First impressions are everything. When it comes to appeals, Kirkland & Ellis partner Christopher Landau and the rest of the appellate team strive to impress judges in the introductions to briefs. "If you look at our briefs, we always have an introduction that is a more thematic approach, to try to tell the judges what is going on here from a 30,000-feet perspective before you get into the nitty-gritty of the case," said Landau, who leads the firm’s appellate practice. "We not only make the substantive, winning arguments, but we help put everything in context."
Kirkland appellate attorneys grabbed impressive wins in recent disputes that range from constitutional law to contracts. In a long-running fight that began in 2008, Kirkland represented a group of federal judges pro bono in a fight over judicial pay. "It really became a case about a broken promise," Landau said.
