What Godfrey & Kahn does

Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. is a Wisconsin-based full-service law firm founded in 1957 and headquartered in Milwaukee, with additional offices in Madison, Green Bay, Appleton, Eau Claire, and Washington, D.C. The firm operates as a private service corporation under Wisconsin law and employs between 251 and 500 professionals, including 50+ corporate attorneys who handle more than 100 transactions annually. Its practice portfolio spans Corporate & M&A, Litigation, Estates & Trusts, Real Estate & Construction, Tax, Data Privacy & Cybersecurity, Investment Management, Securities, Banking & Financial Institutions, Labor/Employment/Immigration, Health Care, Intellectual Property, Bankruptcy & Financial Restructuring, Appellate, Energy, Environmental, ESG, Political Law, Products Liability, and Tribal Governments.

The firm's go-to-market is enterprise field sales oriented, with direct client engagement, professional referrals, and thought-leadership content (insights publications, newsletter, annual Corporate Counsel Symposium) driving pipeline. The Corporate/M&A practice is Band 1 ranked by Chambers USA, and the firm holds AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell ratings, Best Lawyers in America listings, Wisconsin Super Lawyer recognitions, and U.S. News Best Law Firms placement. Through its association with TerraLex, the firm has access to 17,000 attorneys across 155+ firms in 100 countries. Revenue is generated through traditional professional services billing (hourly or alternative fee arrangements), with no public pricing disclosure.

Godfrey & Kahn serves four primary customer segments: corporate and business clients (public companies, private equity, privately held businesses), high-net-worth individuals and families, real estate developers and investors, and litigation clients. Notable enterprise engagements include Manpower Global HQ, GE Healthcare, Baird, and Zywave. Nicholas P. Wahl has served as President and Managing Partner since 2011. The firm has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and is not publicly traded.

Name

Godfrey & Kahn

Legal name

Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

Website

https://gklaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Godfrey & Kahn is a Wisconsin-based full-service law firm with 251-500 employees and offices in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Appleton, Eau Claire, and Washington D.C., serving corporate clients, high-net-worth individuals, real estate developers, and litigation clients across 20+ practice areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Law Firm Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK), M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC), Real Estate M&A / Joint Venture Advisory (Platform Deals, Partnerships) (BPAJANAF)

Keywords

• Corporate legal services
• Mergers and acquisitions law
• Commercial litigation counsel
• Estate and trust planning
• Real estate legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Fees: Traditional law firm revenue model based on professional legal services provided to clients. Services include M&A advisory, litigation, estate planning, real estate transactions, and other legal matters. Fee structures typically include hourly billing, though alternative fee arrangements may be available for certain matters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Godfrey & Kahn is a Wisconsin-based, full-service business law firm that delivers legal counsel through specialized practice groups including Corporate/M&A, Litigation, Estates & Trusts, Real Estate & Construction, Tax, Data Privacy & Cybersecurity, Investment Management, Securities, Energy, Environmental, and other practice areas. The firm represents corporate clients, private equity, public companies, and high-net-worth individuals and families through 251–500 professionals across six offices, with 50+ corporate attorneys handling 100+ transactions annually and a Band 1 Chambers USA ranking for Corporate/M&A.

Product overview

Godfrey & Kahn is a Wisconsin-based law firm offering comprehensive legal services through multiple practice areas. The firm operates a unified legal services platform with specialized practice groups including Corporate/M&A, Litigation, Estates & Trusts, Real Estate & Construction, Tax, Data Privacy & Cybersecurity, Investment Management, Securities, Energy, Environmental, ESG, Tribal Governments, and more. The firm has 50+ corporate attorneys handling over 100 transactions annually, with offices across Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Appleton, Eau Claire) and Washington, D.C. The firm is organized as a service corporation under Wisconsin law.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate & Mergers & Acquisitions
• Litigation
• Estates & Trusts
• Real Estate & Construction
• Tax
• Data Privacy, Cybersecurity & Technology
• Investment Management
• Securities
• Energy, Environmental & ESG
• Energy Regulatory
• Banking & Financial Institutions
• Labor, Employment & Immigration
• Health Care
• Intellectual Property
• Bankruptcy & Financial Restructuring
• Appellate
• Political Law
• Products Liability & Torts
• Tribal Governments

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ corporate attorneys handling 100+ transactions annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TerraLexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerraLex is one of the largest and most selective global law firm networks. Through Godfrey & Kahn's association with TerraLex, the firm has access to a worldwide network of 17,000 attorneys in more than 155 top independent law firms located in 100 countries and throughout the United States. This partnership enables Godfrey & Kahn to serve clients with international legal needs through trusted correspondent firms.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• von Briesen & Roper: Wisconsin-based (Milwaukee) full-service law firm of similar size and regional positioning. Competes in the same Wisconsin mid-market corporate, estate planning, and litigation segments.
• Michael Best & Friedrich: Wisconsin-headquartered full-service law firm with offices across the Midwest and Mountain West. Directly comparable on size, practice breadth, and core clientele in Wisconsin corporate, M&A, IP, and government relations work.
• Quarles & Brady: Milwaukee-headquartered full-service law firm with comparable Wisconsin presence and overlapping corporate, real estate, and litigation practices. A direct competitor for regional Fortune 500 and mid-market corporate clients.
• Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath: Large full-service law firm formed by the merger of Faegre Baker Daniels (Indianapolis/Minneapolis) and Drinker Biddle & Reath, with comparable Midwest presence and overlapping practices in corporate M&A, litigation, and regulatory. Competes for Wisconsin-headquartered clients seeking broader geographic reach.
• Foley & Lardner: Milwaukee-headquartered full-service Am Law 200 firm with overlapping practices in corporate, IP, and health care, and a comparable Wisconsin client base. Larger than Godfrey & Kahn but operates in the same regional talent and client market.
• Husch Blackwell: Midwestern-based full-service law firm with comparable office footprint across multiple states including Wisconsin (Milwaukee) and similar practice breadth in corporate, real estate, and litigation. Directly competes with Godfrey & Kahn for Wisconsin-based corporate and mid-market deals.
• Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren: Milwaukee-based full-service law firm with similar Wisconsin focus and comparable mid-market corporate, real estate, and litigation practice areas. Directly competes for the same regional corporate and high-net-worth client segments.

Broad incumbents

• Davis Wright Tremaine: National full-service firm with offices across multiple U.S. regions including Midwest-adjacent markets. Overlaps with Godfrey & Kahn on corporate, energy, and regulatory matters but does not have a Wisconsin-specific focus.
• DLA Piper: Global law firm with significant U.S. Midwest presence and a comprehensive corporate/M&A practice. Operates as a broad incumbent competing for cross-border M&A mandates from Wisconsin-based multinational clients that Godfrey & Kahn may serve via TerraLex referrals.
• BakerHostetler: National Am Law 100 firm with established Midwest presence and broad corporate, litigation, and regulatory practices. Larger and more diversified than Godfrey & Kahn but competes for the same Wisconsin-headquartered corporate clients seeking broader geographic coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/godfreykahn
• Xx.com/godfreykahn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Godfrey & Kahn