King & Spalding
Interesting selling points
- King & Spalding’s London office is known for its banking and finance, corporate/M&A, public international law, and international arbitration work.
- The firm is well regarded for its expertise relating to the energy and natural resources, transport, and technology sectors.
- Chambers and Partners has awarded King & Spalding its ‘Band 1’ ranking for its Banking & Finance: Fund Finance, Construction: International Arbitration and International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration departments.
- Notable clients of King & Spalding include Air Canada, Shell, the US Soccer Federation, TikTok, Deutsche Bank, Mitsubishi, Western Union, EDF and Mastercard.
- The firm has developed a number of its own legal tech offerings, including a Real Estate Hub app, which provides participants in the real estate industry with exclusive, user-generated information about the current real estate market.
- The firm has developed its own Founders Day, which is a firm-wide community service initiative that celebrates the legacy and community engagement established by the firm’s founding partners. Volunteers in each office donate their time to support children’s hospitals and health organisations.
We cover these selling points in more detail below, alongside other relevant firm facts and characteristics.
Practice areas / services
King & Spalding is an international law firm with a broad offering that covers both disputes and transactions. It has the following practice areas:
- Activist Defence
- Antitrust
- Appellate, Constitutional and Administrative Law
- Banking and Institutional Finance
- Bankruptcy and Insolvency Litigation
- Capital Markets
- Class Action
- Commercial Litigation
- Construction and Engineering Disputes
- Construction and Procurement
- Corporate and Securities Litigation
- Corporate, Finance and Investments
- Corporate Governance
- Data, Privacy and Security
- E-Discovery
- Emerging Companies and Venture Capital
- Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation
- Energy and Infrastructure Projects
- Environmental, Health and Safety
- FDA and Life Sciences
- Financial Restructuring
- Global Human Capital and Compliance
- Government Advocacy and Public Policy
- Government Contracts
- Government Matters
- Healthcare
- Intellectual Property
- International Arbitration and Litigation
- International Trade
- Investment Funds and Asset Management
- Labour and Employment
- Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)
- Middle East and Islamic Finance and Investment
- National Security and Corporate Espionage
- Private Credit & Special Situations
- Private Equity
- Product Liability
- Professional Liability
- Public Companies
- Real Estate
- Securities Enforcement and Regulation
- Special Matters and Government Investigations
- Structured Finance and Securitization
- Tax
- Technology Transactions
- Trial and Global Disputes
- Toxic & Environmental Torts
Chambers and Partners, a leading analyst of the legal market, has awarded King & Spalding its ‘Band 1’ ranking for the following departments: Banking & Finance: Fund Finance, Construction: International Arbitration and International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration. See here for more information
Key sectors / industries
King & Spalding services a broad range of industries, with some of its most notable clients operating in the following sectors:
In addition, King & Spalding services the following sectors: Energy Transition, Energy, Food and Beverage, and Higher Education.
Work
King & Spalding’s work includes:
- TikTok: King & Spalding secured a victory for TikTok in the US in connection with lawsuits filed by users who allege injuries from the use of the defendants’ online communication services, as well as US school districts and local government entities alleging they incurred costs associated with addressing harm to students’ mental health.
- 2028 Super Bowl: The firm represented Atlanta’s Super Bowl Host Committee to secure Atlanta as the host for Super Bowl 2028. It will be the fourth time Atlanta has hosted the Super Bowl.
- Johnson & Johnson: The firm secured a defense verdict for Johnson & Johnson in a cosmetic talcum powder litigation in the US.
Offices / global footprint / expansion
Headquarters: Atlanta, 1180 Peachtree Street
Offices: The firm has 22 offices worldwide, including in various cities across the US and Europe. Its London office is at 125 Old Broad Street.
Insights, internships and other opportunities
King & Spalding provides a variety of insights into the work it does and the trends relating to its key areas of works. For example, the firm has an “Auditor Liability Bulletin” which provides updates on regulatory enforcement, civil litigation and other developments related to the accounting profession (click here to find out more). The firm also publishes a variety of newsletters covering topics such as financial services, health, and private funds (click here to find out more). Members of the firm also regularly speak at events, conferences and seminars (click here to find out about upcoming events).
The firm has also been known to host open days and vacation schemes, so keep an eye out for updates on the firm’s graduate recruitment website (linked below).
Training contract
The firm recruits 4 trainees per year. Seat options include banking, disputes, energy and projects, finance, international arbitration, international trade, Islamic finance, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and tax.
Secondments
There are no opportunities for client or international secondments.
Technology and innovation
The firm uses technology and innovation to help it operate “at the intersection of technological innovation and the law”. Examples of its work in this area include:
- The Real Estate Hub App: the firm launched the Real Estate Hub app, which provides participants in the real estate industry with exclusive, user-generated information about the current real estate market. The app features an interactive survey, articles, case studies and analysis.
- K&S Capital Chart: the firm created a database which can track more than 400 capital sources, such as investors, lenders and portfolio companies, across its global network. It helps guide clients looking to raise or spend capital. In recognition of the database, the firm was awarded an “Innovation in Using Data” award at the Financial Times’ Innovative Lawyers North America 2022 Awards.
- Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs: the firm partnered with the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs to provide legal support and education for Atlanta’s black entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Corporate social responsibility
The firm’s pro bono efforts focus on representing the “most vulnerable members of society.” Examples of its pro bono work include:
- Special Court for Sierra Leone: the firm was appointed as independent counsel to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, following allegations of war crimes against the country’s former president.
- Founders Day: each June, King & Spalding volunteers participate in Founders Day, which is a firm-wide community service initiative that celebrates the legacy and community engagement established by the firm’s founding partners. Volunteers in each office of the firm donate their time to support children’s hospitals and health organisations.
- Lambda Legal: the firm worked with Lambda Legal, an LGBTQ+ civil rights organisation, to secure an appellate victory on behalf of a transgender client whose name-change petition had been denied by a lower court in Georgia.
Diversity and inclusion
King & Spalding focuses on diversity and inclusion, with initiatives in this area including:
- Women’s Alliance groups: there are women’s alliance groups in the firm’s offices around the world. Each alliance group has its own leadership team, focus and budget. Each group is also responsible for the planning and execution of activities. Events have included client events, career advancement sessions, and sessions discussing the challenges faced by female lawyers.
- Racial diversity: the firm promotes racial diversity via its 22 affinity groups, which are an important source of support and encouragement for diverse lawyers within the firm. In addition to this, the firm mentors and tutors diverse law students.
- LGBTQ+ Affinity: this affinity group provides opportunities for the firm’s lawyers to discuss and collaborate on efforts to support LGBTQ+ equality within the firm. The affinity group also works in collaboration with LGBTQ+ related community organisations such as the Trevor Project, Lambda Legal and Lavender Law.