Over a year ago, Kirkland & Ellis touched down in Miami during a wave of Big Law entrants flooding South Florida, and its strategy for talent acquisition in the region doesn’t just diverge from peers, it’s also a departure from its approach in other recently entered markets.

Winston & Strawn came into the market with an eye to poach lateral partners from local firms, while Sidley Austin brought in its own partners with some South Florida connections. Most of the Miami partners at Kirkland & Ellis have no connections to South Florida and came from different markets within the firm.