King & Spalding

Atlanta-headquartered King & Spalding is a Top 20 global law firm by revenue, known in particular for its contentious work. In London specifically it pairs an elite disputes practice with a close focus on the energy sector. To begin, King & Spalding at a firm level maintains a formidable global reputation for contentious work excellence, consistently securing the #1 spot in Global Arbitration Review’s rankings as well as earning Band 1 status in Chambers Global for three years running. Perhaps even more impressively, the firm is one of only two law firms with over $2 billion in revenue and $5 million in profit per equity partner that still partake in more disputes work than transactional. This pedigree is mirrored more specifically in the London office, where the firm operates as a powerhouse for international arbitration, commercial litigation, and sector-specific disputes in energy, construction, and fraud (ranking in the top tier for The Legal 500 and Chambers UK across all these categories). Central to this vision are heavyweight partners such as Tom Sprange KC, John Savage KC, Stuart Isaacs KC, and former Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Max Hill KC - bringing the total count of KCs in the London disputes team to four. These leaders have recently spearheaded landmark successes, including securing a $900 million settlement for Colombia's Reficar in a precedent-setting UK restructuring trial against McDermott, and successfully defending clients in a 12-week, $349 million fraud trial in the London Commercial Court concerning oil trading profits. This enviable contentious capacity is (in the London office) supplemented by a full-serviced focus on the energy sector. In this regard, King & Spalding are particularly well known for ‘mega-project’ mandates. The office focuses strategically on the global energy transition, particularly hydrogen, ammonia, and large-scale decarbonisation initiatives, while maintaining a Tier 1 position in traditional upstream and LNG project financing as well. This vision is executed by a heavyweight London bench that includes energy industry head Dan Feldman, project finance specialist Dan Giemajner, and construction expert Matt Hardwick (both high-profile hires from Akin) alongside Kelly Malone, who is renowned for her work in the power and nuclear sectors. Recent landmark work highlights this dual-track excellence, with the team advising a consortium led by EDF and Masdar on the $1.5 billion Amaala Utility PPP (a 100% renewable off-grid system in Saudi Arabia) and representing PT Kayan Hydropower on the development of the 1,375 MW Mentarang Induk Hydropower Project in Indonesia. We have seen how King & Spalding’s historic core (both globally and in London) lies in its renowned disputes offering. However, in the world of law firms, nothing is static. And in the case of King & Spalding specifically, the firm is in the midst of a major strategic initiative to alter this balance somewhat. Specifically, Chairman Robert Hays has pointed to turning the London office into a truly full service offering is at the core of the firm’s 2030 vision. Since the project started in earnest in late 2023 revenue has grown by over 40%. This is enough to make King & Spalding one of the fastest growing firms in the City, and the single most quickly growing amongst firms that crossed the nine-figure barrier. From an operational perspective, Hays’ approach is predicated upon the lateral hiring of transactional partners from other US firms in the City. For instance, it recently snapped up James Connor from Orrick, whose practice is built around advising private-equity owned firms. What is clear, however, is the Hays is not satisfied yet. He is on record that - under his tenure - the London office will continue the transactional / disputes balancing process. Naturally, this is a process sure to involve the development and acquisition of non-contentious talent at the junior level too. Hays is clear that it is only through a sustained, balanced, full-service London office that King & Spalding compete with the very top. In sum, King & Spalding has serious ambition in London. If the global success of the firm over the past decade is anything to go by, they could be making a serious impact in fairly short order. This arguably makes the firm extremely apt for two sorts of future trainees: a) someone with a keen interest in what the firm already does well (i.e. disputes with an international dimension) or b) someone seeking to be a part of building out a transactional practice for the firm.