With fresh market optimism about deal work demand, Willkie Farr & Gallagher has added an 11-attorney group from Mayer Brown in Chicago, including five partners and six associates. One new lateral, Edward Best, will co-chair Willkie’s capital markets practice after holding the same title at Mayer Brown.

Willkie, which is now nearing the 100-lawyer mark in the Windy City after starting its office with six lawyers in 2020, announced Wednesday the arrival of partners Best, Jennifer Carlson, John Ablan, Esther Chang and Susan Rabinowitz, calling their practice “preeminent” and stating that they highlight the “full panoply of our firm’s global strength in these practices to the Chicago market.”