Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
04/14/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 04/14/2026 08:23
Craig C. Martin Quoted in Article on Rise of Plaintiff-Side Litigation at Major Firms
Craig C. Martin Quoted in Article on Rise of Plaintiff-Side Litigation at Major Firms
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April 14, 2026
Willkie partner Craig C. Martin, Chairman, Americas, was quoted in an article on the growth of plaintiff-side work at major law firms and the role of legal finance in supporting these cases.
The article in Original Jurisdiction, a legal industry newsletter, noted that elite law firms historically dedicated to corporate defense have evolved to increasingly represent 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," Craig said, estimating that around a third of his practice today involves plaintiff representations.
He noted that plaintiff-side work has a different appeal for a litigator than 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."
Craig C. Martin, a member of Willkie's Executive Committee, founded the firm's Chicago office in 2020 and has grown it into a market leader with more than 120 lawyers. Prior to joining Willkie, Craig was the Chairman of a national law firm. Recognized as a "courtroom to boardroom" lawyer, Craig regularly represents clients in their most important strategic, reputational and economic matters in virtually every substantive area of the law.
Read the article "Defense-Focused Biglaw Moves Into Plaintiff-Side Work" here.
The article in Original Jurisdiction, a legal industry newsletter, noted that elite law firms historically dedicated to corporate defense have evolved to increasingly represent 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," Craig said, estimating that around a third of his practice today involves plaintiff representations.
He noted that plaintiff-side work has a different appeal for a litigator than 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."
Craig C. Martin, a member of Willkie's Executive Committee, founded the firm's Chicago office in 2020 and has grown it into a market leader with more than 120 lawyers. Prior to joining Willkie, Craig was the Chairman of a national law firm. Recognized as a "courtroom to boardroom" lawyer, Craig regularly represents clients in their most important strategic, reputational and economic matters in virtually every substantive area of the law.
Read the article "Defense-Focused Biglaw Moves Into Plaintiff-Side Work" here.
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