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Chicago Legal Partners Honoured as Notable Minorities in Law

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Chicago, on Lake Michigan in Illinois, is among the largest cities in the United States Famed for its bold architecture, it has a skyline punctuated by skyscrapers such as the iconic John Hancock Centre, 1,451-ft. Willis Tower and the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower. 

For the second consecutive year, Crain’s Chicago Business has named partners Zulf Bokhari, Roderick Branch, and Robert Fernandez to its Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting, and Law 2020 list. The honourees are recognised for having “overcome challenges and bias to rise to the top of their professions” through both their practice work and efforts to advance diversity and inclusion.

Bokhari, a member of Latham’s Banking Practice, represents leading commercial and investment banks in the syndicated loan markets, often advising on cross-border financings for working capital, acquisitions, and other purposes. A profile published by Crain’s highlighted his recent representation of a major United States bank on multiple transactions, including as lead agent / arranger and lender in US$2 billion revolving credit facilities for a global health care company and related financings for its European operations. Crain’s also noted his role on the advisory board of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame.

Branch, a member of Latham’s Capital Markets and Latin America Practices, advises on capital markets transactions, with a focus on securities offerings by non-United States issuers. His published profile featured Branch’s recent representations of IEnova, Mexico’s largest private-sector energy company, in an US$800 million bond offering, Aon in a US$1 billion senior note financing, Hyatt Hotels in bond financings of US$1.65 billion, and Cars.com in its debut US$400 million high-yield financing.

Branch is the immediate past Chicago office leader of Latham’s Hispanic/Latin American Lawyers Group, and he leads the firm’s International Visiting Associate program, through which law firm associates join Latham full time for a year. In 2020, Branch was also named to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra board of trustees.

Fernandez, a member of Latham’s Real Estate Practice, specialises in financings, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, commercial leasing, and real estate development. His profile in Crain’s noted his recent advise to institutional investors on joint ventures in connection with multifamily, student housing, industrial, and large mixed use developments.

For example, he advised a hedge fund in connection with a large office tower lease in Chicago, and a real estate investment and hospitality management company on a joint venture to acquire a Las Vegas hotel and casino. Fernandez is a member of Latham’s Global Diversity Leadership committee and is Chicago office leader of the firm’s Hispanic / Latin American Lawyers Group. He also serves on the Civic Federation board in Chicago.

In addition to the trio being selected among the 2019 Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting, and Law honourees, Bokhari and Branch were also previously included in Crain’s predecessor lists of the Most Influential Minority Lawyers in Chicago in 2017 and 2018.

Cathy Birkeland Featured in Chicago Law Bulletin

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Cathy Birkeland has been featured in the inaugural Women in Law report by the Chicago Law Bulletin, which profiled “50 exceptional women leaders in the law”.

Cathy helps issuers, underwriters, and investors execute successful capital markets transactions, and advises public companies and boards of directors on corporate governance and securities law matters.

Her published profile highlighted both Birkeland’s leadership roles in Latham’s Chicago office and her market-leading practice as a member of the firm’s Capital Markets Practice.

Latham’s Chicago office, on the ground for more than four decades and more than 200 lawyers strong, provides a full scope of services to United States and global clients across virtually every industry while connecting seamlessly with the resources and reach of the firm’s worldwide platform.

It also cited her dedication to mentoring young lawyers and deep commitment to diversity, as well as her active involvement in the Chicago community — including her current leadership of Latham’s Chicago Taskforce for the Commitment to Racial Justice and Economy, which is dedicated to fighting racial injustice and promoting equality through pro bono efforts, programming, and financial support for Chicago-based organisations.

Latham is dedicated to working with clients to help them achieve their business goals and overcome legal challenges anywhere in the world. From a global platform spanning 14 countries, Latham lawyers help clients succeed.

Home to top-ranked lawyers from the full spectrum of corporate, finance, tax, and litigation practices, our Chicago office routinely advises on high-profile mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, public company, banking, restructuring, real estate, and shareholder activism matters.

And our nationally renowned Chicago-based trial lawyers regularly set precedents affecting entire industries, from high-stakes securities litigation and cutting-edge intellectual property matters to make-or-break investigations, class actions, and environmental matters.

American Law Firm Sponsors GLAAD Spirit Day

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Spirit Day is an annual LGBTQ awareness day observed on the third Thursday in October. Started in 2010 by Canadian teenager Brittany McMillan, it was initially created in response to a rash of widely publicised bullying-related suicides of gay school students in 2010, including that of Tyler Clementi.

Kirkland & Ellis is proud to sponsor GLAAD’s annual Spirit Day for the eighth year in a row. GLAAD is the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organisation.

Spirit Day, which takes place this year on October 15, 2020, is the largest and most visible anti-bullying campaign in the world that aims to accelerate the acceptance of LGBTQ youth. Spirit Day inspires millions of people around the world to wear purple or “go purple” online in a unified stance against bullying and to show their support for LGBTQ youth.

Kirkland has been a proud official international sponsor of Spirit Day since 2013.

Each year, the Firm demonstrates its support on Spirit Day by encouraging Kirkland employees worldwide to wear purple, celebrate diversity and inclusion, and continue important conversations within the Firm, the legal profession and the community.

Kirkland also contributes to GLAAD’s Spirit Day Fund, which supports GLAAD’s year-round efforts to combat bullying, protect LGBTQ youth and garner participation in Sprit Day each October.

Kirkland is an American law firm. Founded in 1909 in Chicago, Illinois, Kirkland is the largest law firm in the world by revenue and the seventh-largest by number of attorneys, and was the first law firm in the world to reach US$4 billion in revenue.

2020 Gender Equity and Family Friendliness Report

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Gender equity is the process of being fair to women and men. To ensure fairness, strategies and measures must often be available to compensate for women’s historical and social disadvantages that prevent women and men from otherwise operating on a level playing field.

YLW recognised Kirkland as a Top Firm for Parental & Caregiver Leave in its 2020 annual Top Firms for Gender Equity & Family Friendliness Report.

YLW works to advance the status of women and traditionally underrepresented gender identities at Yale Law School and in the legal profession at large.

To realise this mission, we create programming, resources, and mentorship opportunities to bolster our members’ pursuit of their professional and personal goals.

YLW is a non-partisan organisation committed to building a supportive community of women at Yale Law School and beyond.

The annual list is a policy survey of Vault 100 law firms that examines inequities within the legal profession, highlights progress being made in the industry and identifies areas for improvement to serve as a tool for law firms, lawyers, and future lawyers with the aspiration of building more equitable workplaces.

Kirkland was previously honoured as a Top Family Friendly Firm in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015.

Kirkland Overview

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is an American law firm. Founded in 1909 in Chicago, Illinois, Kirkland & Ellis is the largest law firm in the world by revenue, the seventh-largest by number of attorneys, and is the first law firm in the world to reach US$4 billion in revenue.