America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2005: Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation

Chambers & Partners has compiled their independent and objective list of America's Leading Lawyers for Business based on comments gathered from thousands of interviews with clients and lawyers from Maine to Hawaii. This guide -- which is designed to reflect market opinion -- contains a view of the firms and attorneys who are considered leaders in their field.

In Chambers' 2005 review of national legal talent in the area of "Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation," our Firm and our lawyers are listed among the best in the country.

Chambers' comments:

Illinois Ranking:  2

The Firm: With its preeminence in such areas as private equity and bankruptcy, it is fitting that Kirkland & Ellis was also hailed as "an incredibly sophisticated practice" for employee benefits and executive compensation. The five-partner group works closely with the firm's corporate lawyers, providing support on important transactions and advising on matters connected to its highly active fund formation practice. The team's recent bankruptcy and restructuring-related work includes counseling United Airlines and Fleming on the employee benefits and executive compensation aspects of their respective restructurings.

The Lawyers: According to rivals, Vicki Hood, the head of the firm's employee benefits group, has "a top-notch reputation for representing major companies." She advised Hyatt recently on the employee benefits aspects of its purchase of AmeriSuites Hotels, and assisted Forstmann Little in its acquisition of IMG. She also counsels the National Hockey League Players' Association on employment and benefits issues and advises GM Pension Fund on private market investments.

The Clients: The impressive client list includes: Hyatt; Forstmann Little; GM Pension Fund and National Hockey League Players' Association.  

Reprinted with permission from Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2005 - www.chambersandpartners.com.