Willkie Farr & Gallagher partner Craig C. Martin, Chairman for the Americas, was quoted on Apr. 14 in an article about the rise of plaintiff-side work at large law firms and the influence of legal finance on these cases.
The trend is significant as it shows a shift among elite law firms, which have traditionally focused on corporate defense but are now increasingly representing clients in affirmative litigation.
“Our litigation practice focuses on clients’ most important, strategically significant matters—and those matters are a mix of plaintiff- and defense-side work,” Martin said. He estimated that approximately one third of his current practice involves representing plaintiffs.
Martin explained that handling plaintiff-side cases offers a different kind of engagement for litigators compared to corporate defense. “I love plaintiffs’ cases,” he said. “I love putting together the strategy for the case. You’re focused: you have a core theory, you execute on the theory, and you try the case. It’s really fun.”
Martin has played a key role in expanding Willkie’s presence in Chicago since founding its office there in 2020, growing it to more than 120 lawyers and establishing it as a market leader. Before joining Willkie Farr & Gallagher, he served as chairman of another national law firm.
