America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2005: Technology & IT Outsourcing

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' 2005 review of national legal talent in the area of "Technology & IT Outsourcing," our Firm and our lawyers are listed among the best in the country.

Chambers' comments:

Illinois Ranking:  2

The Firm: This firm has a well-earned reputation for efficiency and "good turnaround" in the provision of technology-related services. IT outsourcing is currently the most prominent area of activity for Kirkland & Ellis technology lawyers, but it boasts experience beyond this lucrative field. The firm's background in joint ventures and technology-led strategic alliances helps to raise market awareness of its ability to tackle a variety of difficult technology issues. A solid client base is built of Fortune 500 companies in industries ranging from construction to nanotech and RFID (radio frequency identification tags).

The Lawyers: The market is in awe of Gregg Kirchhoefer, an "extraordinary attorney" who "happens to be an IT expert." His expansive practice covers a panoply of transactional and general advisory work for both technology companies and technology buyers. Clients agree that "his thinking and presentation are elegant." Kirchhoefer's reputation as an expert on state-of-the-art technology and transaction structures lead overseas clients to seek him out. In one example, a Canadian company used him on a global alliance, even though the deal did not rely on US law.

The Clients: USG; WW Grainger; Accenture; Morgan Stanley; GM and Hitachi.

Reprinted with permission from Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2005 - www.chambersandpartners.com.