2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

One of the New York elites, Willkie is home to more than 500 attorneys in New York. In addition to its home in the Big Apple, the firm has offices in Chicago, DC, Houston, Los Angeles, Palo Alto, and San Francisco, plus six locations across Europe. The firm is known for its work in antitrust, insurance, M&A, private equity, restructuring, and securities litigation, among other areas.

On Broadway

In 1888, four lawyers planted roots on a little street called Broadway in New York City, naming the firm 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—another major New York firm. 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 came along, and while he was only at the firm for three years, he made his mark. The firm became Willkie Farr & Gallagher in 1968.

All-Around Excellence

With an expansive list of practices, Willkie lawyers work across more than 20 industries, including energy, financial services, healthcare, infrastructure, insurance, manufacturing, REITs, and transportation, to name a few.

Willkie boasts a strong Corporate & Financial Services department. The firm’s M&A team handles contested takeovers, leveraged re-caps, management buyouts, and strategic alliances and also works hand-in-hand with the firm’s restructuring attorneys on acquisitions stemming from reorganization proceedings. The firm is also highly regarded for its private equity practice, which boasts more than 250 lawyers around the world. Its lawyers have deal experience in acquisition finance, growth capital, LBOs, MBOs, PIPEs, Public M&A, and venture capital and also counsel on fund formation, compliance, corporate governance, and restructuring.

Another bustling area for the firm is its Insurance and Reinsurance practice, which takes a multi-disciplinary approach, advising clients on everything from capital markets, M&A, litigation, regulatory issues, tax, and more. Willkie also boasts a top-notch litigation practice and is particularly well regarded for its securities litigation work. The firm has built a reputation for its experience in financial reporting issues, regularly handling audit committee investigations into fraudulent financial reporting.

Getting to Know You

Willkie is known for its social, amiable culture, and the firm helps boost camaraderie from the start. When first years arrive at the firm, they sit together in a shared space, providing the opportunity to bounce questions off each other. Attorneys at the firm will find plenty of opportunities to socialize with the firm’s famous daily cookie break at 3 p.m., its monthly informal gatherings (known around the firm as “IG”), and regular wellness programming takes its direction from associate feedback.

• Represented Ryan Reynolds as part owner of Mint Mobile in connection with T-Mobile’s acquisition of Mint Mobile for up to $1.35 billion (2023).
• Secured a victory in U.S. Supreme Court for AlixPartners and its CEO that limits the ability of parties to an arbitration abroad to compel discovery through orders from the federal courts. (2022).
• Represented Insight Partners in the closing of its $20 billion-plus fundraise (Fund XII) and $1.3 billion follow-on (Fund X) (2022).
• Secured a victory in EDNY for Thomas Barrack in a highly publicized trial alleging illegal foreign lobbying and obstruction of justice. After a seven-week jury trial, a jury found him not guilty on all charges. (2022)

• Fund Formation Practice Group of the Year, 2022—Law360 
• ESG and Community Impact Award, 2022—The National Law Journal 
• Mansfield Certification Plus 5.0, 2022—Diversity Lab  
• Pro Bono Partner of the Year, 2022—The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund
• “A-List” Law Firm, 2022—The American Lawyer