Joshua Faulkner

Competent on the deal, but communication could improve

Our mid-sized tech firm engaged Joshua Faulkner at Kirkland & Ellis to handle a complex, multi-party asset acquisition. There is no question about his technical proficiency in M&A law. His analysis of the indemnification clauses and his structuring of the escrow arrangements were precise and clearly leveraged the deep institutional knowledge you'd expect from a firm of this caliber. His background from Northwestern and the recognition he's received in the field are evident in his grasp of the finer points. However, the experience felt somewhat transactional. While the final work product was solid, there were periods during the diligence phase where our team experienced significant delays in receiving updates. We often had to follow up multiple times for status reports, which created some internal anxiety. For the premium rate, we expected a more proactive communication style and a clearer timeline for deliverables. Joshua is undoubtedly a skilled attorney who successfully shepherded the deal to close, and we appreciate that outcome. For straightforward, high-stakes M&A where the firm's reputation is paramount, he is a safe choice. Just be prepared to manage the client relationship and communication cadence more actively than we anticipated.