Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

What Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP does

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is a major international law firm founded in 1888 and structured as a privately-held limited liability partnership. The firm employs approximately 1,300 lawyers across 16 offices in 6 countries (United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, and Italy), with its headquarters in New York and its European hub in London. Willkie provides legal services across more than 45 practice areas, organized around core strengths in private equity transactions, restructuring and insolvency, M&A, litigation, finance, and regulatory matters. Its primary client segments are private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, distressed companies and creditors, large corporations and financial institutions, and institutional lenders and capital providers.

The firm's business model is a traditional professional services model, with revenue generated through hourly billing, transaction-based fees, and multi-year retainer arrangements. Pricing is quote-based and determined by matter complexity, attorney seniority, and scope of work, with London NQ solicitor compensation at £180,000 - the highest among UK firms - indicating premium positioning. Client acquisition is relationship-driven through direct outreach, industry events, and professional networks, with thought leadership, industry rankings (Chambers, Financial Times, American Lawyer), and referral channels serving as the primary marketing levers.

Willkie has invested in technology infrastructure that includes a firmwide rollout of the Harvey generative AI platform (deployed to over 1,200 lawyers and staff) integrated with its proprietary Wendell Intelligence platform. The firm holds ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification for its AI management system, placing it among the first global law firms to attain this internationally recognized standard for responsible AI deployment. The firm is governed through its partnership structure with elected leadership, including practice group chairs and office managing partners, and has no external parent company or venture capital ownership.

Name

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Legal name

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Website

https://willkie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is a global law firm with 1,300 lawyers across 16 offices in 6 countries. It provides legal services across 45+ practice areas to private equity sponsors, corporations, financial institutions, and distressed companies, with proprietary AI capabilities via Wendell Intelligence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB), Real Estate Payoff & Lien Release Services (BPAJAOAI)

Keywords

• Corporate legal services
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Restructuring law
• Commercial litigation
• Private equity law

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: Willkie provides comprehensive legal services across 45+ practice areas including M&A, restructuring, litigation, finance, and regulatory matters. Revenue is generated through hourly billing, transaction-based fees, and retainer arrangements for ongoing client relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is a full-service international law firm that delivers legal advice and representation across more than 45 practice areas, including mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and insolvency, complex commercial litigation, leveraged and structured finance, corporate governance, regulatory enforcement, tax, and real estate matters. The firm's offerings are sold as standalone engagements to corporate, financial institution, and private equity clients through 16 offices across 6 countries, with revenue generated through hourly billing, transaction-based fees, and retainer arrangements.

Product overview

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is a full-service international law firm offering comprehensive legal services. The firm's offering is organized across over 45 practice areas, including Restructuring, Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Litigation, Corporate & Financial Services, Tax, Real Estate, and many others. The firm operates through a network of 16 offices across 6 countries (United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy) with approximately 1,300 lawyers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restructuring and Insolvency Legal Services Comprehensive representation of distressed companies, creditors' committees, lenders, and investors in Chapter 11 restructurings, out-of-court restructurings, distressed debt trading, creditor rights, and bankruptcy litigation, delivered through an integrated US and European restructuring platform across 16 offices. The practice is recognized with Law360 Bankruptcy Group of the Year (2026), JUVE Insolvency and Restructuring Law Firm of the Year (Germany, 2025), and Chambers Germany Restructuring & Insolvency Law Firm of the Year (2026).
• Mergers and Acquisitions Legal Services Representation of acquirers, targets, sponsors, and boards across cross-border and domestic M&A, leveraged buyouts, going-private transactions, joint ventures, and corporate governance, with deep private equity expertise and substantive industry coverage (technology, energy, financial services, luxury retail, and more).
• Finance Legal Services Counsel to banks, direct lenders, and special situation capital providers on leveraged finance, acquisition finance, project finance, structured finance, and fund finance transactions, including insurance-linked securities work recognized with Insurance Insider ILS Law Firm of the Year (2026).
• Complex Commercial Litigation and White-Collar Defense Representation of corporations, financial institutions, and individuals in complex commercial litigation, securities litigation, class actions, and white-collar defense, including matters before federal regulatory agencies and in complex civil litigation led by the Washington office (since 1981) with attorneys who previously held senior roles at the White House, Treasury, SEC, DOJ, FERC, CFTC, and FCC.
• Regulatory and Government Investigations Practice Counsel for domestic and foreign clients before federal regulatory agencies, law enforcement, and in complex civil litigation, headquartered in the Washington, DC office, leveraging attorney experience in senior US government positions at the White House, Treasury, SEC, DOJ, FERC, CFTC, and FCC.
• Italian Practice (Studio Legale Delfino e Associati affiliation) Full-service Italian legal practice via affiliated entity Studio Legale Delfino e Associati, providing private equity, venture capital, M&A, business reorganization and restructuring, tax, labor, real estate, energy, litigation, arbitration, EU privacy and data protection, and trade compliance services. Established in 2000 across Milan and Rome offices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 64 practice areas and 155 individual rankings in Chambers USA 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HarveycoreTechnology or Integration · 13 August 2025Willkie Farr & Gallagher implemented a firmwide rollout of Harvey, a generative AI platform for legal professionals, with over 1,200 lawyers and staff across 16 global offices. The deployment integrates Harvey into Willkie's proprietary AI platform Wendell Intelligence. Willkie also serves as an Innovation Partner to Harvey to test early betas and explore integrations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kirkland & Ellis LLP: The world's largest law firm by revenue with deep PE, M&A, restructuring, and litigation practices. Closest direct competitor to Willkie in private equity sponsor representation and large-cap restructurings, though materially larger at 3,000+ lawyers.
• Latham & Watkins LLP: Global elite law firm with industry-leading finance, M&A, and litigation practices. Competes directly with Willkie for top-tier PE sponsor mandates and complex cross-border transactions, with comparable London/US integration.
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP: Premier US-headquartered international firm with strong M&A, litigation, and restructuring practices. Direct competitor in PE sponsor work and corporate transactions, with similar size and global footprint.
• Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP: Highly regarded international law firm with similar size (~1,300 lawyers) and a transatlantic footprint anchored in New York, London, Paris, and Frankfurt. Directly comparable in cross-border M&A and regulatory matters.
• Sullivan & Cromwell LLP: Elite Wall Street firm with leading M&A, securities, and banking practices. Comparable in scale and practice mix to Willkie, with strong competition for high-end corporate and finance mandates.
• Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP: Top-tier US firm with premier M&A, capital markets, and litigation practices. Directly competes with Willkie for complex transactional and regulatory work for large corporations and financial institutions.
• Debevoise & Plimpton LLP: Elite New York-headquartered international firm with comparable size, similar transatlantic platform (London, Paris, Frankfurt), and overlapping PE/M&A, litigation, and restructuring practices.
• Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP: Premier US law firm with one of the world's leading private equity practices and strong M&A, litigation, and finance offerings. Directly competes with Willkie for sponsor-led transactions and large-cap deals.
• White & Case LLP: Global law firm with strong cross-border M&A, finance, and restructuring capabilities and a broad international network. Comparable in scale and overlapping in PE sponsor and corporate finance work, though with broader geographic reach including Asia.
• Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP: Elite New York firm renowned for M&A, litigation, and white-collar defense. Directly comparable to Willkie in PE sponsor work, large-cap litigation, and high-stakes corporate matters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willkie-farr-
• Instagraminstagram.com/willkiefarr
• Xx.com/WillkieFarr

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP