Atty. Michael Falk
Michael Falk is a partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Michael advises clients in connection with qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, executive and equity compensation, Code Section 409A, Code Section 280G, and the compensation aspects of mergers and acquisitions.
Profile Summary
About Michael Falk at a glance
Michael Falk is a employment attorney based in Chicago, Illinois, practicing at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Educated at University of Illinois Chicago (J.D., 1998). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (2026). Serands clients in Chicago, IL and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Michael Falk is a partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Michael advises clients in connection with qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, executive and equity compensation, Code Section 409A, Code Section 280G, and the compensation aspects of mergers and acquisitions
- His experience includes assisting clients with the design and implementation of defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, and equity/incentive compensation vehicles
- Michael has been praised by clients for his ability to “explain complex issues in a simple and straightforward manner” and for being “extremely thorough and very attentive to detail” in Chambers USA in 2016
- Since 2013, he has been recognized as a leading lawyer for employee benefits and executive compensation in The Legal 500 U.S
- Clients describe Michael as an “experienced employee benefits attorney who understands clients with no-nonsense” and a “tremendously practical lawyer with good business sense” that has the “technical knowledge of executive compensation issues [that] is incomparable.” He is an adjunct professor of law at Northwestern University Law School, where he teaches Executive Compensation Law
- Michael is a frequent speaker and author on a variety of executive compensation and employee benefits topics
- His speaking engagements include several presentations to the National Association for Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP), American Benefits Council and Worldwide Employee Benefits (WEB) Network
Practice Areas Explained
Michael Falk's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Michael Falk handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Employment lawyers represent workers in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage & hour disputes, and severance negotiations.
Michael Falk is one of 169,120 employment attorneys indexed nationally. Browse employment attorneys in Illinois →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Illinois
Practicing law in Illinois. Legal matters in Illinois are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Chicago are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Illinois state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Illinois brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Illinois courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Illinois attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Chicago or all attorneys in Illinois.
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