2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Home to approximately 1,300 attorneys across all offices, including Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and eight locations across Europe, Willkie Farr & Gallagher is perhaps best recognized as one of the New York elites, with more than 600 attorneys in its New York headquarters. The firm’s placement in major global markets complements its extensive transaction and litigation capabilities across approximately 45 practice areas.

On Broadway

In 1888, four lawyers opened a firm on a little street called Broadway in New York City, naming it Hornblower & Byrne. Toward the end of the 19th century, the firm picked up a new name partner who would shape the next 40 years: William W. Miller. During the Miller years, the firm added attorneys of influence to its ranks (including future Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter), worked on landmark cases, and merged with Miller, Otis & Farr. A young Iowan named Harold Gallagher joined as an associate in 1917, made partner in 1925, and continued as a member of the firm for 51 years. In 1941, former presidential candidate Wendell Willkie joined the ranks, and although he was only at the firm for three years, he made his mark. The firm became Willkie Farr & Gallagher in 1968.

All-Around Excellence

Covering nearly 45 practice areas, Willkie lawyers work across more than 25 industries, including energy, financial services, healthcare, infrastructure, insurance, manufacturing, real estate investment trusts, and transportation. Willkie is known for its strong corporate and financial services department, which handles contested takeovers, leveraged re-caps, management buyouts, and strategic alliances, and is consistently ranked among the top firms in the nation for M&A transactions. The firm is also highly regarded for its private equity practice, which handles acquisition finance, growth capital, leveraged buyouts, management buyouts, private investments in public equity, public M&A, and venture capital and counsel on fund formation, compliance, corporate governance, and restructuring.

Another top practice for the firm is insurance, serving as M&A, corporate, securities, and regulatory counsel to clients across the insurance industry in their most significant M&A, capital markets, and finance transactions, as well as in regulatory matters and high-stakes litigation. Willkie also boasts a top-notch litigation practice that is particularly well-regarded for its securities litigation work as well as cross-border regulatory matters and white collar defense, regularly leading audit committee investigations into financial reporting issues. The firm’s antitrust group represents clients internationally in litigation and advising on large-scale mergers and cartel investigations. Willkie’s cybersecurity practice counsels on deals and issues shaping the digital economy, and the entertainment practice represents marquee clients including A-list actors, sports teams, musicians, and vanguard media companies.

Individual Fulfillment, Success for All

Willkie’s collegial culture is a key part of what makes the firm a fulfilling place to practice law. Its collaborative spirit helps lawyers excel early in their careers and build the relationships that are integral to long-term success. Willkie regularly hosts social events and monthly informal gatherings as well as many other programs to cultivate the connections and perspectives that help lawyers achieve their goals. Willkie also has a tradition of corporate social responsibility and civic leadership. The firm’s award-winning pro bono program provides legal services to underrepresented individuals, communities, and organizations. These efforts include groundbreaking lawsuits that have brought justice to the vulnerable and positively impacted millions of people nationwide.

• A-List Law Firm, 2025—The American Lawyer
• Ranked among the Most Innovative Firms in North America, 2025—Financial Times
• Two partners named Dealmaker of the Year, 2026—The American Lawyer
• Practice Group of the Year for Private Equity and Real Estate, 2025—Law360
• Litigation Department of the Year: Finance, 2025—New York Law Journal