Cleary Gottlieb
New York, NYWashington, DCSan Francisco, CA +1
FIRM PROFILE
King & Spalding
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Charlotte, NC
- +11
Hailing from Atlanta but reigning across borders, King & Spalding proves that Southern roots and international power can sit comfortably on the same throne.
About the Firm
- 15
- National Offices
- 11
- Overseas Offices
- 476
- Associates
- 482
- Partners
As one Atlanta native shared: “It was always the goal; I always saw it as the best firm in Atlanta, so it was where I wanted to be.” Beyond its reputation, King & Spalding is also noted for a culture that encourages juniors to express their ideas. We were told: “This is a firm that’s a really good fit for someone who wants to quickly voice their opinion on matters… it’s a collaborative environment and they want input from associates at all stages.” The firm has 26 global offices, 14 of them in the US, and most of our associates were found in Washington DC, New York, and Atlanta.
“… it’s a collaborative environment and they want input from associates at all stages.”
The firm's clientele range from Corporate America to Forbes 100, to prove it. So, rest assured that working with industry-known businesses is the norm here. Chambers USA also speaks to the firm’s success, with areas like antitrust, banking and finance, corporate/M&A, healthcare, general commercial litigation, white-collar crime and government investigations litigation, and real estate all scoring top-tier rankings.
Summer Program
- 107
- Summer Places
Associates described the summer program as “the best job you’ll ever have for ten weeks,” praising the substantive work that they handled. This ranged from investigations across different industries to legal research, drafting summaries, attending depositions, and sitting in on client meetings. Many felt that the experience offered a genuine insight into what a typical day at the firm would look like. During the summer program, the firm also offers Connect K&S, a system that allows summers to travel to a different office for a week, which has now been rolled out to their international offices too. Associates’ advice for incoming summers would be to talk to as many people as they can, even those outside of their practice area as “it’s beneficial to connect because when you come back everyone remembers you, and you become part of the culture.”
Strategy & Future
“We had our best year yet in 2025,” quipped David Willingham, trial and global disputes partner at King & Spalding. He told us that the firm are “already established in the market but have blue skies to grow into.” Willingham explained that in order to achieve this success and growth trajectory, investing in their people is vital: “Our strategy is to invest in the people who are here and hire the right mix of people with the expertise our clients need, who fit into our collaborative culture.” And the key to this? Mentorship. “There is a true focus on mentorship at the firm,” shared Willingham, “we know how important professional development training and real-world opportunities are for the next generation of lawyers.”
When it comes to changes in the legal industry, Willingham told us: “AI is here; there’s no denying it.” He provided insight into how the firm has integrated AI-related training for their lawyers, to ensure they understand how emerging technologies are shaping legal practice and how to use the right tools in a responsible and thoughtful way. As Willingham said, “the winners will be the ones who go beyond using AI for efficiency purposes,” adding how “we look at it as an opportunity to be part of a transformation of legal practice, to gain new capabilities and to grow even more.”
Read more from our conversation with David Willingham under the 'Get Hired' tab.
The Work
Most associates were situated within the special matters and government investigations, business litigation, and corporate practice areas. During their first year, juniors tended to rely on the centralized staffing partner when being assigned matters. “They serve as a liaison between other partners in each practice group,” shared one insider. According to sources, being staffed on matters becomes more organic once relationships are built with the partners, with one explaining: “Now that I’m in my third year, it’s more common for partners to reach out to me.”
Associates in the special matters and government investigations practice area described a culture of collaboration and adaptability. “It’s an environment where we are one big team; we have a one-firm mentality” explained one junior. Sources also noted how the work “encompasses a lot of different types of investigations, industries and clients,” including white-collar crime across both internal and external congressional matters for the Department of Justice, US Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. As one insider put it: “I like the experience of getting exposure to all of the different industries.” Juniors are exposed to educational matters, government contract matters and the healthcare life sciences field for pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Sources emphasized that success in this group starts with being observant and curious, which means “you need to keep an ear on the ground on what is happening at Capitol Hill”. The firm encourages juniors to develop different interests within the practice group, with one insider explaining that “it’s so diverse they encourage us to gain an area of expertise and then a minor secondary area.”
Special matters and government investigations clients: Undisclosed
“Whatever kind of IP comes through the door, you get to handle as an associate.”
Associates in the business litigation team noted the variety of work, describing it as “a relatively broad umbrella,” covering everything from large commercial disputes to complex shareholder battles.
“The entire litigation group at K&S encompasses our appellate and intellectual property teams, as well as our financial services and securities litigation,” explained one insider. Put simply, you’ll never go hungry for work here. Associates also gain exposure by handling patents, trademarks and trade secrets. Juniors quickly take on meaningful roles within the array of matters they’re involved with. One insider advised that, here, “you need to be a self-starter as you’re engaging in substantive work as a junior and we’re leanly staffed so there’s a lot of room for juniors to take on responsibility quickly.”
And that responsibility covers a wide range of matters too: “I do a variety of work, commercial disputes, security, healthcare and managed care litigation, as well as investigations work, and antitrust.” Sources explained that the group’s main focus was on disputes and litigation, with the department being “a powerhouse when it comes to that”. Flexibility on matters is the norm at King & Spalding, as one junior noted “whatever kind of IP comes through the door you get to handle as an associate,” adding how this framework gives juniors a lot of opportunities and ownership for their work.
Business litigation clients: Madison Square Garden Company, Sephora France and Sephora USA, Delta Air Lines. Currently representing Danone in a trade dress infringement case filed by Nestlé.
In King & Spalding’s corporate practice, a dynamic workload isn’t just reserved for senior associates, with juniors thrown into the deep end from day one. “We have a lot of different matters going on at once, probably 10-15 going on at the same time, especially as a junior,” said one source. So, if deal-making is your calling, this side of the firm offers a dynamic mix: corporate, finance and restructuring, real estate and funds. With clients ranging from global financial institutions to leaders in energy, life sciences and telecommunications. One junior explained the importance of client relationships: “We represent our clients with any kind of regulatory questions they have,” adding how a key skill for associates in this group is attention to detail.
Corporate clients: United Parcel Service, Phillips 66, Roper Technologies, Inc. Advised Under Armour in its acquisition of Unless Collective, Inc.
Career Development
“It’s a conscious decision to hire small… it’s because they don’t hire for attention, so there’s room for everyone to make counsel and partner in the future.”
“We have a robust program of trainings given to us,” said one insider, adding that there’s lots of ways for associates to seek out mentorship and career development at King and Spalding. Another confirmed this: “I’m always getting an invite for training put on my calendar on a weekly basis.” The firm offers programs for associates to help with their career development, including ‘Advance at K&S’ which was highly praised by sources, who explained that associates are given a budget for courses they might want to take with the aim of furthering their own professional development.
Insiders also praised the ‘Link Program’ whereby the firm links a junior with a host at the office, and every month they receive an email invite to that month’s link activity, which could be for something simple like getting a coffee.
While associates appreciated the formal training, they also had a lot of love for the informal training that they receive. “The best form of training is informal training, that’s the type where you can make a connection with a partner, senior or counsel, and they take you under their wing and help you develop while being mindful of your career goals,” highlighted one junior. “I’ve had partners provide very in-depth, specific feedback… which is super helpful,” said another.
Partners were described as ‘phenomenal’ when it comes to providing guidance to juniors. Insiders shared that the firm’s deliberately lean hiring strategy reflects a commitment to long-term growth, with one associate stating: “It’s a conscious decision to hire small… it’s because they don’t hire for attention, so there’s room for everyone to make counsel and partner in the future.”
Hours & Compensation
- No requirement
- Billable hours requirement
Associates are required to hit 1,950 billable hours in order to receive their lockstep bonus. Sources shared that 100 of those hours can count towards pro bono. The consensus from associates was that hitting their billable hours was no problem at all. “I would be surprised if any associate in my group didn’t hit it,” remarked a business litigation junior. When matters heat up, juniors described working long days for a week at a time but insisted that this was not a regular occurrence and that the firm was supportive during instances like these. “They told me not to do that much again next week,” said one source, while another added: “Partners are very conscious of the demand of this job, and they try to limit it as best as they can.”
Culture
“I enjoy the fact that the culture is rooted in connection.”
Beyond the work, associates point to a culture that blends prestige with a Southern sense of camaraderie. Intellectual curiosity isn’t just encouraged here; it’s considered a core value and with leaner teams juniors often find themselves working with top-tier clients. “You can get interesting work at any firm, but at K&S I’m part of a team where I’m viewed as an equal,” shared one source. Associates spoke about how it’s the culture that really sets the firm apart: “Not only are we interacting with top-notch clients and working on interesting matters, but I enjoy the fact that the culture is rooted in connection.” Senior associates and partners are also said to be easy to confide in: “It’s an open-door policy, I work with some of the busiest partners here and they always make timefor me.” As another put it: “Being in the office is the way you learn from mentorship.”
Pro Bono
- 42,173
- Total Us Pro Bono Hours
- 36
- Average Pro Bono Hours Per Attorney
“What I really love is that there’s so many different opportunities that they care about.”
“People are proactive about pro bono at the firm,” underlined one insider. And with an expansive list of matters to cover, there’s more than enough pro bono to go around. Associates discussed working on cases related to immigration, veteran causes, criminal defense, fair housing, religious liberty, family law and domestic matters. “What I really love is that there’s so many different opportunities that they care about,” reflected one source. The firm encourages juniors to take on pro bono opportunities, and this meant that some could get substantive court experience as a junior. As one insider mused: “it feels like a safe way to get more exposure.” The pro bono team at King & Spalding send out weekly emails containing pro bono matters that associates can jump into and will also match juniors up to a specific matter or partner they want to work with.
Inclusion
“There’s a benefit of getting people from different walks of life, as they can examine a problem from a different perspective!”
At K&S, inclusion is “something that is very important to the firm.” King & Spalding provides formal training for associates on inclusivity within the workplace as the firm houses “people from a wide array of backgrounds and experiences.” As one source said: “The firm is innovative in a lot of different ways, and a lot comes from the people within the firm.” The firm offers a number of affinity groups which are open to all lawyers, examples of which include the African American Attorneys, LGBTQ+ Attorneys, First Generation Professionals, Latinx Attorneys, Women’s Alliance, Asian Attorneys, and the Armed Forces Attorney Coalition. As one insider proclaimed, “there’s a benefit of getting people from different walks of life, as they can examine a problem from a different perspective!” All firm programs and resources are open to all lawyers.
Contact this law firm
Top Figures
- Atlanta
- Largest US Office
- Undisclosed
- Revenue (£m)
- $225,000
- 1st Year Salary
- 23
- Partners Made
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