nine deals, followed by A&O Shearman with seven deals, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Jones Day with six deals each. GlobalData's league tables are based on the real-time tracking of thousands of company websites, advisory business websites, and other reliable sources available on the secondary domain. A dedicated team of analysts monitors all these sources to gather in-depth details for each deal, including adviser names. To ensure further robustness of the data, the company also seeks submissions of deals from leading advisers. "Davis Polk & Wardwell and Kirkland & Ellis top M&A legal advisers table in H1 2025" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
