Partner Brittany Sakowitz Featured in Bloomberg’s “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40”
Bloomberg Law named Kirkland partner Brittany Sakowitz to its 2026 “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40” list. Brittany was one of only two attorneys nationwide selected in the “Private Equity” category.
In an accompanying profile, Brittany discussed her most substantial wins for clients, important lessons she learned early in her career, how she defines success in her practice and her leadership style.
On lessons learned as a first-year attorney: “Early on, I learned that while I could not control seniority or experience, I could control effort — how deeply I understood the business and investment thesis, how quickly I turned comments, and how proactively I anticipated an issue before it surfaced. That mindset has shaped my approach to practice.”
On producing successful outcomes: “For me, success during the transaction process means being a steady, reliable presence in the room. If I can take something complicated and make it clearer, take something stressful and make it more manageable, or offload a colleague’s stress by talking things out or adding to my plate, that’s a win.”
On leadership and collaboration: “Executing an important deal or headline transaction is gratifying, but above all, I’m proud of the trust I’ve earned from my partners, colleagues, and clients. Trust isn’t built from a single deal but over time through consistency and reliability. When clients bring me into important matters early and rely on my judgment, and when my colleagues lean on me in pivotal career or life moments or when more hands are needed, I feel a sense of accomplishment more rewarding than completing any one deal.”
Bloomberg’s annual list recognizes the accomplishments of outstanding young lawyers nationwide. Honorees are determined by an extensive evaluation process, in which editors closely reviewed candidates’ records of success, recommendations from clients and peers, and the impact of their leadership on colleagues, clients and communities. Kirkland partners have been included in “They’ve Got Next” since the list’s inception in 2021.
Brittany is a corporate partner in Kirkland’s Houston and Austin offices, where she concentrates her practice on M&A and private equity. She advises private equity and venture capital investors, their portfolio companies, and other public and private companies across a broad range of industries, including infrastructure, energy and energy-related services, renewables, technology, and digital infrastructure.
