Trial Lawyer James F. Hurst to Join Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago
Kirkland & Ellis LLP is pleased to announce that nationally recognized trial lawyer James F. Hurst will join the Firm’s Chicago office as a partner in the Litigation and Intellectual Property Practice Groups. Mr. Hurst brings 25 years of experience trying cases in areas ranging from antitrust to intellectual property to appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Jim has earned acclaim as one of the finest trial lawyers in the country,” said Jeffrey C. Hammes, chairman of Kirkland’s Global Management Executive Committee. “His experience trying cases across a range of areas and industries, including in intellectual property disputes, made him a perfect fit for our practice and client base. We are very excited to welcome him to Kirkland.”
Mr. Hurst is a fellow of the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers, an honor bestowed to attorneys considered by judges and peers to be among the very best trial lawyers in the country. He joins Kirkland from the Chicago office of Winston & Strawn LLP, where he was chairman of the litigation department, former chairman of the intellectual property litigation department, and a member of that firm’s executive committee.
He has also been recognized by legal industry media. The American Lawyer honored him as a 2012 “Litigator of the Year Finalist,” noting that he won eight straight trials in the 18 months before the award. LMG Life Sciences called Mr. Hurst a “brilliant courtroom strategist,” describing him as among the “best in the business,” and one of the “best trial attorneys” some have “ever seen in a courtroom.” He was previously named a Law360 Intellectual Property MVP of the Year. He has also been recognized by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 U.S., Lawdragon, Managing Intellectual Property, The National Law Journal and Super Lawyers.
“Jim is a phenomenal strategist with the outstanding technical skills and enthusiasm for high-stakes litigation that you would expect from a top trial lawyer. His strong background in intellectual property litigation for pharmaceutical, medical device and health care companies, combined with substantial experience litigating a wide variety of cases outside of IP, will be a huge benefit for our clients and for the litigation practice at Kirkland,” said Greg Arovas, an intellectual property partner and member of Kirkland’s Global Management Executive Committee.
Mr. Hurst holds a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware. After law school, he served as a law clerk for the Hon. Marvin E. Aspen in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
A frequent speaker and lecturer, Mr. Hurst was named the William M. Trumbell Adjunct Professor of Law at Northwestern University School of Law, an appointment awarded for excellence in teaching.
Kirkland & Ellis is a 1,600-attorney law firm representing global clients in complex litigation, dispute resolution and arbitration, intellectual property, corporate, tax and restructuring matters. The Firm has offices in Chicago, Beijing, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Shanghai and Washington, D.C.
