Key Takeaways
- • Willkie Farr & Gallagher recruited two private equity partners from Goodwin Procter, signaling competitive talent movement in the elite corporate law market serving institutional PE investors.
- • The hire strengthens Willkie's private equity platform, which already advises more than 300 private equity sponsors and has positioned the firm as a destination for large-cap and middle-market transactions across 16 global market centers.
- • Willkie has grown its equity partnership from 148 partners in 2019 to 205 most recently, outpacing rival firms whose equity ranks have stagnated, while simultaneously scaling a non-equity partner tier to more than 120 lawyers since 2018.
- • Both firms maintain comprehensive private equity capabilities spanning fund formation, platform acquisitions, debt structuring, exits, and regulatory compliance across Investment Company Act, FCPA, sanctions, antitrust, and other compliance domains.
Summary
Willkie Farr & Gallagher has brought two private equity partners from Goodwin Procter into its fold, reinforcing competitive dynamics in the market for specialized legal talent serving institutional private equity investors. The move underscores ongoing consolidation pressures within the elite corporate law market, where differentiation hinges on depth of PE sector expertise and partner-level talent acquisition.
Willkie maintains one of the industry's most prominent private equity practices, with a track record spanning more than 60 years advising sponsors, targets, and portfolio companies. The firm's PE platform serves more than 300 private equity sponsors and thousands of portfolio companies and management teams across 16 key market centers in the United States and Europe. According to Chambers USA 2025 rankings, clients recognize Willkie as a leading firm for private equity fund formation and hedge funds, with one client noting the firm functions as "go-to" counsel and describing the team as "incredibly responsive and thoughtful in their approach" and operating beyond traditional legal advisory to serve as "counselors to our entire team."
Willkie's partnership structure reflects aggressive growth despite industry-wide headwinds. The firm's equity partnership expanded from 148 in 2019 to 205 most recently—a significant increase while peer firms faced stagnation or decline in equity ranks. Concurrently, Willkie established a non-equity partner tier in 2018 that has grown to exceed 120 lawyers, providing flexibility in compensation and partnership structures while maintaining core equity partnership expansion.
The private equity legal market has increasingly favored consolidation among leading firms, with competitors including Kirkland & Ellis, Holland & Knight, and Wilson Sonsini also expanding non-equity partnership tiers by 25% or more. Willkie's service platform encompasses fund structuring and formation, platform and tuck-in acquisitions, co-invest structures, debt financing (including bank credit and private credit), lifecycle events, IPOs, SPACs, and regulatory compliance across Investment Company Act, Investment Advisers Act, FCPA, sanctions, antitrust, and CFIUS matters—positioning the firm to capture high-value transactions across the PE ecosystem.
Willkie maintains one of the industry's most prominent private equity practices, with a track record spanning more than 60 years advising sponsors, targets, and portfolio companies. The firm's PE platform serves more than 300 private equity sponsors and thousands of portfolio companies and management teams across 16 key market centers in the United States and Europe. According to Chambers USA 2025 rankings, clients recognize Willkie as a leading firm for private equity fund formation and hedge funds, with one client noting the firm functions as "go-to" counsel and describing the team as "incredibly responsive and thoughtful in their approach" and operating beyond traditional legal advisory to serve as "counselors to our entire team."
Willkie's partnership structure reflects aggressive growth despite industry-wide headwinds. The firm's equity partnership expanded from 148 in 2019 to 205 most recently—a significant increase while peer firms faced stagnation or decline in equity ranks. Concurrently, Willkie established a non-equity partner tier in 2018 that has grown to exceed 120 lawyers, providing flexibility in compensation and partnership structures while maintaining core equity partnership expansion.
The private equity legal market has increasingly favored consolidation among leading firms, with competitors including Kirkland & Ellis, Holland & Knight, and Wilson Sonsini also expanding non-equity partnership tiers by 25% or more. Willkie's service platform encompasses fund structuring and formation, platform and tuck-in acquisitions, co-invest structures, debt financing (including bank credit and private credit), lifecycle events, IPOs, SPACs, and regulatory compliance across Investment Company Act, Investment Advisers Act, FCPA, sanctions, antitrust, and CFIUS matters—positioning the firm to capture high-value transactions across the PE ecosystem.
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