Kirkland Hires Three New Square Barrister as London IP Partner in Continued City Lateral Push
Kirkland & Ellis has hired a barrister from Three New Square — a leading specialist intellectual property (IP) chambers in London — as a partner in its IP practice, according to Law360. The lateral hire brings specialist IP litigation expertise directly into Kirkland's London partnership, a move that continues the firm's sustained investment in its City practice across contentious and transactional disciplines. Three New Square is one of the UK's most prominent IP sets, with a strong track record in patent litigation, trade marks, and related technology disputes before the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court and the Patents Court. Recruiting directly from the Bar — rather than from another law firm — is a deliberate strategy for US firms looking to strengthen their English-law litigation capability by bringing in advocates with direct court experience rather than solicitor-practitioners who would have historically relied on separate briefing counsel. The hire reflects the broader pattern of elite US firms deepening their London partnerships in specialist practice areas as they compete more aggressively for high-margin English-law mandates that were previously the preserve of Magic Circle and leading UK litigation practices.
Why this matters
Recruiting a barrister directly from a leading IP set into a law firm partnership is a strategic move that strengthens Kirkland's ability to run contentious IP matters end-to-end in London without relying on external counsel. This is commercially significant given the volume of tech sector M&A and licensing disputes that benefit from integrated transactional and litigation IP advice. The hire also reflects the increasing permeability of the Bar/solicitor divide as US firms build out City practices capable of competing with Magic Circle firms on complex English-law IP work. For students targeting US firms in London, this signals that specialist IP and tech-sector disputes are active growth areas.
On the Ground
A trainee supporting an IP litigation matter would assist with disclosure review and categorisation of technical documents, prepare witness statement bundles, and conduct research for skeleton arguments. They would also help coordinate cross-border legal opinion requests where the dispute involves IP rights registered in multiple jurisdictions.
Interview prep
Soundbite
Hiring from the Bar directly into partnership signals US firms are building self-sufficient English-law IP litigation capability rather than relying on briefed counsel.
Question you might get
“What are the structural differences between how US law firms and traditional English law firms staff IP litigation, and how is that changing?”
Full answer
Kirkland & Ellis has hired a barrister from Three New Square — a leading London IP chambers — as a London partner, reinforcing its City IP litigation practice. Recruiting an advocate with direct courtroom experience, rather than a solicitor, accelerates Kirkland's ability to run complex patent and IP disputes natively without relying on briefed counsel. This fits the broader trend of elite US firms deepening their London presence in high-margin specialist areas to compete with Magic Circle firms on English-law mandates. For the IP disputes market, the hire signals increasing consolidation of advisory and advocacy functions within major law firms.
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