King & Spalding — LLMpedia

King & Spalding
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Name	King & Spalding
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia
Founded	1885
Founders	William King, Alexander Spalding
Num offices	20+
Num attorneys	1,000+
Practice areas	Litigation; Transactions; Regulatory; Intellectual Property; Energy; Finance

Contents

King & Spalding is a major international law firm founded in 1885 with roots in Atlanta, Georgia and historical ties to firms and figures across the United States and global legal markets. The firm operates in transactional, litigation, regulatory, and arbitration matters and has represented clients in matters involving U.S. Supreme Court, Securities and Exchange Commission, European Commission, and international tribunals. Its lawyers have backgrounds connected to institutions such as Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, and former roles in administrations including the United States Department of Justice, U.S. Treasury Department, and the White House.

History

Founded in 1885 in Atlanta by partners whose names reflect classical legal traditions, the firm expanded through the 20th century alongside growth in Southern commerce tied to entities like Southern Railway and Coca-Cola Company. In the mid-20th century the firm engaged with matters arising from landmark developments associated with Civil Rights Movement events in Montgomery, Alabama and litigation referencing precedents such as Brown v. Board of Education. During the late 20th and early 21st centuries the firm opened offices aligned with corporate centers including New York City, Washington, D.C., London, and Brussels, responding to transactions involving actors like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, ExxonMobil, and BP. Leadership alumni have included former clerks to the United States Supreme Court and former officials from the U.S. Department of State and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, while the firm has participated in international matters before bodies such as the International Court of Justice and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

The firm provides services across transactional and contentious work including corporate mergers and acquisitions for clients like Bayer, Dow Chemical Company, and Volkswagen, capital markets and securities work involving Nasdaq listings and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and banking and finance matters for institutions such as Bank of America and Citigroup. In litigation the firm has handled cases in federal venues including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and appellate matters before the U.S. Supreme Court. Practice areas span intellectual property disputes involving Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics, and Intel Corporation; energy and natural resources representations for Chevron Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell, and renewable projects linked to Siemens and General Electric; healthcare and life sciences counseling for Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Merck & Co.; and regulatory compliance work involving agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and Environmental Protection Agency. Additional services include international arbitration under rules of the International Chamber of Commerce, white-collar defense in matters with the Department of Justice, tax controversies involving the Internal Revenue Service, and restructuring matters influenced by bankruptcy law precedents from Delaware courts.

Representations have included advising multinational corporations on cross-border mergers overseen by the European Commission and national competition authorities such as the Competition and Markets Authority in the United Kingdom. The firm has defended clients in securities class actions tied to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and represented sovereign entities in investment treaty arbitrations invoking the Energy Charter Treaty and bilateral investment treaties with states like Argentina and Venezuela. Litigation highlights include appellate briefs filed before the U.S. Supreme Court and complex multidistrict litigation in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The firm has also acted for financial institutions in financings tied to projects backed by development finance institutions such as the World Bank and African Development Bank, and counseled technology companies in patent portfolios involving standards set by bodies like the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

The firm maintains offices in major legal and financial centers including Atlanta, New York City, Washington, D.C., London, Brussels, Frankfurt, Paris, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Dubai, Singapore, and Hong Kong. These offices enable cross-border teams to handle matters across jurisdictions such as United Kingdom, European Union, China, United Arab Emirates, India, Brazil, and South Africa. The global footprint supports arbitration work at institutions like the London Court of International Arbitration and coordination with regional regulators including the Monetary Authority of Singapore and national courts such as the High Court of Justice in England and Wales.

The firm participates in pro bono initiatives collaborating with organizations such as American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Watch, and local legal aid societies in cities like Atlanta and New York City, assisting asylum seekers and civil rights claimants before immigration tribunals including hearings involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Diversity efforts have involved partnerships with affinity groups and pipeline programs connected to law schools like Georgetown University Law Center and bar associations including the National Bar Association and the Hispanic National Bar Association. Corporate responsibility work includes environmental sustainability commitments aligning with frameworks referenced by the United Nations Environment Programme and engagement with nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity and American Red Cross on disaster response and community resilience.

Category:Law firms