Overview
Introduction
At K&L Gates, attorneys tackle sophisticated work for high-caliber clients in a supportive environment. A free-market assignment system allows associates to exercise control over their workload, and more-senior attorneys act as willing mentors.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2025)
No. of Partners Named (2025)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2025)
No. of Summer Associates (2025)
Base Salary
Vault Verdict
With more than 45 offices worldwide and expertise in dozens of practice areas, K&L Gates is a great place for associates to start and grow their careers. Baseline credentials for getting hired include law school attended, grades, and journal experience, but the firm also looks for candidates who get along well with others, as firm settings are laid back and friendly. People work well together, support one another, and take an interest in others’ personal lives. Partners treat associates like colleagues and value their time and contributions. Partners provide feedback and care about professional development, too, which supplements formal trainings and curriculums created for specific practice areas. They’re also good about orienting lateral hires and getting them work assig...
About the Firm
K&L Gates is one of the largest law firms in the world, with approximately 2,000 lawyers across five continents. Among the firm’s top-notch practices are asset management and investment funds; corporate; energy and infrastructure; finance; intellectual property; labor, employment, and workplace safety; litigation and dispute resolution; policy and regulatory; and real estate.
Multiplicity
The new millennium saw a flurry of mergers, which formed the firm we now call K&L Gates. In January 2007, Seattle’s Preston Gates & Ellis got hitched to Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham (itself the product of one of the largest U.S.-U.K. mergers in legal history: the 2005 pairing of Pittsburgh-based Kirkpatrick & Lockhart and London’s Nicholson Graham &am...
Associate Reviews
- “Everyone is pretty laid back, and very friendly. Deadlines are important, of course, but I am not constantly pressured to work faster or work later. People are very willing to answer questions and explain new concepts, especially for me as a more junior associate. There are not an overwhelming amount of social activities, which I appreciate because I want to spend my time off with my family. The few social opportunities we have are well timed and often very close to the office (or even in the office), ma...
Getting Hired Here
- “I think our firm takes a holistic approach to hiring. Obviously, law school and grades matter, as well as relevant extracurriculars. I think personality/fit in conjunction with those factors is very important. I'm not knowledgeable about ‘feeder schools.’ To my knowledge, we don't have guidelines/training for candidates.”
- “Our firm does not have any ‘feeder schools.’ We look for candidates who have impressive all-around resumes. The number of summer associate roles is limited ...
Perks & Benefits