Commercial Law
Kirkland & Ellis Application Guide
The highest-grossing law firm in the world, a sponsor-side private equity powerhouse with unmatched deal flow. Every stage of the process, the questions Kirkland & Ellis actually asks, and the prep that gets candidates through, in one place.
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The firm
About Kirkland & Ellis
The business today
Kirkland & Ellis is a cross-border legal powerhouse built around high-stakes corporate transactions. Unlike traditional full-service UK firms that balance retail, advisory and corporate work, Kirkland's business model is explicitly organised around the private equity lifecycle. When a multi-billion-pound private equity fund wants to buy a company, borrow to fund that purchase, restructure an underperforming portfolio investment or raise a new fund, it instructs Kirkland.
The firm runs an intensely transactional, high-margin model, acting as a single-point provider for alternative asset managers. By dominating the sponsor-side ecosystem it creates an internal referral flywheel: a deal led by the Private Equity team generates mandates for Debt Finance, Tax, Antitrust and Investment Funds. Globally Kirkland employs over 3,500 attorneys and is the highest-grossing law firm in the world, with total global revenue of around $10.56 billion and profit per equity partner of roughly $11.1 million (about £8.2 million).
In London the firm does not chase the broad-service market; it targets the highest-premium transactional tiers. Its direct competitors are elite US peers (primarily Latham & Watkins, Milbank, Paul Weiss and Simpson Thacher) alongside the transactional engines of the Magic Circle (Freshfields, Clifford Chance and Linklaters). While the Magic Circle keeps a larger historic London footprint, Kirkland counters with an aggressively commercial, partner-led model, having broken the traditional UK lockstep by hiring rainmaker partners on un-capped, merit-based equity.
Culturally Kirkland is entrepreneurial and high-octane. It runs an open assignment system rather than rigid top-down allocation, so junior lawyers must be proactive and build internal networks to win the best deal flow. The reward is immense autonomy and early responsibility; the trade-off is intense hours, with finish times routinely stretching past 10pm during heavy transaction cycles. The London office sits historically in the Gherkin at 30 St Mary Axe, with the firm moving into 40 Leadenhall Street.
Why people apply to Kirkland & Ellis
Candidates must accept an intense work-life trade-off. The deal-driven model means unpredictable schedules, late nights and weekend on-call availability. Compensation is market-leading, but billable expectations are rigorous, with an implicit target of around 2,000 billable hours a year.
Candidates are pulled to Kirkland by genuine factors beyond the brand. Trainees work directly on the most complex, high-value, market-shaping leveraged buyouts in the EMEA region. Because deal teams are so lean, trainees do far more than proofread or manage bundles: they draft core ancillary agreements, negotiate specific workstreams and interface with institutional clients early. The firm rejects lockstep advancement, so high performers are handed greater responsibility and accelerated progression in what insiders call a black-box meritocracy.
It recruits highly driven, analytical and commercially intense individuals. High academic achievement is mandatory, but the firm heavily favours clear entrepreneurial drive and resilience, with a typical intake of roughly 35% First Class and 65% high 2:1 honours drawn from targets such as Oxbridge, LSE, UCL, Durham, Warwick and Bristol, alongside a growing proportion of non-target and diverse backgrounds.
Divisions inside Kirkland & Ellis's Commercial Law
Private Equity / Corporate M&A
Day-to-day
The engine room of the London office, advising mega-cap sponsors such as Blackstone, KKR and Bain Capital on multi-billion-pound cross-border buyouts, consortium bids, carve-outs and secondary disposals. Trainees manage signing and closing checklists, draft board minutes, coordinate local counsel across jurisdictions, run corporate due diligence and draft ancillary transaction documents. The vast majority of trainees spend at least one rotation here.
Interview style
Commercial and conversational; expect to explain how a PE fund makes money and to discuss a recent sponsor deal.
Extreme difficultyDebt Finance / Leveraged Finance
Day-to-day
Working hand-in-hand with Private Equity to structure the debt that funds buyouts: credit facilities, high-yield bonds and intercreditor agreements, mostly for sponsor borrowers. Trainees draft conditions-precedent collections, manage security release documents, prepare loan certificates and track financing close mechanics.
Interview style
Commercial finance literacy: senior versus subordinated debt, why sponsors use leverage, how rates affect financing.
High difficultyRestructuring
Day-to-day
A market-leading group handling distressed and insolvent situations through out-of-court recapitalisations, schemes of arrangement and formal insolvency. Trainees research the Insolvency Act, coordinate with financial advisers, manage restructuring-plan documentation and prepare High Court bundles. The practice counter-cyclically hedges M&A.
Interview style
Creditor-versus-debtor tensions, restructuring tools, and how rising rates drive the practice.
High difficultyInvestment Funds / Fund Formation
Day-to-day
Advises private equity, credit, real estate and infrastructure managers on raising capital, structuring fund vehicles and FCA compliance. Trainees review investor subscription agreements, track side-letter commitments, draft fund constitutional documents and manage regulatory filings.
Interview style
Fundraising cycles, dry powder, and regulatory structuring.
Moderate-high difficultySpecialist groups (Tax, Antitrust, Tech & IP, Real Estate, Capital Markets, Litigation / Arbitration)
Day-to-day
Premier teams that support core transactional mandates on the regulatory, structuring or contentious aspects of sponsor deals. Seats are smaller, leanly staffed and highly competitive.
Interview style
Sharp analytical reasoning; in litigation and arbitration expect your assertions challenged as if under cross-examination.
Moderate-high difficultyTry it now
Score your CV against Kirkland & Ellis's sift
Kirkland & Ellis talent acquisition screens thousands of CVs per cycle. Most are read in under 30 seconds. The candidates who get to interview have CVs that signal commercial relevance fast, in the format Kirkland & Ellis expects.
What Kirkland & Ellis looks for in a CV
Quantified impact
Numbers in every bullet: deal size, team size, percentage uplift, revenue managed. "Led a team" is filler, "led a 6-person team that delivered £400k of revenue" is a signal.
Named firms and deals
Kirkland & Ellis recruiters skim for brand names they recognise. Name your prior internships, the deals you observed, the clients you worked on. Specifics beat generic descriptions.
Industry-relevant language
Use the vocabulary of the commercial law world: drafting, due diligence, commercial context, matter experience. Generic "analysed data" reads as not-yet-in-the-industry; the right terms read as ready.
Tight, structured layout
One page max. Reverse-chronological. Three to five bullets per role. No long paragraphs, no dense blocks. The skim test decides the read.
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The application
How Kirkland & Ellis hires
5 stages, real interview questions, the criteria that decide it, and the moves that separate offers from rejections.
The process, stage by stage
- 1
Online application
Opens early autumn (September); vacation schemes close early January, direct training contracts close 31 JulyTailor every motivation answer to Kirkland's sponsor-side private equity model; generic City-firm answers are cut.
- 2
CV and cover letter screening
Human review by Graduate Recruitment with partner oversight; under a minute on the first passTwo pages maximum, education and grades at the top, and [action verb] + [context] + [measurable outcome] bullets.
- 3
Video interview
Invite often within 24-72 hours of applying or in a wave after the deadline; 3-7 day completion windowTwo substantive questions, 15s prep and 60s recording each, one take. Lead with your thesis in the first five seconds and finish around 55 seconds.
- 4
First-round interview (case study)
Roughly December to March; 45-60 minutes with two senior associates or partnersTalk through your reasoning step by step; partners want how you think, not perfect black-letter law. About 20-25% advance.
- 5
Assessment centre / final round
Late January to early April, or at the end of a vacation scheme; half to full day at 40 Leadenhall StreetGroup exercise, written/in-tray and partner interviews; be ready to defend your in-tray priorities out loud. About 15-25% convert.
What Kirkland & Ellis asks at each round
Motivation
- Why Kirkland & Ellis over an elite Magic Circle firm like Freshfields or Linklaters?
- Why do you want to work within a US firm business model in London?
- What draws you specifically to private equity and transactional law rather than public M&A?
- Why are you interested in our Restructuring practice, and how does it hedge our corporate practice?
- What makes you suited to an entrepreneurial environment without a structured seat rotation?
Behavioural
- Tell me about a time you delivered a complex project under extreme time constraints with incomplete information.
- Describe a significant disagreement with a team member or leader. How did you resolve it?
- Give an example of a clear professional error. How did you manage the fallout?
- Tell me about competing deadlines that all peaked at once. How did you prioritise?
- Describe a time you persuaded someone to adopt your view when they were initially resistant.
CV walkthrough
- Walk me through your CV, highlighting the key decisions that brought you to this room.
- Why did you study your degree subject, and why transition to commercial law now?
- Tell me about a specific work experience. What did you actually do day to day?
- You achieved a lower grade in this module. Can you explain why?
- Looking at your CV, what achievement are you most proud of, and why?
Commercial awareness
- What major macroeconomic trend is currently keeping private equity sponsors awake at night?
- Pick a recent deal completed by Kirkland's London office and walk me through the commercial drivers.
- How do changes in central-bank interest rates affect our Leveraged Finance and Restructuring practices?
- Who are Kirkland's direct London competitors, and how do we differentiate ourselves?
- If a private equity client wants to deploy capital now, which sectors look attractive and why?
Substantive / analytical
- Reviewing an in-tray of 10 urgent client tasks on your first day, how do you decide what comes first?
- In a distressed company, what are the competing interests between a secured creditor and an equity holder?
- Why does a private equity sponsor use high leverage to acquire a target rather than pure cash?
- If a client asks you to do something you believe breaches professional rules, how do you handle it?
- How would you advise a partner if a client demands an immediate answer on a regulatory issue you have not researched?
Curveballs
- Why haven't you secured a training contract or vacation scheme yet, given your strong academics?
- What do you see as the primary drawback of joining a firm like Kirkland & Ellis?
- If I told you your answer on our commercial differentiator was completely wrong, how would you respond?
- How do you genuinely feel about working unpredictable, intense hours?
- If you could change one fundamental aspect of how the UK legal market operates, what would it be?
What Kirkland & Ellis looks for
Academic performance
A strong 2:1 or First Class Honours, consistent top A-levels and, often, contextual scoring via the Rare Recruitment system. A typical intake runs around 35% First Class and 65% high 2:1.
Transactional and commercial awareness
A genuine grasp of how a private equity fund works, why a company pursues a leveraged buyout, and how high interest rates pressure debt financing.
Resilience
The capacity to perform at a high level under intense pressure and tight deal deadlines without folding.
Proactivity
Clear evidence of taking initiative, which is essential for navigating Kirkland's open assignment system where trainees win their own work.
Precision
Impeccable attention to detail, because small wording errors can alter the economics of a deal.
Entrepreneurial drive
Self-starting behaviour, high autonomy and leadership across societies, pro bono work or past employment.
The edge: what separates offers from rejections
Specific moves most applicants skip. None of them need talent, only preparation.
- 01Lead with Kirkland's sponsor-side private equity dominance, not generic prestige.
- 02Use precise terminology: private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, leveraged buyouts, debt finance structures, closing checklists.
- 03Show you understand the lean-team, open-assignment model means immediate, substantive responsibility.
- 04Reference a real recent Kirkland London deal (Thoma Bravo's Darktrace acquisition, the Asda refinancing) and its commercial drivers.
- 05Stay composed under partner push-back: defend your logic first, then adapt if warranted.
- 06Know the difference between Kirkland's US-firm model and the Magic Circle's institutional, rotation-based model.
Prep, stage by stage
Drill each Kirkland & Ellis round
Dedicated pages for the four rounds Kirkland & Ellis runs. Practise each round on Intervyo.
Psychometric Tests
SHL, Cappfinity, Watson-Glaser and more, in the exact format Kirkland & Ellis uses.
HireVue
Real Kirkland & Ellis questions, identical timer, scored on six competencies.
Live Interview
Conversational mocks tuned to Kirkland & Ellis's style, with follow-ups.
Assessment Centre
Case work, technicals, group exercises. Full-day rehearsal.
Pay & culture
Working at Kirkland & Ellis
What they pay
Graduate
£60,000 (Year 1 training contract), rising to £65,000 in Year 2
Internship
Paid 1-2 week vacation scheme (winter, spring or summer); the principal route to a training contract
Perks
| Firm | Comp | Hours / week | Exit options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latham & Watkins | ~£173,000-£175,000 NQ | Intense US-firm hours | Comparable elite PE and in-house exits |
| Clifford Chance | ~£150,000 NQ | Magic Circle hours | Broad City and in-house routes |
| Freshfields | Magic Circle band (~£150,000 NQ) | Magic Circle hours | Strong City and in-house |
| Skadden | Elite US-firm scale | Intense US-firm hours | Comparable elite exits |
What working at Kirkland & Ellis is like
- The highest-grossing law firm in the world: global revenue of around $10.56 billion and profit per equity partner of roughly $11.1 million (about £8.2 million).
- Private-equity-centric: sponsor-side leveraged buyouts, debt finance and restructuring drive the London office.
- An open assignment system rather than top-down allocation, so juniors must be proactive and build internal networks.
- Lean deal teams, often one partner, one or two associates and one trainee, giving early responsibility and direct senior access.
- An entrepreneurial, high-octane meritocracy that broke the UK lockstep with un-capped, merit-based equity.
- Intense hours: finish times routinely past 10pm in heavy deal cycles, with an implicit target around 2,000 billable hours a year.
- Four days a week in the office (London: historically the Gherkin at 30 St Mary Axe, with the firm moving into 40 Leadenhall Street).
- A small London trainee intake (figures cited range from around 15 to roughly 30 a year) with very high qualification retention (90-100%).
Timeline
When Kirkland & Ellis programmes open and close
By programme. Use these dates to plan applications across the cycle and submit early on rolling lines.
| Programme | Opens | Closes | Assessment | Offers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-Year Scheme / Insight | September | Late October / November | November | November | Runs in spring; typically a 1-2 day insight into the private equity model. |
| Winter / Spring Vacation Scheme | September | Late October / November | November - December | November - December | Runs December (winter) or April (spring); a one-week intensive placement with direct partner exposure. |
| Summer Vacation Scheme (principal TC route) | September | Early January | November - February (rolling) | Rolling | Runs June - July as two two-week schemes; Kirkland's primary source of training contract offers. |
| Direct Training Contract | September | 31 July | June - August | June - August | Offer holders complete the PGDL (if non-law) and SQE1 & SQE2 preparation at BPP University, fully funded. |
FAQ
Kirkland & Ellis application questions
How difficult is it to secure a training contract at Kirkland & Ellis?
It is highly competitive. Kirkland runs a deliberately small London intake (figures cited range from around 15 training-contract places on applicant forums to roughly 15-20 in the assessment-centre brief, with the firm's qualification material referencing around 30 trainees a year) against over 1,000 applicants. The funnel narrows sharply: a CV and cover-letter screen, a two-question video interview that takes only around 60-80 candidates through, then live interviews and an assessment centre. Success means combining top academic credentials with genuine commercial awareness of the firm's private equity model.
Does Kirkland accept applications from non-law degrees?
Yes. Approximately half of Kirkland's trainee intake comes from non-law backgrounds. The firm values the perspectives that history, STEM or languages graduates bring and provides full funding for the PGDL conversion course, followed by SQE1 and SQE2 preparation. In the video interview and live rounds it does not test black-letter law, precisely because it recruits across both law and non-law pathways; it tests judgement, communication and commercial drive.
What is the typical vacation scheme conversion rate?
The vacation scheme is Kirkland's primary pipeline for its training contract cohort, and the summer scheme is the principal route. Conversion rates vary year to year with performance, but the firm aims to convert the vast majority of its vacation scheme students. Winter and spring schemes feed the same pipeline, and strong first-year insight performers can be fast-tracked.
What does Kirkland pay trainees and NQs?
First-year trainees start at £60,000, rising to £65,000 in the second year, plus a £20,000 maintenance grant per year of study. On qualification the base aligns with the US scale: the firm guide cites £180,000, while the assessment-centre brief cites around £175,000-£180,000+ depending on exchange rates. Equity partners reach average compensation of about £8.2 million, reflecting the firm's market-leading profitability.
How long and intense are the hours?
Intense. The deal-driven model means unpredictable schedules, with finish times routinely past 10pm in heavy transaction cycles and an implicit target of around 2,000 billable hours a year. The firm is explicit that this is the trade-off for market-leading pay, immense autonomy and early responsibility, and the recruitment process deliberately filters out candidates who prefer a comfortable, predictable or slow-paced training environment.
What is Kirkland's policy on reapplying?
Candidates who are unsuccessful in one cycle are welcome to reapply in the next. The firm looks for clear development, expanded commercial experience and refined motivations in subsequent applications, so use the intervening months to attend open days, complete virtual internships and follow the private equity market closely.
Does Kirkland sponsor visas for international applicants?
Yes. Kirkland provides full Skilled Worker visa sponsorship for international trainee hires and qualifying newly-qualified associates, covering the core costs of visa processing and sponsorship certificates, provided candidates meet standard Home Office eligibility and salary requirements. International students can use the two-year Graduate Route after studying in the UK, but the firm typically transitions training contract holders directly onto the more stable Skilled Worker pathway.
Where is the London office?
Kirkland's London office sits historically in the iconic Gherkin building at 30 St Mary Axe, with the firm moving into 40 Leadenhall Street. The office functions as Kirkland's primary hub for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and trainee intake concentrates around the core transactional units that drive the firm's profitability.
Does Kirkland screen candidates' LinkedIn profiles?
Graduate Recruitment teams may view public professional profiles to confirm employment history and academic timelines. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is clear, professional and consistent with the CV in your application, since any discrepancy is easy to spot and undermines trust.
How not to fail
Mistakes that cost candidates Kirkland & Ellis offers
Specific failure modes the firm screens out. None of these need talent to avoid, only awareness.
- 01Reusing generic motivation answers. An application that lacks specific focus on Kirkland's private equity model is an immediate rejection; the firm name should not be swappable for a competitor.
- 02Lacking commercial grounding. Failing to understand basic business concepts, such as how a company generates profit or how debt functions, during case-study interviews.
- 03Overlooking formatting errors. Inconsistent fonts, misaligned margins or spelling mistakes demonstrate a lack of attention to detail.
- 04Showing low engagement during schemes. A passive approach rather than proactively seeking work and building connections during a vacation scheme.
- 05Ignoring regulatory drivers. Discussing large M&A transactions without considering antitrust, foreign direct investment screening or tax structuring.
If you are rejected
What to do next
Receiving a rejection is a normal part of competitive City recruitment. Detailed feedback is rare at the written stage, but candidates who reach the assessment centre and partner interviews can usually request high-level pointers. Diagnose where you left the pipeline and fix that specifically.
Request feedback
Firms often share helpful insights after first-round or final interviews; ask your recruitment contact.
Expand commercial experience
Use the months to attend industry open days, complete virtual internships and follow developments across the private equity sector.
Run parallel applications
Consider elite US peers (Latham, Skadden, Milbank, Paul Weiss, Simpson Thacher) and leading City firms on complementary timelines to keep momentum.
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Intervyo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Kirkland & Ellis. Process details are sourced from past applicants, the firm's published guidance and our own research; verify timings on the firm's official careers site before applying. Last updated 21 July 2026.
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