Willkie Farr & Gallagher is a global law firm that focuses on private equity and venture capital work, providing legal advice to funds, sponsors, and portfolio companies. It delivers services through multidisciplinary teams across offices, handling deal origination, structuring, execution, financing, and regulatory matters, coordinating cross-border transactions. The firm stands out with its international footprint combined with a specialized PE/VC practice, enabling coordinated, cross-border guidance and deep industry experience. Its goal is to help clients close private equity and venture capital deals efficiently while managing risk and regulatory considerations across global markets.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Belgium
Founded
1888
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Willkie profiled in The Lawyer's Global Elite 2026. News. October 5, 2026 Willkie has been profiled as part of The Lawyer's Global Elite 2026, a report that examines the leading law firms in complex transactions, with a focus on strategic M&A, sector focus, talent investment, and strategy. The feature highlights the strength of Willkie's corporate platform across North America and Europe. The Lawyer identified Willkie's New York corporate team as the second largest of the Global Elite firms in New York. Willkie was also among the top 10 firms for corporate lateral hires in New York and London since 2024, and for corporate team promotions in London and the US. Adam Turteltaub, Co-Chair of the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice, sees the Firm's transatlantic structure, with roughly 340 corporate lawyers in the US, 50 in London, and another 100 across continental Europe, as a differentiator among elite firms and one of Willkie's advantages in M&A work. "We continue to be opportunistic," Adam said of Willkie's approach to lateral hiring. "That has been a strategic focus of ours for the last decade and will continue to be for the foreseeable future." Unlike some of its US competitors, the Firm's transatlantic approach extends beyond a New York-London one - Willkie's Paris office is "one of the leading corporate practices in France" and its German practice "has developed into one of the more-self-sufficient corporate practices of the international firms operating in Europe," The Lawyer noted. View The Lawyer's Global Elite 2026 report here (subscription may be required).
Willkie class action against Mastercard wins Case of the Year at Benchmark Litigation Europe Awards 2026. Award. October 5, 2026 Willkie was named the winner for "Antitrust/Competition Impact Case of the Year" at the Benchmark Litigation Europe Awards 2026, recognizing the leading dispute resolution practices in Europe. Willkie's litigation team in London was recognized for Merricks v. Mastercard, a lawsuit on behalf of approximately 46 million consumers that was the first collective action to be certified in the United Kingdom. The team represented Walter Merricks CBE in the landmark collective action seeking billions in damages against Mastercard on behalf of UK consumers who allegedly paid higher prices due to Mastercard's unlawful interchange fees. Willkie secured a settlement at the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal in May 2025, in litigation that ran for nearly a decade and created numerous groundbreaking and precedent-setting rulings. The Willkie team was led by partner and Global Chair of the Competition & Antitrust Litigation Practice Boris Bronfentrinker and partner Michelle Clark, along with associates Oliwia Siutkowska, Ronan Chisholm, and Cameron Wright. Additionally, Willkie was shortlisted in three categories: * "Antitrust & Competition Firm of the Year" * "Class Actions - Claimant Firm of the Year" * "Competition Litigator of the Year," London partner Boris Bronfentrinker View the honorees of the Benchmark Litigation Europe Awards 2026 here (subscription required).
Karen Lorang named to 2026 Commercial Real Estate visionaries by LA Times Studios. Award. September 29, 2026 Willkie partner Karen Lorang has been named a 2026 Commercial Real Estate Business Visionary by LA Times Studios. For the second year in a row, Karen was recognized among the most influential leaders across the commercial real estate sector in Southern California. The profile highlighted her work advising on some of the most significant projects across the country, including working with Tishman Speyer on its $2 billion development of Mission Rock in partnership with the San Francisco Giants and its public-private partnership with Ohio State University for the development of a 350-acre innovation district at the university. It also noted her representation of Breakthrough Properties' $159 million acquisition of a life science campus in San Diego. The profile highlighted Karen's commitment to her community, including her service on the board of directors of the Survivor Justice Center since 2017. As an adoptive parent, she also brings particular insight to advising on adoption-focused pro bono matters. View Karen Lorang's full profile here.
Kristen Young and Dharshini Prasad profiled in GAR on leadership appointments. News. September 22, 2026 Global Arbitration Review reported that partner Kristen Young has been appointed Global Co-Chair of Willkie's International Arbitration Practice Group and partner Dharshini Prasad has been appointed London Chair of the Practice Group. They will lead the practice alongside current Global Co-Chair Grégoire Bertrou. The article highlighted their experience in complex international arbitration matters and the strength of Willkie's platform. In their leadership roles, Kristen and Dharshini will continue to deliver top-tier advocacy to clients and help oversee the ongoing strategic growth of the practice, GAR reported. Kristen Young maintains a global practice focused on international investment treaty and commercial arbitration. She is widely recognized as a top practitioner and has a record of success in complex, groundbreaking international arbitration matters, including some of the most significant investor-State victories over the past decade. Kristen is currently representing Almaden Minerals Ltd. and Almadex Minerals Ltd. in their $2.7 billion ICSID arbitration against Mexico under the CPTPP concerning the Ixtaca gold-silver project, and Webuild in its $4.4 billion ICSID arbitration against Panama concerning the expansion of the Panama Canal. Dharshini Prasad is a leading international arbitration lawyer qualified to practice in Singapore, England & Wales, and New York. She regularly advises companies, governments and government entities on high-stakes, multi-jurisdictional disputes in an array of key industries, from energy and mining to technology, pharmaceuticals and private equity. She is currently representing clients in arbitrations worth over $20 billion, across six seats and seven arbitral rules. In addition to her work as counsel, Dharshini maintains an active practice as arbitrator and sits on the LCIA Court and the ICC UK Arbitration & ADR Committee. She also teaches international arbitration. View the coverage in Global Arbitration Review here (subscription may be required).
Willkie continues expansion of Private Funds team with addition of partner Shreyas Jhaveri. September 22, 2026 New York, NY (September 22, 2026) - Willkie today announced that private funds lawyer Shreyas Jhaveri has joined the Firm as a partner in the Asset Management Department. He is based in New York. Phil Isom, Chair of Willkie's Private Funds practice group, commented: "Shreyas has significant experience with private credit. His background in forming credit funds, establishing managed account arrangements and leading secondaries of private credit assets strengthens our capabilities in this sector and further enhances our premier global private funds offering." Shreyas' practice focuses on the formation and operation of private funds and other similar investment vehicles, with an emphasis on private credit. Shreyas's experience includes advising asset managers on the formation of closed-end and open-end direct lending, mezzanine, asset based credit, special situations, specialty finance, opportunistic and distressed funds, as well as establishing separate account structures for a variety of U.S. and non-U.S institutional investors. He also advises institutional investors and represents purchasers and fund sponsors in connection with secondary transactions. He joins a team of more than 30 partners in Willkie's Private Funds practice group dedicated to private fund formation and investments across the Firm's offices in New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, London, Paris and Frankfurt. His arrival follows the additions of private funds partners Erica Temel and Katy Kim in recent months. Shreyas was previously a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Shreyas commented: "I am delighted to join Willkie's industry-leading global asset management practice. The Firm has built a truly exceptional private funds platform with remarkable depth across the full spectrum of investment management matters. I look forward to working alongside such talented and collaborative colleagues and contributing to the continued growth of the practice." Willkie's Asset Management Department leverages subject matter experience and capabilities across all asset classes to advise virtually all types of participants in the industry, including privately owned sponsors and investment managers, publicly-traded asset management firms, broker-dealers, insurance companies, wealth management platforms, and banks, among others. With approximately 150 attorneys across eight offices in the United States and Europe, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP advise on the full spectrum of investment management matters, including fund formations, investments, restructurings, fund financings, asset management M&A, secondaries transactions, liquidity solutions, structured capital solutions, and operational, compliance and regulatory issues. ***************************************************** About Willkie Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP provides leading-edge legal solutions on complex, business critical issues spanning markets and industries. Its approximately 1,300 attorneys across 16 offices worldwide deliver innovative, pragmatic and sophisticated legal services across approximately 45 practice areas. Learn more at www.willkie.com.