The Legal Cheek View
Since its humble beginnings in 1885 as a US transportation specialist, King & Spalding has done nothing but grow and thrive. Today, the firm operates 26 offices across the US, Europe, Japan, Singapore, the Middle East and as of recently Australia and shows no signs of slowing down. Its impressive financial performance fuels this expansion, with global revenues exceeding $2.6 billion (£1.95 billion). The London office alone boosted its revenues by a staggering 48%, generating $148.16 (£111.18 million). Profit per equity partner (PEP) now stands at over $7 million (£5.25 million), a hefty 22% uplift on the previous year.
Not to be outdone by its 25 other offices, the London base has made impressive strides in recent years. The firm has bolstered its position by attracting top talent from rival firms, including a 12-lawyer team from Cadwalader to strengthen its finance and restructuring practice, as well as a slew of partners from other competitors in the City. Globally, the firm has been busy: it kicked off 2025 by absorbing Riyadh-based Al Fahad & Partners, then followed up by launching a five-partner hub in Sydney.
As for the work itself, in line with their expansive approach, King & Spalding offer global support for a range of matters. The firm’s work is broadly divided into four categories: corporate, finance and investments, government matters, trial and global disputes, and industries/issues. Within these fields the London office is recognised for its banking and finance, and corporate/M&A work, along with its focus on energy and natural resources and both public international law and international arbitration.
During their training rookies are exposed to the whole range of the firm’s business. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, banking, disputes, energy and projects, finance, international arbitration, international trade, Islamic finance, M&A, real estate, and tax. To cover all this work with such a streamlined crew, new associates are expected to hit 1,800 hours over the calendar year, not an easy task, but by no means the highest standard set by a US firm in the City. The reward just might, however, make the hours worth it. For the lucky rookies who secure a training contract, the starting salary is £62,000, rising to £67,000 in year two, before jumping to a whopping £175,000 upon qualification. When you throw in the hefty SQE support, and an additional £17k to fund the conversion course, things are looking pretty good, at least financially! All of that is without even mentioning the swanky office situated at 8 Bishopsgate, right next door to the Gherkin and the Walkie-Talkie.
King & Spalding’s client roster is equally impressive, featuring names like Mitsubishi, Western Union, Deutsche Bank, the governments of Mongolia and Turkey, Shell, EDF, Total, MasterCard, and Air Canada. More recently, the firm advised Air France-KLM on its acquisition of a 25% minority stake in Canadian airline WestJet, as well as Atlas Holdings’ £263 million acquisition of money printer De La Rue. Pro bono work is also a clear priority. The firm previously represented the family of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko before the European Court of Human Rights, successfully securing a judgment that held the Russian state responsible for his murder. This commitment extends across the Atlantic, where the firm regularly works on death penalty appeals, human trafficking cases, asylum matters and legal issues relating to transgender rights and protections.
This pro bono and community focussed approach is bolstered by the firm’s over 100 non-profit partner organisations. Much like the client list, here you can find all of the big names in the charitable sphere. The Red Cross, UNICEF, and various UN entities make the list, as do Human Rights Watch, Feeding America, and an eccentric number of legal aid, justice, innocence, and civil rights and liberties organisations. For those looking for a big pay packet, hard but interesting work, and the chance to give back to the community nationally and internationally, this is certainly not a firm to be missed!