America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2006: Real Estate

Chambers & Partners has compiled their independent and objective list of America's Leading Lawyers for Business based on comments gathered from thousands of interviews with clients and lawyers from Maine to Hawaii. This guide -- which is designed to reflect market opinion -- contains a view of the firms and attorneys who are considered leaders in their field.

In Chambers' 2006 review of national legal talent in the area of "Real Estate," our Firm and our lawyers are listed among the best in the country.

Chambers' comments:

Illinois Ranking: 3

The Firm: Kirkland & Ellis' Chicago office is both the firm's oldest and largest. The team boasts nearly 30 interdisciplinary lawyers who over the past few years have been undertaking increasing amounts of real estate work. With an untarnished reputation in the private equity market, it is the growing interface between private equity and real estate that occupies the thoughts of this real estate department. It will come as no surprise, therefore, that its main areas of expertise include public and private REITs, real estate finance and workouts. The team also boasts a thriving hospitality practice.

The Lawyers: Stephen Tomlinson is not a dirt lawyer but focuses on the type of work that straddles the real estate and private equity divide, such as investment fund formation and corporate transactions in the realty industry. Researchers found unanimous support for the assertion that he is "a very skilled attorney." He divides his time between seats in the firm's Chicago and New York offices while also having a global practice.

Clients/Work Highlights: General Motors Asset Management, LaSalle Investment Management and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide are among the firm's clients.

Reprinted with permission from Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2006 - www.chambersandpartners.com.