Rainmaking Kirkland & Ellis Trial Partner Jim Hurst Departs Firm

Rainmaking trial partner Jim Hurst has departed Kirkland & Ellis after spending the last nine years at the firm, the law firm confirmed on Thursday.

Hurst is best known for racking up wins for big clients, including pharmaceutical companies Abbott Laboratories and AbbVie Inc., in major trials and appeals over patents and other business issues.

“He has decided to step away from the practice of law, and we wish him the best,” Kirkland said in a statement. “Jim worked very hard over many years and is one of the preeminent trial lawyers in the country.”

Prior to leaving Kirkland, Hurst had been representing Abbott in a multi-district litigation stemming from allegations its recalled baby formula sickened infants. He is also representing Eli Lilly & Co. against claims it artificially inflated the price of insulin.

He joined Kirkland from Chicago rival Winston & Strawn, where he led the 500-lawyer litigation department. He left Winston despite being viewed as a candidate to become the firm’s chair.

His move to the then-upstart Kirkland in 2014 was viewed as groundbreaking, not only for the reported size of his contract—$9 million a year—but also because he was slated as a lateral hire to join the firm’s top management committee.

The structure of Hurst’s deal, crafted by Kirkland’s former chair Jeff Hammes, became more common as Kirkland attracted top partners from other firms.

Kirkland is now the highest-grossing firm in the country with more than $6.5 billion in revenue in 2022, and profits per equity partner of $7.5 million.

Hurst won industry awards that cited “win streaks” of six consecutive trials leading up to 2017 and eight consecutive trials leading up to 2012.