Five minutes with … Robert Hayward, Kirkland & Ellis

In this article, partner Bob Hayward participated in IFLR’s “Five minutes with” series discussing his life and career at Kirkland.

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Welcome to the latest instalment of IFLR’s ‘Five minutes with’ series, where we learn more about lawyers on a personal as well as a professional level. This time we have Robert Hayward, partner at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago.

Someone asks you at a party what you do for a living. What do you say?

I take great American companies public through an IPO, and I also represent companies across industries and of all sizes on transformative matters including on some of the most complex and sensitive issues that public companies have to confront.

Talk us through a typical working day.

There is no such thing as a typical work day other than getting into the office by 6 am. The few hours before others come in and the phone starts ringing is my time to prepare for a full day of adventures. I represent complex and diversified companies across industries, so each day is unique and different. Then, you throw in all the curve balls coming in from raising three sons with my wife. It’s controlled chaos! It’s what keeps my life interesting and challenging.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m working on everything from preparing a large, multinational company to go public through an IPO to a financial restructuring of a long-time client to advising a board of directors on a mission critical matter. 

What is the most exciting aspect of your role and what is the most stressful? 

Closing the deal – always – is the most exciting! The 24 to 48 hours before a successful execution is always the most stressful. It’s the moment that challenges you the most. 

Tell us the key characteristics that make a successful capital markets lawyer. 

You need to have exceptional judgement, work hard, and have great client relation and collaboration skills. What makes you different, though, is your creativity and ability to look around corners to find solutions to problems before they become problems. 

What is the most common misconception about being a capital markets lawyer?

Well, it’s more than just about raising capital. When you are able to talk about how you can make a difference every day – whether it is helping the next great American company go public or saving a company from a major crisis – most people become intrigued. 

What or who inspires you? 

My family. My parents instilled in me the values necessary to achieve excellence and always do what is right. My wife and I have tried to pass along those same values to our three boys. It is very rewarding to be able celebrate their individual successes. 

If you weren't a capital markets lawyer, what would you be doing? 

I would own and run an iconic Napa Valley vineyard. 

Any advice you would give your younger self? 

It’s important to know that you can’t ever control an outcome, but you’ll always be in control of your efforts. Focus on giving your very best effort to everything you do and then trust whatever the outcome, even the ones that seem disastrous in the moment. It is exactly the best outcome for you because it is the outcome that will lead you to the place you are actually meant to be.