Simpson Thacher Expands Chicago Office With Four Partners
The law firm hired four new partners to support its ongoing growth and office space expansion in Chicago.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Remote Work
Live Poll
Do you believe major law firm expansions benefit the local professional business landscape in your city?
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has bolstered its Chicago office by hiring four new partners from rival firms. This move is part of the firm's strategic expansion in the city.
Why it matters
The additions support the firm's growth plan to occupy 100,000 square feet of office space in Chicago. This hiring initiative follows the firm's initial launch in the market.
Simpson Thacher added 4 partners to its roster in October 2026, bringing the firm closer to its target of filling 100,000 square feet of office space in Chicago.
The players
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
This global law firm is headquartered in New York and serves international clients in corporate and financial sectors.
Ryan Harris
He serves as the lead partner responsible for directing the operations and growth of the firm's Chicago branch.
Kirkland & Ellis
A prominent global law firm known for its large-scale corporate, litigation, and intellectual property legal services.
White & Case
This international law firm maintains an extensive global presence providing legal advice on complex cross-border transactions.
The details
The firm recruited Shiva Sandill and Trevor Currie from White & Case, along with Dave Gremling and Lauren Cates from Kirkland & Ellis. Ryan Harris continues to lead the Chicago office as it works to scale its local footprint.
Timeline
The Chicago office was initially launched in August 2026.
The firm announced the four new partner hires in October 2026.
Market Landscape
Simpson Thacher follows a broader industry pattern of established coastal firms aggressively scaling their footprint in major Midwest legal markets. This expansion intensifies competition for top-tier legal talent among legacy firms in the city.
Local clients and professionals in the legal sector can expect increased service capacity as the firm scales its operations toward a 100,000-square-foot facility. These moves generally influence the local corporate legal market and talent competition levels.
The takeaway
Large firms continue to bet on physical office space as a primary tool for establishing deep roots in competitive legal markets. Companies looking for high-end legal counsel in the Midwest may benefit from this increased localized competition.
Further reading
For more on local professional trends, see the Remote Work section.
Live Poll
Do you believe major law firm expansions benefit the local professional business landscape in your city?
