Gilmore & Bell, P.C.
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. is a national public finance law firm founded in 1979, serving governmental entities, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and affordable housing developers as bond counsel and disclosure counsel on municipal bond transactions across seven offices in six U.S. states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersKansas City, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Gilmore & Bell, P.C. does
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. is a national public finance law firm founded in 1979 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The firm provides specialized legal counsel to governmental entities, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and affordable housing lenders and developers, serving as bond counsel, issuer's counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriter's counsel, and borrower's counsel on tax-exempt and taxable municipal financings. Its practice areas span municipal bond law, public-private partnerships (P3), economic development incentives including TIF, CID, and TDD structures, affordable housing finance with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae program expertise, and continuing disclosure compliance.
The firm operates through seven offices across six states (Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Utah, Illinois, and Texas) with 56 public finance attorneys as of June 2026. Gilmore & Bell has ranked in the top 10 nationally for bond counsel opinions on municipal bond issues for more than 30 years, and in 2024 ranked 13th nationally by dollar volume ($9.48 billion across 352 long-term municipal issues) and #1 by dollar volume and number of issues in Kansas, Missouri, and Utah. The firm is structured as a private professional corporation owned by its equity partners, with Meghan K. McKernan as President and CEO and Randall M. Larsen as Chairman.
The business model is a traditional partner-driven professional services firm charging legal fees on transactional engagements rather than recurring subscriptions. Revenue is driven by deal flow in the municipal bond market, which is sensitive to interest rate cycles and public infrastructure spending. The firm generates no recurring SaaS or technology revenue and operates without external private equity or venture capital backing. Growth is pursued through lateral hiring (notably the June 2026 addition of five Robinson+Cole attorneys and a new Austin office), organic expansion of practice areas like affordable housing finance, and deepening its institutional client relationships across the Midwest and Western U.S.
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gilmore & Bell, P.C.
- Legal name
- Gilmore & Bell, P.C.
- Website
- https://gilmorebell.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Gilmore & Bell, P.C. is a national public finance law firm founded in 1979, serving governmental entities, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and affordable housing developers as bond counsel and disclosure counsel on municipal bond transactions across seven offices in six U.S. states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Finance Legal Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)
- SIC
- Loan Brokers (6163)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Structured Finance Legal, Trustee & Administration (FSACACAJ)
Keywords
Where Gilmore & Bell, P.C. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Legal Services - Bond Counsel: The firm serves as bond counsel, issuer's counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriter's counsel, and borrower's counsel for tax-exempt and taxable financings for government entities and 501(c)(3) organizations.
- Public-Private Partnership Counsel: Advisory and legal representation for public-private partnership transactions, including economic development incentives and infrastructure projects.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. is a national public finance law firm that provides legal representation to governmental entities, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and institutional lenders. The firm delivers bond counsel opinions, disclosure counsel, issuer's counsel, underwriter's counsel, and borrower's counsel for tax-exempt and taxable municipal financings, with specialized expertise in affordable housing finance, economic development incentives, and public-private partnerships.
Product overview
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. is a national public finance law firm offering comprehensive legal services to governmental entities and 501(c)(3) organizations. The firm's core service is providing bond counsel opinions on municipal bond issues, consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally for over 30 years. Their practice areas span tax-exempt bond financing, affordable housing finance, economic development incentives, and public-private partnerships. The firm operates as a unified legal services practice with offices across six states rather than a modular software product architecture.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Public Finance Legal Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Ranked 13th nationally in dollar volume as bond counsel for 2024 with $9.48 billion in long-term municipal issues; ranked 4th in number of issues (352 issues).
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Gilmore & Bell, P.C.
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kutak Rock LLP: National law firm widely recognized as one of the largest public finance practices in the United States, ranked consistently in the top tier nationally for bond counsel opinions. Closely comparable in service mix (bond counsel, issuer's counsel, underwriter's counsel), target clients (governmental entities and nonprofits), and national ranking posture.
- Ice Miller LLP: Indianapolis-based Midwest law firm with a significant public finance practice serving as bond counsel and issuer's counsel across Indiana and surrounding states. Comparable as a regional-to-national public finance firm with similar client mix of state agencies, municipalities, and school districts.
- Chapman and Cutler LLP: Chicago-based law firm with a nationally recognized public finance practice serving as bond counsel, issuer's counsel, and underwriter's counsel. Comparable in its specialization on municipal finance and similar mid-sized law firm structure focused on financial services clients.
- Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP: Long-established public finance specialty firm with deep bond counsel practice serving governmental and nonprofit issuers. Directly comparable as a bond-counsel-focused firm with similar client base and decades-long track record rendering municipal bond opinions.
- Stinson LLP: Midwest-based law firm with a notable public finance and municipal bond practice serving governmental issuers. Comparable as a regional law firm with similar bond counsel focus and overlapping Midwest geographic footprint with Gilmore & Bell.
Broad incumbents
- Nixon Peabody LLP: National Am Law 200 firm with significant public finance practice serving governmental issuers, 501(c)(3) borrowers, and underwriters. Comparable service offerings and client base, though part of a broader full-service firm with practice areas extending well beyond public finance.
- Ballard Spahr LLP: National law firm with substantial public finance and affordable housing finance practices serving government and nonprofit clients. Comparable in its bond counsel, disclosure counsel, and affordable housing LIHTC work overlapping with Gilmore & Bell's practice areas.
- Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP: Large global law firm with a nationally leading public finance practice serving as bond counsel, underwriter's counsel, and disclosure counsel on major municipal issuances. Comparable because it competes directly for the same government and 501(c)(3) bond counsel engagements, though it operates at a much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
- Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Global Am Law 50 firm with public finance and municipal securities capabilities serving governmental and nonprofit clients. Comparable in serving as bond counsel and underwriter's counsel on municipal bond transactions, though as a much larger full-service firm.
Others
- PFM Group (PFM Financial Advisors LLC): Leading independent financial advisory firm specializing in public finance, frequently serving as financial advisor or underwriter counterpart to bond counsel on the same municipal issuances. Comparable in target client base (state/local government issuers) and municipal bond market focus, though operating as an advisory firm rather than legal counsel.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. social profiles
Digital presenceGilmore & Bell, P.C. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gilmore & Bell, P.C.
What does Gilmore & Bell, P.C. do?
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. is a national public finance law firm that provides legal representation to governmental entities, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and institutional lenders. The firm delivers bond counsel opinions, disclosure counsel, issuer's counsel, underwriter's counsel, and borrower's counsel for tax-exempt and taxable municipal financings, with specialized expertise in affordable housing finance, economic development incentives, and public-private partnerships.
Is Gilmore & Bell, P.C. a public or private company?
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Gilmore & Bell, P.C. founded?
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. was founded in 1979. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Gilmore & Bell, P.C. based?
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. is headquartered in Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gilmore & Bell, P.C. make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Legal Services - Bond Counsel is the primary driver. The others are public-Private Partnership Counsel.
Who are Gilmore & Bell, P.C.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kutak Rock LLP, Ice Miller LLP, Chapman and Cutler LLP, Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP and Stinson LLP. Broad incumbents are Nixon Peabody LLP, Ballard Spahr LLP, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and Greenberg Traurig, LLP. PFM Group (PFM Financial Advisors LLC) is listed as an others.
Does Gilmore & Bell, P.C. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gilmore & Bell, P.C..
What industry is Gilmore & Bell, P.C. in?
Gilmore & Bell, P.C.'s product category is Public Finance Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSACACAJ, Structured Finance Legal, Trustee & Administration. Its NAICS code is 541110 and its SIC code is 6163.