Kirkland’s Litigator Hiring Surge Nabs Orrick Mass Tort Leaders

Kirkland & Ellis added a pair of trial lawyers from Orrick LLP as the firm continues a hiring binge in its litigation practice.

Kirkland, the most profitable large law firm in the US, hired partners Meghan Kelly and Bill Oxley, who co-led Orrick’s complex litigation and dispute resolution practice. The firm has increased its litigator headcount by nearly a third since the beginning of 2024, including by stockpiling lawyers with experience defending mass tort cases.

Kelly and Oxley have represented Dow Chemical and Johnson & Johnson, among other clients. They focus on products liability and mass tort work, along ...