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Kirkland & EllisAssociate (Restructuring / Special Situations) Interview Guide & Simulator

Prepare for your Kirkland & Ellis Associate (Restructuring / Special Situations) interview. Get AI-powered insights, practice questions, and salary negotiation tips. Verified for 2026 hiring.

Verified for 2026 Hiring Cycles. Sources: Public Filings & H1B Data.
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Average Salary

US Cravath Scale (e.g., $225,000 - $415,000+ Base)

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The Interview Process

Restructuring Technical Screen

Kirkland has the most famous Restructuring practice in the world. Expect intense testing on Chapter 11 (US) / Part 26A (UK), aggressive liability management exercises (LMEs), and distressed M&A.

Distressed Capital Structure Scenario

E.g., 'A retailer will run out of cash in three weeks. They have Senior Secured debt, Unsecured Notes, and highly dilutive equity. Architect a pre-packaged bankruptcy.'

Partner Panel

Assessing your financial literacy and ability to thrive in extremely hostile, high-speed 'distressed' environments.

Real Kirkland & Ellis Interview Questions

Practice these exact questions faced by previous Associate (Restructuring / Special Situations) candidates.

1(Liability Management Exercises) Walk me through the legal mechanics and the explosive creditor litigation risks of executing a 'Drop-Down' (or J.Crew/Chewy) financing maneuver. How do you specifically utilize the 'Investment Baskets' and 'Restricted Payments' covenants in the existing Indenture to strip the intellectual property collateral away from the Senior Lenders to secure new super-priority financing? (Distressed Debt / Covenant Engineering)

2You are representing the 'Debtor' (the bankrupt company) in a Chapter 11 filing. Walk me through the brutal negotiation dynamics of securing 'Debtor-in-Possession' (DIP) financing, specifically focusing on the legal hurdles of granting a 'Priming Lien' (super-priority status) over the objections of the existing secured lenders. (Bankruptcy Finance / Strategy)

3Explain the strategic advantages for a multinational corporation choosing to restructure via a UK 'Restructuring Plan' (under Part 26A of the Companies Act) utilizing the 'Cross-Class Cram Down' mechanism, versus undergoing a traditional US Chapter 11 process. (Cross-Border Insolvency / Comparative Law)

4(Financial Fluency) How does the 'Absolute Priority Rule' dictate the distribution of value in a bankruptcy, and walk me through the specific legal and financial maneuvers (such as a 'Gifting' arrangement) that a Senior Creditor might use to creatively bypass this rule to secure cooperation from Junior Creditors? (Bankruptcy Law / Financial Strategy)

5Restructuring negotiations are famously hostile and zero-sum. Tell me about the most aggressive creditor-on-creditor conflict you've ever mediated. How did you structurally draft the 'Restructuring Support Agreement' (RSA) to lock in the consenting creditors before the holdouts could litigate? (Crisis Negotiation / Execution)

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