Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance LLP is a global law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a member of the 'Magic Circle' of leading UK law firms.^[2] It is one of the ten largest law firms in the world measured by both number of lawyers and revenue.^[3] In 2010/11 it achieved total revenues of £1.219 billion and profits per equity partner of £1.005 million.^[4] David Childs has been Managing Partner since 2006.^[5]

History

Clifford Chance's origins date back to 1802 when Anthony Brown became the first lawyer in his family when he started a solo law practice in London. Since then the firm has changed its name several times but it has always remained an integral part of the City of London.^[6][7] One of Clifford Chance's predecessor firms established an office in New York in 1986. The merger of London-based law firms Clifford Turner and Coward Chance in 1987 led to the formation of Clifford Chance. Neither Clifford Turner or Coward Chance were first-rank London law firms, but their merger has since been said to have changed the shape and profile of law firms in London and globally.^[8] Over the next decade the firm expanded its practices across Europe and Asia and more than doubled in size. In 1992 Clifford Chance became the first major non-US firm to practise US law.^[9]

In 1999 Clifford Chance merged with Frankfurt-based law firm Pünder, Volhard, Weber & Axster and with the 1871-established US-based firm Rogers & Wells (the use of the Pünder, Volhard, Weber & Axster and Rogers & Wells branding for their respective European and United States regional offices was discontinued in 2003). In 2002, Clifford Chance launched in California, setting up a branch with nearly 50 attorneys from the disbanding dot-com firm Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, San Diego and San Francisco. With California's downturn, the firm closed its Pacific Coast operations in 2007.^[10]

Because of falling revenues during the recent global recession, Clifford Chance reduced the number of partners by around 15%.^[11] The firm is increasingly moving back office tasks to its 350-employee Global Shared Service Centre, including a 60-employee Knowledge Centre in New Delhi, India as an efficiency measure.^[12]

On 1 May 2011, Clifford Chance opened offices in Australia by merging with two boutique law firms, Sydney-based Chang, Pistilli & Simmons and Perth-based Cochrane Lishman Carson Luscombe.^[13]

In November 2011 it was identified as the largest supplier to the City of London Corporation having received over £9m in fees between January and September of that year.^[14]

Main practice areas

• Banking and finance
• Capital markets
• Corporate law
• Real estate
• Litigation

References

Further reading

• Scott, John (1980). Clifford-Turner. Legibus.
• Slinn, Judy (1993). Clifford Chance: Its Origins and Development. Granta Editions.
• Bose, Mihir, 'Clifford Chance: A Very Peculiar Practice?', Director, March 1990, pp. 65–66, 68, 70.
• 'Playing for Stakes: The Game of Clifford Chance', Legal Business, June 1993, pp. 28–31.
• 'London Braces for the Big Six Invasion', American Lawyer, December 1996, pp. 5–6.
• Rose, Craig, 'Clifford Chance: The Merger That Worked', Commercial Lawyer, Issue 15, 1997, pp. 32–34.
• Morris, John E., 'The New World Order', American Lawyer, August 1999, pp. 92–99.
• 'Merger in the First Degree: British Law Firms Are Forging New Relationships That Could Transform the Style of Global Legal Practice', Time International, 9 August 1999, p. 41.
• Steinberger, Mike, 'Is Clifford Chance/Rogers & Wells the Next Wave, or Simply Overkill?', Investment Dealers' Digest, 9 August 1999, pp. 12–13.

External links

• Clifford Chance LLP
• Clifford Chance rankings in Chambers Global, Chambers UK and Chambers Student Guide
• Profile of Clifford Chance and News articles about Clifford Chance on Legal Week