McDermott Will & Emery

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McDermott Will & Emery LLP
McDermott Will & Emery
Headquarters Chicago, Illinois
No. of Offices 14
No. of Attorneys 1088
No. of Employees about 2,300
Major Practice Areas General practice
Revenue Image:green up.png $860 million USD (2007)[1]
Date Founded February 2, 1934
Founder Edward H. McDermott and
William M. Emery
Company Type Limited liability partnership
Website www.mwe.com

McDermott Will & Emery (a.k.a. "McDermott", "MWE", or "MW&E"), founded in 1934, is a prestigious international law firm headquartered in Chicago, IL. It is one of the top 10 largest law firms in the United States and one of the 20 largest in the world.[2] McDermott is a diversified business practice representing a wide range of commercial, industrial and financial enterprises, both publicly and privately held. The firm also houses the largest tax practice in the United States.

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[edit] Size

Currently numbering nearly 1,100 lawyers with 580 partners, McDermott has fourteen offices across the United States and in Europe. MWE currently advises more than 75% of the Fortune 100 and more than 50% of the Fortune 500 companies, and is one of the 20 largest law firms globally.[3] McDermott Will & Emery represents clients in 70 countries across 6 continents, with 45 different languages spoken.[4]

[edit] Practice areas

McDermott offers clients counsel in a variety of practice areas and industries, including: accounting, agriculture, architecture and engineering, broadcasting, commercial and investment banking, construction, consumer finance, distribution, financial services, food and beverage processing, healthcare, insurance, investment syndication, life sciences and biotechnology, manufacturing, media, mining, oil and gas, publishing, real estate, retailing, savings and loans, technology, telecommunications, utilities and venture capital.

MWE's client base breakdown, from the firm's top 250 clients:[4]

  • Public companies, including subsidiaries and divisions - 57%
  • Privately owned businesses - 33%
  • Nonprofit organizations - 8%
  • Governmental entities - 2%

[edit] History

Founding the firm in 1934, Chicago lawyers Edward H. McDermott and William M. Emery initially specialized in tax law; a corporate department was established when Howard H. Will joined the firm in 1941. As the century progressed, the firm added capabilities across the legal spectrum, eventually opening eight more offices on both coasts. By 1984, the firm numbered 150 lawyers; over the ensuing 20 years, however, the firm underwent a significant growth spurt - by the firm's 70th anniversary in 2004, McDermott numbered over 1,000 lawyers.[5]

[edit] International experience

With a high profile on both sides of the Atlantic, McDermott has been involved in crossborder matters in virtually every sector of business. Matters of an international nature include cross-border mergers and acquisitions; joint ventures; financings; corporate restructuring and reorganisations; the structuring of distributorship, licensing and agency arrangements; the negotiation of commercial contracts; compliance with investment laws; privatisation; multi-national tax planning; international litigation and dispute resolution; environmental; real estate; banking; anti-competition; e-business and intellectual property.

[edit] Locations

McDermott Will & Emery currently has 15 offices in the United States and Europe. The number in parentheses indicates the year the office opened.

[edit] North America

[edit] Europe

[edit] Asia/Pacific

[edit] Recognition and rankings

  • Named as one of the top 15 defense litigation law firms in the United States by The National Law Journal on its annual Defense Hot List.[7]
  • Ranked among the top 10 law firms singled out by corporate counsel as driving innovative changes in the legal services marketplace.[8]
  • Recognized as one of the top 10 law firms representing the growing health care industry in the United States.[9]
  • 50 of McDermott's Chicago partners were named 2007 Law & Politics' Illinois Super Lawyers, representing the top five percent of the lawyers in Illinois based on a survey and research conducted by Law & Politics.[10]
  • Recognized by The Chambers Global Guide for excellence in numerous practice areas, and 18 McDermott lawyers were ranked as leaders in their field.[11]
  • The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) named McDermott Will & Emery as one of the record number of U.S. companies earning the top rating of 100 percent in its annual Corporate Equality Index.[12]
  • Ranked in the top 20 in the 2006 third quarter M&A legal advisory league tables published by Mergermarket. This legal advisers ranking is based on aggregated deal volume of announced transactions in North American from January 1, 2006 to September 30, 2006.

[edit] Community service and Pro bono

McDermott Will & Emery engages in a number of pro bono efforts and states that it is committed to its communities. In 2006, the firm devoted over 60,000 hours to pro bono and community service. The Silicon Valley office was awarded the 2006 State Bar of California President's Pro Bono Service Award. Each week, more than 100 of McDermott's lawyers and staff tutor inner-city schoolchildren as part of the firm's Partners in Reading program. Through its Kids First program, the firm's lawyers also provide children across the United States with legal representation for a variety of needs.[13]

[edit] References

  1. ^ 12 Feb 2007. PEP up 10% as McDermott posts 2006 results. Legal Week.
  2. ^ Company Snapshot: McDermott Will & Emery. Vault. 2007.
  3. ^ AmLaw Global 100, The American Lawyer, November 2006
  4. ^ a b 2006 Year in Review. McDermott Will & Emory.
  5. ^ McDermott Will & Emery - Firm History
  6. ^ MWE China Law Offices Opens in Shanghai
  7. ^ Defense Hot List, The National Law Journal. 2006.
  8. ^ BTI Market Movers: Law Firms Shaping the Legal Market BTI Consulting Group. 2006.
  9. ^ Analysis of lawsuits brought by or against the 250 largest publicly traded health care companies in 2005. Health Law360.
  10. ^ 2007 Super Lawyers: Illinois
  11. ^ Chambers and Parnters: The Chambers Global Guide 2007
  12. ^ HRC Profile: McDermott Will & Emery. 2006.
  13. ^ 2006 Pro Bono Report. McDermott Will & Emery. 2007.

[edit] External links