Kirkland & Ellis, the world’s largest law firm by revenue, announced that it is opening a new office in Nashville, Tennessee, as part of its strategy to attract top legal talent and meet growing client demand.
The firm is launching in Nashville with four litigation partners — Tara Blake, Matt Smith, Paul Rosenblatt and Travis Swearingen — along with additional partners and associates. The team brings extensive experience at trial and in large, complex commercial disputes, class actions, product liability and mass tort matters.
In addition to its litigation bench, the firm is establishing a presence across its transactional practices at launch and intends to continue building out both litigation and corporate capabilities in the Nashville market.
The expansion aligns with Kirkland’s broader nationwide growth strategy, particularly within its litigation practice, and reflects its continued investment in strengthening its national platform.
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“Nashville offers an ideal environment for our continued growth by enhancing our ability to attract exceptional legal talent in a vibrant and growing city with talented lawyers and a strong law school community. We’re excited to open our doors in the Music City with a terrific group of lawyers across our litigation and transactional practice areas.”
Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee, Kirkland & Ellis
“Our launch in Nashville is part of our aggressive nationwide growth strategy in litigation, which we intend to continue in 2026. As a litigation department, we’ve never been stronger, and talented litigators in Nashville will bring additional skill and depth to our team.”
Andrew Kassof, Litigation Partner and Member of Kirkland’s Executive Committee, Kirkland & Ellis
“We’re excited to build out a full-service office engaged on high-profile and complex transactional matters alongside lawyers across our national platform.”
Andy Calder, Corporate Partner and Member of Kirkland’s Executive Committee, Kirkland & Ellis
